حلبتُI milked الدَهرَTime أَشطُرَهُits udder-halves زَماناًfor a while
حلبتُ الدَهرَ أَشطُرَهُ زَماناً
وَأَغنانيand spared me العِيانُfirsthand sight عَنfrom السُؤالِasking
وَأَغناني العِيانُ عَن السُؤالِ
For an age I milked time’s teats,
I milked Time's udders for a while,
and seeing for myself spared me from asking.
And firsthand sight spared me the need to ask.
فَماso not أَبصَرتُI saw مِنany خِلٍّfriend وَفيٍّloyal
فَما أَبصَرتُ مِن خِلٍّ وَفيٍّ
وَلاnor أَلفَيتُI found مَشكُورَpraiseworthy الخِلالِtraits
وَلا أَلفَيتُ مَشكُورَ الخِلالِ
I never beheld a faithful friend,
So I saw no loyal friend,
nor found one whose qualities deserved praise:
Nor found anyone with praiseworthy traits.
ذِئابٌwolves فيin ثِيابٍclothing قَدindeed تَبَدَّتappeared
ذِئابٌ في ثِيابٍ قَد تَبَدَّت
لِرائِيهاto their beholder بِأَشكالِin the forms of الرِجالِmen
لِرائِيها بِأَشكالِ الرِجالِ
wolves in garments, revealing themselves
Wolves in clothing have appeared
to the beholder in the shapes of men.
To their beholder in the forms of men.
وَمَنand whoever يَكُis يَدَّعيclaims مِنهُمamong them صَلاحاًrighteousness
وَمَن يَكُ يَدَّعي مِنهُم صَلاحاً
فَزِندِيقٌso a heretic تَغَلغلَhas sunk deep فيinto الضَلالِerror
فَزِندِيقٌ تَغَلغلَ في الضَلالِ
Whoever among them claims righteousness
And whoever among them claims righteousness
is a heretic steeped in error.
Is a heretic steeped in error.
تَرىyou see الجُهّالَthe ignorant تَتبَعُهُfollow him وَتَرضىand consent
تَرى الجُهّالَ تَتبَعُهُ وَتَرضى
مُشارَكَةًsharing بِأَهلٍwith family أَوor بِمالِwith wealth
مُشارَكَةً بِأَهلٍ أَو بِمالِ
You see the ignorant follow him, content
You see the ignorant follow him and consent
to share with him wife or wealth.
To sharing their families or their wealth.
فَيَنهَبُso he plunders مالَهُمtheir wealth وَيصيبand has relations with مِنهُمfrom among them
فَيَنهَبُ مالَهُم وَيصيب مِنهُم
نساءهُمtheir women بِمَقبوحِthrough shameful الفعالِdeeds
نساءهُم بِمَقبوحِ الفعالِ
So he plunders their wealth and gets at
So he plunders their wealth and has relations with
their women through vile deeds;
Their women through shameful acts.
وَيَأخذُand he assumes حالهُhis ecstatic state زُوراًfraudulently فَيَرميthen he flings
وَيَأخذُ حالهُ زُوراً فَيَرمي
عِمامَتَهhis turban وَيَهربُand he flees فيinto الرِمالِthe sands
عِمامَتَه وَيَهربُ في الرِمالِ
he fraudulently takes a man’s property, then casts off
And he feigns his ecstatic state, then flings
his turban and flees across the sands.
His turban away and flees into the sands.
وَيجرونand they drag التيوسَthe billy goats وَراءَbehind رجسa vile wretch
وَيجرون التيوسَ وَراءَ رجس
تَقَرمَطhas become Qarmatian فيin العَقيدةِcreed وَالمَقالِand speech
تَقَرمَط في العَقيدةِ وَالمَقالِ
And they drag those cuckolded he-goats after a filthy wretch
And they drag the billy goats behind a vile wretch
who has embraced Qarmatianism in creed and speech.
Who has turned Qarmatian in creed and speech.
