عَجَباًwhat a wonder! لِأَربابِat the possessors of العُقولِreason
عَجَباً لِأَربابِ العُقولِ
وَالحِرصِand greed فيin طَلَبِseeking الفُضولِexcess
وَالحِرصِ في طَلَبِ الفُضولِ
I marvel at those possessed of reason
How strange are those with sharp minds
and greed in the pursuit of excess:
Yet greedily seek useless things
سُلّابِrobbers of أَكسِيَةِcloaks الأَراthe widows (beginning)
سُلّابِ أَكسِيَةِ الأَرا
مِلِcompletion of 'the widows' وَاليَتامىand the orphans وَالكُهولِand the middle-aged
مِلِ وَاليَتامى وَالكُهولِ
those who steal the cloaks of
Stripping garments from the weak
widows, orphans, and the middle-aged;
And from orphans and the old
وَالجامِعينَand those who gather المُكثِريthose amassing much (beginning)
وَالجامِعينَ المُكثِري
نَending of 'those amassing much' مِنَfrom الخِيانَةِtreachery وَالغُلولِand embezzlement
نَ مِنَ الخِيانَةِ وَالغُلولِ
and those who gather, amassing ever more
Those who gather much dishonesty and fraud
through treachery and embezzlement;
And prefer the abode of departure
وَالمُؤثِرينَand those who prefer لِدارِfor the abode of رِحلَتِdeparture
وَالمُؤثِرينَ لِدارِ رِحلَتِ
هِمtheir عَلىover دارِthe abode of الحُلولِabiding
هِم عَلى دارِ الحُلولِ
and those who prefer the abode of
To the eternal abode
their departure to the abode of abiding.
They have placed their minds on worldly matters
وَضَعواthey placed عُقولَهُمُtheir minds مِنَfrom; of الدُthe world (beginning)
وَضَعوا عُقولَهُمُ مِنَ الدُ
نياcompletion of 'the world' بِمَدرَجَةِin the path of السيولِthe torrents
نيا بِمَدرَجَةِ السيولِ
They placed their minds, in
At the level of flowing torrents
this world, in the path of torrents.
And are distracted by frivolous pleasures
وَلَهَواand they amused themselves بِأَطرافِwith the tips of الفُروthe branches (beginning)
وَلَهَوا بِأَطرافِ الفُرو
عِcompletion of 'the branches' وَأَغفَلواand they neglected عِلمَknowledge of الأُصولِthe roots
عِ وَأَغفَلوا عِلمَ الأُصولِ
And they amused themselves with the tips of
Forgetting the knowledge of principles
the branches, and neglected knowledge of the roots.
They follow the gathering of nonsense
وَتَتَبَّعواجَمعَand they pursued the gathering of الحُطاthe debris (beginning)
وَتَتَبَّعواجَمعَ الحُطا
مِcompletion of 'the debris' وَفارَقواand they forsook أَثَرَthe footsteps of الرَسولِthe Messenger
مِ وَفارَقوا أَثَرَ الرَسولِ
And they pursued the gathering of
And abandon the way of the Messenger
worldly debris, forsaking the Messenger's footsteps.
They have seen the waves of time
وَلَقَدand indeed رَأَواthey saw غيلانَghouls رَيvicissitudes (beginning)
وَلَقَد رَأَوا غيلانَ رَي
بِcompletion of 'vicissitudes' الدَهرِtime غولاًa ghoul بَعدَafter غولِa ghoul
بِ الدَهرِ غولاً بَعدَ غولِ
And indeed they saw the ghouls of
Surging again and again with tyranny
time's vicissitudes, ghoul after ghoul.
Partial English translation: 15 of 16 Arabic lines translated.