أَرادوا الشَرَّ وَاِنتَظَروا إِماماً

أَرادوا الشَرَّ وَاِنتَظَروا إِماماً

يَقومُ بِطَيِّ مانَشَرَ النَبِيُّ

يَقومُ بِطَيِّ مانَشَرَ النَبِيُّ

They intended evil and awaited an imam

They wanted evil and awaited an imam

who would arise to fold up what the Prophet had spread.

Who would fold up what the Prophet had spread.

فَإِن يَكُ ما يُؤَمِّلُهُ رِجالٌ

فَإِن يَكُ ما يُؤَمِّلُهُ رِجالٌ

فَقَد يُبدي لَكَ العَجَبَ الخَبِيُّ

فَقَد يُبدي لَكَ العَجَبَ الخَبِيُّ

Should what men hope for come to pass,

So if what some men hope for should come to pass,

the hidden marvel may then appear to you.

Then what lies hidden may show you wonders.

إِذا أَهلُ الدِيانَةِ لَم يُصَلوا

إِذا أَهلُ الدِيانَةِ لَم يُصَلوا

فَكُلُّ هُدىً لِمَذهَبِهِم أَبِيُّ

فَكُلُّ هُدىً لِمَذهَبِهِم أَبِيُّ

If the people of religion do not pray,

If the people of faith do not pray,

then every form of guidance spurns their creed.

Then all guidance is averse to their creed.

وَجَدتُ الشَرعَ تُخلِقُهُ اللَيالي

وَجَدتُ الشَرعَ تُخلِقُهُ اللَيالي

كَما خُلِقَ الرِداءُ الشَرعَبِيُّ

كَما خُلِقَ الرِداءُ الشَرعَبِيُّ

I found the sacred law worn threadbare by the nights,

I found that the nights wear religious law threadbare,

as the Sharʿabī cloak was worn threadbare.

As the Sharʿabi cloak grows worn.

هِيَ العاداتُ يَجري الشَيخُ مِنها

هِيَ العاداتُ يَجري الشَيخُ مِنها

عَلى شِيَمٍ يُعَوِّدُها الصَبِيُّ

عَلى شِيَمٍ يُعَوِّدُها الصَبِيُّ

They are but customs; through them the old man continues

Such are habits: through them the old man proceeds

on the course to which boyhood accustomed him.

Along traits the child makes habitual.

وَما عِندي بِما لَم يَأتِ عِلمٌ

وَما عِندي بِما لَم يَأتِ عِلمٌ

وَقَد أَلوى بِأُنمُلِهِ الرَبِيُّ

وَقَد أَلوى بِأُنمُلِهِ الرَبِيُّ

I have no knowledge of what has yet to come,

And I have no knowledge of what has not yet come,

though spring has already beckoned with its fingertips.

Though the religious scholar has gestured with his fingertips.

مَضى مَلِكٌ لِيَخلُفَ بَعدُ مَلكٌ

مَضى مَلِكٌ لِيَخلُفَ بَعدُ مَلكٌ

حَبِيٌّ زالَ ثُمَّ نَمى حَبِيُّ

حَبِيٌّ زالَ ثُمَّ نَمى حَبِيُّ

One king passed away, for another king to succeed him afterward;

A king departed, for a king to succeed him afterward;

one beloved vanished, then another beloved grew.

One cloud bank vanished, then another cloud bank grew.

وَقَد يَحمي الأَرانِبَ مِن أُسودٍ

وَقَد يَحمي الأَرانِبَ مِن أُسودٍ

ضَراغِمَةٍ جِراءٌ ثَعلَبِيُّ

ضَراغِمَةٍ جِراءٌ ثَعلَبِيُّ

Rabbits may indeed be shielded from lions

And rabbits may be protected from lions,

by lion-braves who are the cubs of foxes.

Ferocious beasts, by a foxlike dash.

وَأَشوى الحَقَّ رامَ مَشرِقِيٌّ

وَأَشوى الحَقَّ رامَ مَشرِقِيٌّ

وَلَم يُرزَقهُ آخَرُ مَغرِبِيُّ

وَلَم يُرزَقهُ آخَرُ مَغرِبِيُّ

An Eastern archer only grazed the truth,

And an eastern archer missed the truth,

and another, a Westerner, was not granted it.

Nor was another, a westerner, granted it.

فَذا عَمرٌ يَقولُ وَذا عَلِيٌّ

فَذا عَمرٌ يَقولُ وَذا عَلِيٌّ

كِلا الرَجُلَينِ في الدَعوى غَبِيُّ

كِلا الرَجُلَينِ في الدَعوى غَبِيُّ

Here is ʿUmar speaking, and here is ʿAlī;

So here is ʿAmr speaking, and here is ʿAlī;

both men are witless in their claim.

Both men are foolish in their claims.

وَخَيرٌ لِلفُؤادِ مِنَ التَغاضي

وَخَيرٌ لِلفُؤادِ مِنَ التَغاضي

عَلى التَثريبِ نَصلٌ يَثرِبِيُّ

عَلى التَثريبِ نَصلٌ يَثرِبِيُّ

Better for the heart than overlooking it

And better for the heart than turning a blind eye

is a Yathribite blade against reproach.

To reproach is a blade from Yathrib.

فَإِن يُلحِق بِكَ البَكرِيُّ غَدراً

فَإِن يُلحِق بِكَ البَكرِيُّ غَدراً

فَلَم يَتَعَرَّ مِنهُ التَغلِبِيُّ

فَلَم يَتَعَرَّ مِنهُ التَغلِبِيُّ

If a Bakrite overtakes you through treachery,

So if the Bakri inflicts treachery upon you,

a Taghlibite has not been free of it.

Then the Taghlibi has not been free of it either.

أَذيتَ مِنَ الَّذينَ تَعُدُّ أَهلاً

أَذيتَ مِنَ الَّذينَ تَعُدُّ أَهلاً

وَجَنبَكَ الأَذاةَ الأَجنَبِيُّ

وَجَنبَكَ الأَذاةَ الأَجنَبِيُّ

You were harmed by those you counted as kin,

You suffered harm from those you count as kin,

while the stranger spared you injury.

And the stranger spared you harm.

وَسَكنُ الأَرضِ كُلُّهُم ذَميمٌ

وَسَكنُ الأَرضِ كُلُّهُم ذَميمٌ

صَريحُهُمُ المُهَذَّبُ وَالسَبِيُّ

صَريحُهُمُ المُهَذَّبُ وَالسَبِيُّ

All who inhabit the earth are blameworthy—

And all the earth's inhabitants are blameworthy,

their cultivated freeborn and their captive alike.

Their refined, pureborn men and their captives alike.

فَإِن سُمّوا بِأَرقَمَ أَو بِلَيثٍ

فَإِن سُمّوا بِأَرقَمَ أَو بِلَيثٍ

فَذِئبِيٌّ أَتاكَ وَعَقرَبِيُّ

فَذِئبِيٌّ أَتاكَ وَعَقرَبِيُّ

So if they are named Arqam or Layth,

So if they are named Arqam or Layth,

a wolfish man has come to you, and a scorpionish one.

Then a wolfish one has come to you, and a scorpion-like one.