وَجَدتُ الأَنامَ عَلى خُطَّةٍ

وَجَدتُ الأَنامَ عَلى خُطَّةٍ

نَهارُهُم كَالظَلامِ اِعتَكَر

نَهارُهُم كَالظَلامِ اِعتَكَر

I found humankind in such a state:

I found people following a crooked path,

Their day had grown murky as darkness.

Their day is like deep darkness.

فَلا يُزهِدَنَّكَ في العارِفاتِ

فَلا يُزهِدَنَّكَ في العارِفاتِ

أَنَّ الَّذي نالَها ما شَكَر

أَنَّ الَّذي نالَها ما شَكَر

So do not be discouraged from acts of kindness

So don't let those who obtained it make you despair of gnosis,

because the one who received them gave no thanks.

For he who attained it was ungrateful.

وَقَد شَرِبَ الدَهرُ صَفوَ الأَنامِ

وَقَد شَرِبَ الدَهرُ صَفوَ الأَنامِ

فَلَم يَبقَ في الأَرضِ إِلّا العَكَر

فَلَم يَبقَ في الأَرضِ إِلّا العَكَر

And time has drunk the purest of humankind,

Time has sipped the elite of mankind,

so nothing remains on earth but the dregs.

Leaving none on earth but the dregs.

وَما عِندَ خِلِّكَ غَيرُ النِفاقِ

وَما عِندَ خِلِّكَ غَيرُ النِفاقِ

وَما خِلتُهُ ناسِياً فَاِدَّكَر

وَما خِلتُهُ ناسِياً فَاِدَّكَر

And your friend has nothing but hypocrisy;

You have from your friend nothing but hypocrisy,

nor did I suppose he had forgotten and then remembered.

And I had forgotten his friendship, so be reminded.

أَرى سِنَةً وَهُوَ في حيلَةٍ

أَرى سِنَةً وَهُوَ في حيلَةٍ

وَلَم يُغفِ حَقّاً وَلَكِن مَكَر

وَلَم يُغفِ حَقّاً وَلَكِن مَكَر

He seems drowsy to me, yet he is scheming;

I see him sinning while claiming to be innocent,

and he has not truly dozed off, but has schemed.

Not keeping faith yet pretending to be faithful.

تَفَكَّر فَقَد حارَ هَذا الدَليلُ

تَفَكَّر فَقَد حارَ هَذا الدَليلُ

وَما يَكشِفُ النَهجَ غَيرُ الفِكَر

وَما يَكشِفُ النَهجَ غَيرُ الفِكَر

Reflect, for this guide is bewildered;

So think, for this evidence is confusing,

and nothing reveals the path but thought.

And nothing clarifies the path except thinking.

فَيا لَيتَني حَجَرٌ لا يُحِسُّ

فَيا لَيتَني حَجَرٌ لا يُحِسُّ

بِالخَطبِ أَو طائِرٌ ما اِحتَكَر

بِالخَطبِ أَو طائِرٌ ما اِحتَكَر

So, if only I were a stone, insensible

Oh how I wish I were a rock, unaware

to calamity, or a bird that never hoards.

Of tribulations, or a bird, free of treachery.

إِذا ما أَنارَ صَباحٌ غَدا

إِذا ما أَنارَ صَباحٌ غَدا

وَإِن جَنَّ لايلٌ عَلَيهِ وَكَر

وَإِن جَنَّ لايلٌ عَلَيهِ وَكَر

Whenever morning shines, it sets out early;

When dawn lights up tomorrow,

and if night closes over it, it roosts.

And night covers it with darkness,

فَذَكِّر أَخاكَ بِإِحسانِهِ

فَذَكِّر أَخاكَ بِإِحسانِهِ

فَقَد راحَ في غَفلَةٍ وَاِبتَكَر

فَقَد راحَ في غَفلَةٍ وَاِبتَكَر

So remind your brother of his kindness,

Remind your brother with kindness,

for he has passed evening and morning in heedlessness.

For he went astray, heedless and confused.