لَقَد ساسَ أَهلَ الأَرضِ قَومٌ تَفَتَّقَت

لَقَد ساسَ أَهلَ الأَرضِ قَومٌ تَفَتَّقَت

أُمورٌ فَما أَلفَت لَهُم يَدَ راتِقِ

أُمورٌ فَما أَلفَت لَهُم يَدَ راتِقِ

Indeed, a people ruled the earth's inhabitants; torn apart

A people have ruled the people of earth, whose affairs are chaotic,

Were affairs, which found no mender's hand for them.

So no hand has become accustomed to them as an ally,

هُمُ هَتَكوا بِالراحِ أَستارَ عاذِلٍ

هُمُ هَتَكوا بِالراحِ أَستارَ عاذِلٍ

وَلَم يَحفَظوا بِالنُسكِ حُرمَةَ ناتِقِ

وَلَم يَحفَظوا بِالنُسكِ حُرمَةَ ناتِقِ

They tore the veils of ʿĀdhil with wine,

They have torn down with mischief the curtains of one who finds fault,

And did not preserve Nātiq's sanctity through devotion.

And they have not preserved with moral codes the sanctity of a well-mannered woman.

إِذا جَرَحوا دَنّاً فَلَم يَرجُ عِندَهُم

إِذا جَرَحوا دَنّاً فَلَم يَرجُ عِندَهُم

قِصاصاً أَجادوا قَتلَ عَذراءَ عاتِقِ

قِصاصاً أَجادوا قَتلَ عَذراءَ عاتِقِ

When they wounded a wine-jar, and it hoped from them for no

When they wound a person lowly, they do not care, with them,

Retribution, they excelled at slaying a virgin of ripe age.

About retaliation—they excel in killing an innocent maid.

وَصاغوا بِما تَجني الوُلاةُ مَراكِناً

وَصاغوا بِما تَجني الوُلاةُ مَراكِناً

وَزادوا عَلى أَسيافِهِم وَالمَناتِقِ

وَزادوا عَلى أَسيافِهِم وَالمَناتِقِ

They fashioned basins with what the governors reap,

And they have built, with what governors pilfer, structures,

And added ornament to their swords and belts.

And they have added to their swords embellishments and scabbards.

وَلَو كانَ لِلدُنِّيا لَدى اللَهِ قيمَةٌ

وَلَو كانَ لِلدُنِّيا لَدى اللَهِ قيمَةٌ

لَما نَظَروا في آهِلاتِ الرَساتِقِ

لَما نَظَروا في آهِلاتِ الرَساتِقِ

And if this world had any value in God's sight,

If this world had, with God, any value,

They would not have had charge of the populated rural districts.

They would not have looked at the neglectors of duty.