رَأَيتُ المَسجِدَ الجامِ

رَأَيتُ المَسجِدَ الجامِ

عَ قُفّاعَةَ إِبليسِ

عَ قُفّاعَةَ إِبليسِ

I saw the congregational mosque—

I saw the great mosque, the pedestal of Iblis,

I beheld the Congregational Mosque

Iblis's basket-trap.

Built by God and lofty towers uncursed,

As nothing but the snare of Satan.

بَناهُ اللَهُ وَالطالِ

بَناهُ اللَهُ وَالطالِ

عُ بُرجٌ غَيرُ مَنحوسِ

عُ بُرجٌ غَيرُ مَنحوسِ

God built it, and the ascendant

In it the beasts of mankind gathered in the guise of the devout,

God built it when the ascendant star

was a zodiacal sign not ill-starred.

When they went to the prayer-mat, people of harm and kissing,

Was a constellation free of ill omen.

بِهِ خِلتُ ظِباءَ الإِن

بِهِ خِلتُ ظِباءَ الإِن

سِ في أَقبَحِ مَأنوسِ

سِ في أَقبَحِ مَأنوسِ

There I thought the gazelles of humankind

So many hearts in the courtyard, wounded and tormented,

Therein I fancied the gazelles of mankind

were in the ugliest of haunts.

We roused legions of locusts in the path of waywardness,

In the most incongruous of settings.

إِذا راحوا عَلى العُشّا

إِذا راحوا عَلى العُشّا

قِ أَهلِ الضَرِّ وَالبوسِ

قِ أَهلِ الضَرِّ وَالبوسِ

When they go forth to the lovers,

A legion for 'Ammar and a legion for 'Abdus,

When they turn toward their lovers,

people of suffering and misery,

And for 'Amr leader of the banner - no, moneybag -

Those people of anguish and misery,

فَكَم في الصَحنِ مِن قَلبٍ

فَكَم في الصَحنِ مِن قَلبٍ

كَليمِ الجُرحِ مَخلوسِ

كَليمِ الجُرحِ مَخلوسِ

how many a heart in the courtyard

You meet them with reverence, glorification and sanctification,

How many a heart within the courtyard

is sorely wounded, stolen away!

And they meet us with mocking, frowning and contortion,

Is wounded deep and stolen away!

بَعَثنا في سَبيلِ الغَي

بَعَثنا في سَبيلِ الغَي

يِ أَفواجَ الكَراديسِ

يِ أَفواجَ الكَراديسِ

We dispatched, in the cause of error,

So my Lord, to You the complainants, the wandering strays.

We sent forth, upon the path of error,

hosts of battalions:

Regiments of crowded battalions.

فَكُردوسٌ لِعَمّارٍ

فَكُردوسٌ لِعَمّارٍ

وَكُردوسٌ لِعَبدوسِ

وَكُردوسٌ لِعَبدوسِ

so a battalion for Ammar,

A detachment assigned to 'Ammar,

and a battalion for Abdus;

And a detachment assigned to 'Abdus.

وَعَمروٍ صاحِبُ الرايَ

وَعَمروٍ صاحِبُ الرايَ

ةِ لا بَل دِرهَمَ الكيسِ

ةِ لا بَل دِرهَمَ الكيسِ

and Amr is the banner-bearer—

And 'Amr is the bearer of the banner—

no, rather, the dirham in the purse.

Nay, rather the bearer of the coin-purse.

تُلاقيهِم بِإِعظامٍ

تُلاقيهِم بِإِعظامٍ

وَإِجلالٍ وَتَقديسِ

وَإِجلالٍ وَتَقديسِ

You meet them with reverence,

You meet them with high exaltation,

and honor and veneration;

With reverence and sanctification;

وَيَلقَونا مِنَ التيهِ

وَيَلقَونا مِنَ التيهِ

بِتَكليحٍ وَتَعبيسِ

بِتَكليحٍ وَتَعبيسِ

yet out of haughtiness they meet us

Yet they meet us with haughty pride,

with grimaces and scowls.

With grimacing and frowning faces.

فَيا رَبُّ إِلَيكَ المُش

فَيا رَبُّ إِلَيكَ المُش

تَكى تيهُ الطَواويسِ

تَكى تيهُ الطَواويسِ

So, O Lord, to You we complain

So, O Lord, unto You is the complaint

of the peacocks' haughtiness.

Of the arrogance of these peacocks.