لَقَد أَتَوا بِحَديثٍ لا يُثَبِّتُهُ

لَقَد أَتَوا بِحَديثٍ لا يُثَبِّتُهُ

عَقلُ فَقُلنا عَن أَيِّ الناسِ تَحكونَه

عَقلُ فَقُلنا عَن أَيِّ الناسِ تَحكونَه

They have indeed brought a report that is not borne out

They came with a tale not proven true,

By reason; so we said, "On whose authority do you recount it?"

So we asked, "Of whom is this tale you construe?"

فَأَخبِروا بِأَسانيدٍ لَهُم كُذُبٍ

فَأَخبِروا بِأَسانيدٍ لَهُم كُذُبٍ

لَم تَخلُ مِن كَرِّ شَيخٍ لا يَزكونَه

لَم تَخلُ مِن كَرِّ شَيخٍ لا يَزكونَه

So they cited false chains of transmission of their own,

With chains of narrators known to err

Which never lacked repeated mention of a shaykh they do not vouch for.

Not one free of an old man's character.

عَجِبتُ لِلأُمِّ لَمّا فاتَ واحِدُها

عَجِبتُ لِلأُمِّ لَمّا فاتَ واحِدُها

بَكَت وَساعَدَها ناسٌ يُبَكّونَه

بَكَت وَساعَدَها ناسٌ يُبَكّونَه

I marveled at the mother: when her only child died,

I wondered at the woman when her one son died

She wept, and people joined her in mourning him.

She wept and people came to mourn at her side.

وَكُلَّ يَومٍ تَداعى مِنهُمُ نَفَرٌ

وَكُلَّ يَومٍ تَداعى مِنهُمُ نَفَرٌ

لِبالِغِ السِنِّ أَو طِفلٍ يُذَكّونَه

لِبالِغِ السِنِّ أَو طِفلٍ يُذَكّونَه

And every day a band of them gathers

Yet every day some of them pass away,

To slaughter a full-grown one or a young one.

Be they grown men or children at play.

وَيَنصِبونَ لِوَحشِيِّ حَبائِلَهُم

وَيَنصِبونَ لِوَحشِيِّ حَبائِلَهُم

أَو بِالسِهامِ عَلى عَمدٍ يَشُكّونَه

أَو بِالسِهامِ عَلى عَمدٍ يَشُكّونَه

And they set their snares for a wild beast,

And they set up snares for the wild beast,

Or deliberately pierce it with arrows.

Or aim arrows produced for the feast.

هُمُ أَسارى مَناياهُم فَما لَهُم

هُمُ أَسارى مَناياهُم فَما لَهُم

إِذا أَتاهُم أَسيرٌ لا يَفُكّونَه

إِذا أَتاهُم أَسيرٌ لا يَفُكّونَه

They are captives of their destined deaths; why, then,

They are prisoners of their fates, so why

When a captive comes to them, do they not set him free?

When a prisoner comes do they not free the tie?

فَلَو تَكَلَّمَ دَهرٌ كانَ شاكِيَهُم

فَلَو تَكَلَّمَ دَهرٌ كانَ شاكِيَهُم

كَما تَراهُم عَلى الإِحسانِ يَشكّونَه

كَما تَراهُم عَلى الإِحسانِ يَشكّونَه

So if Time could speak, it would complain of them,

If time could speak it would complain of them,

Just as you see them complain of it, despite its kindness.

As you see them complaining of doing good men.

أَما تَرَونَ دِيارَ القَومِ خالِيَةً

أَما تَرَونَ دِيارَ القَومِ خالِيَةً

بَعدَ الجَماعاتِ وَالأَجداثَ مَسكونَه

بَعدَ الجَماعاتِ وَالأَجداثَ مَسكونَه

Do you not see the people's dwellings empty,

Do you not see the places of the people bare

After the crowds have gone, and the graves inhabited?

After the crowds and events that flourished there?