يموت الصحيح ويحيا المصاب

يموت الصحيح ويحيا المصاب

وما كل من يرم عمداً يصاب

وما كل من يرم عمداً يصاب

The healthy man dies, while the afflicted lives.

The righteous die and the afflicted live

Not everyone deliberately shot at is hit.

Not all who deliberately cast perish

وهيهات ما لامرئٍ ما تمنى

وهيهات ما لامرئٍ ما تمنى

وما كل داعٍ لعمري يصاب

وما كل داعٍ لعمري يصاب

Far from it: a man does not have whatever he wishes.

Alas, no one gets what he wishes

Not every caller, by my life, is struck.

Nor does every supplicant get his wish

فكم طالبٍ بالعتاب الرضى

فكم طالبٍ بالعتاب الرضى

فأورثه السخط ذلك العتاب

فأورثه السخط ذلك العتاب

How many a man has sought approval through reproach,

How many blamers attained pleasure

only for that reproach to bring him anger.

Thus, their blaming brought wrath upon them

وراح سحاباً لنقطع الصدى

وراح سحاباً لنقطع الصدى

فجاد له بالهلاك السحاب

فجاد له بالهلاك السحاب

And he went to a cloud so we might quench thirst,

They went away like severed clouds

but the cloud lavished destruction upon him.

Then ruinous clouds rewarded them with doom

وعاقب خير بحسن الثنا

وعاقب خير بحسن الثنا

فما كان إلا الجزاء العقاب

فما كان إلا الجزاء العقاب

And he repaid kindness with fine praise,

He punished good with good praise

yet the recompense was nothing but punishment.

Yet it was only apt retribution

تمرست أبناء هذا الزمان

تمرست أبناء هذا الزمان

فأكلٌ هم لي وهم لي شراب

فأكلٌ هم لي وهم لي شراب

I have tested the sons of this age;

The youth of this age grew accustomed

they are food to me, and they are my drink.

That they are a worry for me and their deeds are my drink

فشهدٌ مقالهم دونه

فشهدٌ مقالهم دونه

وأفعالهم فهو في الطعم صاب

وأفعالهم فهو في الطعم صاب

Their speech is honey; beneath it,

So their statements bespoke their disposition

their deeds taste of bitter sap.

And their actions revealed the taste

يعيبون كل كريمٍ وفي

يعيبون كل كريمٍ وفي

وهم لو دروا بالمعاب المعاب

وهم لو دروا بالمعاب المعاب

They find fault with every generous, faithful man,

They blame each generous and loyal one

yet, if they understood fault, they themselves are blameworthy.

If only they realized the vice of vices

تخالهم في شباح الرجال

تخالهم في شباح الرجال

رجالاً وهم في الطباع الكلاب

رجالاً وهم في الطباع الكلاب

In the shapes of men, you suppose them

You would think them, amongst the phantoms of men, men

to be men, yet by nature they are dogs.

While they are dogs in attributes

ذئاب عليهم ملاح الثياب

ذئاب عليهم ملاح الثياب

وشر الذئاب عليها الثياب

وشر الذئاب عليها الثياب

Wolves wearing fine clothes—

Wolves, refined in attire

and the worst wolves are those that wear clothes.

And the worst of wolves is [that] in clothing

عبيد المطامع إحسانهم

عبيد المطامع إحسانهم

أساة وحمدهم فالسباب

أساة وحمدهم فالسباب

Slaves to greed—their kindness

Slaves of greed – their benevolence, misery

is harm [reading uncertain], and their praise is abuse.

Their praise, curses

يدينون بالعيب عرض الكرام

يدينون بالعيب عرض الكرام

ولم تلمس الفضل منهم لذاب

ولم تلمس الفضل منهم لذاب

They cast blame on the honor of the noble,

They attribute dishonor to the honorable ones

and you have found no virtue in them [final word unclear].

And the hems of their garments were never touched by virtue

فأموالهم في المحل المصان

فأموالهم في المحل المصان

وأعراضهم في النوادي نهاب

وأعراضهم في النوادي نهاب

Their wealth is kept in a guarded place,

Their wealth lies safeguarded

while their honor is plunder in the assemblies.

And their honor gets violated in gatherings

يصمون سمعاً عن المكرمات

يصمون سمعاً عن المكرمات

وإن تدعهم للمخازي أجابوا

وإن تدعهم للمخازي أجابوا

They turn a deaf ear to noble deeds,

They shut their hearing to honorable deeds

but if you call them to shameful deeds, they answer.

And if you invite them to trifles, they will come

يطوفون في موبقات الفعال

يطوفون في موبقات الفعال

كما طاف فوق الهرار الذباب

كما طاف فوق الهرار الذباب

They circle amid ruinous acts,

They wander into the pitfalls of malice

as flies circle above cats.

Like flies hovering over the stagnant pond

وقد شغلت أهل هذا الزمان

وقد شغلت أهل هذا الزمان

وحاشا العليل بما يستراب

وحاشا العليل بما يستراب

The people of this age have indeed become absorbed—

And the people of this age preoccupied me

except the ailing—in what is suspect.

Far from the dubious, I seek refuge

أطاعوا اللعين أبا مرة

أطاعوا اللعين أبا مرة

بقول وفعل وما يستراب

بقول وفعل وما يستراب

They obeyed the accursed Abu Murrah,

They obeyed the damned Abū Murra

in word and deed—there is no doubt.

In saying, action and stance

فأنساهم اللَه لما نسوا

فأنساهم اللَه لما نسوا

جميع الذي جاء فيه الكتاب

جميع الذي جاء فيه الكتاب

So God made them forget, when they forgot

So Allah made them forget what

all that was set forth in the Book.

Was stated in the entire Scripture

أنا لك يا خالقي تائب

أنا لك يا خالقي تائب

فما عذبت عصبة لك تابوا

فما عذبت عصبة لك تابوا

I repent to You, O my Creator.

I turn to You, my Creator, penitent

For You have not punished a band that repented to You.

For You do not torment a group when they repent

إليك مآبي عن الموبقات

إليك مآبي عن الموبقات

فأنت لي اللَه نعم المآب

فأنت لي اللَه نعم المآب

To You I return, away from ruinous sins;

You are my recourse, protecting me from evil

for You are my God—what an excellent refuge!

You, my God, are the Best of Guardians