إِذا عَقَدَت عَقداً لَياليكَ هَذِهِ

إِذا عَقَدَت عَقداً لَياليكَ هَذِهِ

فَإِنَّ لَها مِن حُكمِ خالِقِها فَسَخا

فَإِنَّ لَها مِن حُكمِ خالِقِها فَسَخا

If these nights of yours have tied a knot,

If these nights of yours tie a knot,

then surely their Creator’s decree will undo it.

then their Creator's decree provides for its undoing.

لَعَمري لَقَد طالَت عَلى المَدلِجُ السُرى

لَعَمري لَقَد طالَت عَلى المَدلِجُ السُرى

وَلَيسَ يَرى في حَندَسٍ لَهَباً يُسخى

وَلَيسَ يَرى في حَندَسٍ لَهَباً يُسخى

By my life, long has the night journey grown for the traveler,

By my life, the night journey has indeed grown long for the night traveler,

and in the pitch-blackness he sees no flame being fed.

and in pitch darkness he sees no flame being stoked.

وَجَدنا اِتِّباعَ الشَرعِ حَزماً لِذَي النُهى

وَجَدنا اِتِّباعَ الشَرعِ حَزماً لِذَي النُهى

وَمَن جَرَّبَ الأَيّامَ لَم يَنكُر النَسخا

وَمَن جَرَّبَ الأَيّامَ لَم يَنكُر النَسخا

We have found adherence to sacred law prudent for the discerning,

We have found following religious law prudent for one endowed with reason,

and whoever has tested the days cannot deny that one order supplants another.

and whoever has experienced the days does not deny abrogation.

فَما بالُ هَذا العَصرِ ما فيهِ آيَةٌ

فَما بالُ هَذا العَصرِ ما فيهِ آيَةٌ

مِنَ المَسخِ إِن كانَت يَهودُ رَأَت مَسخا

مِنَ المَسخِ إِن كانَت يَهودُ رَأَت مَسخا

Then what ails this age, that it bears no sign

Then what is the matter with this age, that it bears no sign

of metamorphosis—if the Jews once witnessed such a transformation?

of metamorphosis, if the Jews witnessed metamorphosis?

وَقالَ بِأَحكامِ التَناسُخِ مَعشَرٌ

وَقالَ بِأَحكامِ التَناسُخِ مَعشَرٌ

غَلوا فَأَجازوا الفَسخَ في ذاكَ وَالرَسخا

غَلوا فَأَجازوا الفَسخَ في ذاكَ وَالرَسخا

A faction professed the doctrines of transmigration;

And a group professed the doctrines of transmigration of souls;

in their excess, they admitted both descent into plants and fixation in stone.

they went to extremes, admitting within it transmigration into plants and lifeless matter.

وَمَن يَعفُ عَن ذَنبٍ وَيَسخُ بِنائِلٍ

وَمَن يَعفُ عَن ذَنبٍ وَيَسخُ بِنائِلٍ

فَخالِقُنا أَعفى وَراحَتُهُ أَسخى

فَخالِقُنا أَعفى وَراحَتُهُ أَسخى

Whoever pardons an offense and gives a bounty freely—

And whoever pardons a sin and is generous with a gift—

our Creator is more forgiving still, and His hand more bountiful.

then our Creator is more forgiving, and His palm more generous.