وَيَركَبُ أَقوامٌ مَطايا نَفيسةً

وَيَركَبُ أَقوامٌ مَطايا نَفيسةً

وَنَحنُ مَطايانا أَخامِصُ أَقدامِ

وَنَحنُ مَطايانا أَخامِصُ أَقدامِ

And some people ride fine mounts,

Some people ride precious steeds,

While our mounts are the hollows of our feet.

While our mounts are bare feet.

وَيلبس أَقوام حَريراً لزينةٍ

وَيلبس أَقوام حَريراً لزينةٍ

وَمَلبوسُنا ما شانَ مِن وَبرِ أَنعامِ

وَمَلبوسُنا ما شانَ مِن وَبرِ أَنعامِ

And some people wear silk for adornment,

Some don beautiful silk apparel,

While our clothing is unsightly livestock hair.

While our clothes are made of wool from livestock.

وَيَشرَبُ أَقوامٌ رَحيقاً بِأَكؤسٍ

وَيَشرَبُ أَقوامٌ رَحيقاً بِأَكؤسٍ

وَمَشروبُنا ماءٌ بإشفافِ خَتّامِ

وَمَشروبُنا ماءٌ بإشفافِ خَتّامِ

And some people drink pure wine from cups,

Some drink exquisite wine from goblets,

And our drink is water, with a finisher's scant leavings [wording unclear].

While our drink is water, pure from seals.

وَيَأكُلُ أَقوام شواءً وَجَردَقاً

وَيَأكُلُ أَقوام شواءً وَجَردَقاً

وَمَأكولُنا خُبزٌ مَشوبٌ بآلامِ

وَمَأكولُنا خُبزٌ مَشوبٌ بآلامِ

And some people eat roast meat and round flatbread,

Some eat grilled meat and chicken,

While our food is bread mingled with pain.

While our food is bread mixed with pain.

وَيَلتذُّ أَقوامٌ بِأبناءِ يافِثٍ

وَيَلتذُّ أَقوامٌ بِأبناءِ يافِثٍ

وسامٍ وَموطوآتُنا مِن بَني حامِ

وسامٍ وَموطوآتُنا مِن بَني حامِ

And some people take pleasure in the sons of Japheth,

Some revel in the daughters of Japheth,

And Shem, while the women we bed are among Ham's descendants.

While our mates are from the progeny of Ham.

يَقضُونَ مِن دُنياهُمُ شَهواتِهِم

يَقضُونَ مِن دُنياهُمُ شَهواتِهِم

وَنَحنُ لَهُم في الدَهرِ أَطوَعُ خُدامِ

وَنَحنُ لَهُم في الدَهرِ أَطوَعُ خُدامِ

From their world they satisfy their desires,

They fulfill their worldly desires,

While we are, throughout life, their most obedient servants.

While we are their most obedient servants.

إِذا جاءَهُم مِنّا فَقيرٌ لحاجَةٍ

إِذا جاءَهُم مِنّا فَقيرٌ لحاجَةٍ

لَوَوا جيدَهم زَهواً وَنَخوةَ إِعظامِ

لَوَوا جيدَهم زَهواً وَنَخوةَ إِعظامِ

When one of our poor comes to them with a need,

When one of us approaches them out of need,

They turn their necks away in vanity and self-exalting pride.

They turn their faces in arrogance and false pride.

وَما اللَهُ عَمّا يَعملون بِغافلٍ

وَما اللَهُ عَمّا يَعملون بِغافلٍ

وَلَكنما يملي زِيادَةَ آثامِ

وَلَكنما يملي زِيادَةَ آثامِ

And God is not heedless of what they do;

God is not unaware of what they do,

But He only grants them respite for their sins to increase.

But allows their sins to increase.

كَذَلِكَ تَأتيهم بَلايا عَظيمَةٌ

كَذَلِكَ تَأتيهم بَلايا عَظيمَةٌ

مِن الحَبسِ وَالتَعذيبِ وَالضَربِ وِالسامِ

مِن الحَبسِ وَالتَعذيبِ وَالضَربِ وِالسامِ

Thus great afflictions come upon them,

Thus mighty calamities befall them,

From imprisonment, torture, beatings, and death.

Of imprisonment, torture, beating, and poison.

غَدوا عِبرةً يَرثي لَهُم كُلُّ شامِتٍ

غَدوا عِبرةً يَرثي لَهُم كُلُّ شامِتٍ

بِهِم وَكَذا الملتذ يَشقى بإِجرامِ

بِهِم وَكَذا الملتذ يَشقى بإِجرامِ

They became a warning, pitied by everyone who gloated

They become lessons to be mourned by every gloating enemy,

Over them; thus the pleasure-seeker suffers for wrongdoing.

Just as the reveler suffers for his sins.