لَم يَقدُرِ اللَهُ تَهذيباً لِعالَمِنا

لَم يَقدُرِ اللَهُ تَهذيباً لِعالَمِنا

فَلا تَرومَنَّ لِلأَقوامِ تَهذيبا

فَلا تَرومَنَّ لِلأَقوامِ تَهذيبا

God ordained no refinement for our world,

God has not decreed reform for our world,

so never seek to refine its peoples.

So never seek reform for the peoples.

وَلا تُصَدِّقُ بِما البُرهانُ يُبطِلُهُ

وَلا تُصَدِّقُ بِما البُرهانُ يُبطِلُهُ

فَتَستَفيدُ مِنَ التَصديقِ تَكذيبا

فَتَستَفيدُ مِنَ التَصديقِ تَكذيبا

Nor believe what proof has shown to be false,

And do not believe what proof refutes,

lest belief bring you nothing but refutation.

For then you gain refutation from belief.

إِن عَذَّبَ اللَهُ قَوماً بِاِجتِرامِهِمُ

إِن عَذَّبَ اللَهُ قَوماً بِاِجتِرامِهِمُ

فَما يُريدُ لِأَهلِ العَدلِ تَعذيبا

فَما يُريدُ لِأَهلِ العَدلِ تَعذيبا

If God torments a people for their crimes,

If God punishes a people for their wrongdoing,

then He desires no torment for the just.

Then He desires no punishment for the just.

يَغدو عَلى خِلِّهِ الإِنسانُ يَظلِمُهُ

يَغدو عَلى خِلِّهِ الإِنسانُ يَظلِمُهُ

كَالذيبِ يَأكُلُ عِندَ الغِرَّةِ الذيبا

كَالذيبِ يَأكُلُ عِندَ الغِرَّةِ الذيبا

Man sets upon his intimate friend and wrongs him,

Man sets out against his friend, wronging him,

like a wolf devouring a fellow wolf when it is off guard.

Like a wolf devouring another wolf caught off guard.