لَقَد بَكَّرَت في خِفِّها وَإِزارِها

لَقَد بَكَّرَت في خِفِّها وَإِزارِها

لِتَسأَلَ بِالأَمرِ الضَريرَ المُنَجِّما

لِتَسأَلَ بِالأَمرِ الضَريرَ المُنَجِّما

Indeed, she set out early in her slipper and her wrap,

She rose early, in her slipper and gown

to ask the blind astrologer about the matter.

To ask of the blind astrologer in town

وَما عِندَهُ عِلمٌ فَيُخبِرها بِهِ

وَما عِندَهُ عِلمٌ فَيُخبِرها بِهِ

وَلا هُوَ مِن أَهلِ الحِجى فَيُرَجِّما

وَلا هُوَ مِن أَهلِ الحِجى فَيُرَجِّما

Yet he has no knowledge to impart to her,

But nothing he knew that he could tell

nor is he among the wise, that he might conjecture.

For he was no sage, just a peddler and swindler

يَقولُ غَداً أَو بَعدَهُ وَقعُ ديمَةٍ

يَقولُ غَداً أَو بَعدَهُ وَقعُ ديمَةٍ

يَكونُ غِياثاً أَن تَجودَ وَتَسجُما

يَكونُ غِياثاً أَن تَجودَ وَتَسجُما

He says, 'Tomorrow, or after that, a steady rain will fall;

He'd say "Tomorrow, or the day after, will rain

its pouring abundantly and streaming down will bring relief.'

A downpour, if you're kind and charitable remain"

وَيوهِمُ جُهّالَ المَحَلَّةِ أَنَّهُ

وَيوهِمُ جُهّالَ المَحَلَّةِ أَنَّهُ

يَظَلُّ لِأَسرارِ الغُيوبِ مُتَرجِما

يَظَلُّ لِأَسرارِ الغُيوبِ مُتَرجِما

And he makes the ignorant of the neighborhood believe that he

And pretend to the ignorant folk of that place

is ever an interpreter of the secrets of the unseen.

That he held the mysteries of fate in his embrace

وَلَو سَأَلوهُ بِالَّذي فَوقَ صَدرِهِ

وَلَو سَأَلوهُ بِالَّذي فَوقَ صَدرِهِ

لَجاءَ بِمَينٍ أَو أَرَمَّ وَجَمجَما

لَجاءَ بِمَينٍ أَو أَرَمَّ وَجَمجَما

Yet if they asked him about what lies above his chest,

Had they asked him of what lay beyond his chest

he would answer with a lie, or fall silent and mumble.

He'd have stumbled for words, mouth agape, at best

كَأَنَّ سَحاباً عَمَّهُم بِضَلالَةٍ

كَأَنَّ سَحاباً عَمَّهُم بِضَلالَةٍ

فَلَيسَ إِلى يَومِ القِيامَةِ مُنجِما

فَلَيسَ إِلى يَومِ القِيامَةِ مُنجِما

It is as though a cloud had shrouded them in delusion,

Like a cloud that leaves them in utter darkness

never to clear until the Day of Resurrection.

Till resurrection, he remains no stargazer

إِذا قالَ أَهلُ اللُبَ حانَ اِنسِفارُهُ

إِذا قالَ أَهلُ اللُبَ حانَ اِنسِفارُهُ

تَدارَكَهُ غَيمٌ سِواهُ فَأَنجَما

تَدارَكَهُ غَيمٌ سِواهُ فَأَنجَما

When the discerning say, 'The time has come for it to lift,'

When scholars say "Alas, his time is ending"

another cloud overtakes it and settles in.

Another like him emerges, their truth bending

فَإِن كُنتَ قَد وُفِّقتَ فَاِنجُ بِوِحدَةٍ

فَإِن كُنتَ قَد وُفِّقتَ فَاِنجُ بِوِحدَةٍ

وَخَلِّ البَرايا مِن فَصيحٍ وَأَعجُما

وَخَلِّ البَرايا مِن فَصيحٍ وَأَعجُما

So, if you have been guided aright, escape into solitude,

So if you're guided, hold to oneness, uniqueness

and leave all creatures, eloquent and inarticulate alike.

Leave crowds for the eloquent and the speechless

وَلا تَكُ فيما يَكرَهُ القَومُ ساعِياً

وَلا تَكُ فيما يَكرَهُ القَومُ ساعِياً

وَلا مُسرِجاً في نَصرِ غَيرِكَ مُلجِما

وَلا مُسرِجاً في نَصرِ غَيرِكَ مُلجِما

Do not strive for what the people detest,

Be not busy with what the people condemn

nor saddle and bridle a mount to support someone else.

Or championing what isn't your cause, like them