تَسَوَّقوا بِالغِنا لِرَبِّهِمُ

تَسَوَّقوا بِالغِنا لِرَبِّهِمُ

وَأَظهَروا خَيفَةً لَهُ وَدَعوا

وَأَظهَروا خَيفَةً لَهُ وَدَعوا

They traded in song for their Lord,

They bartered with songs for their Lord

and displayed fear of Him and prayed.

And showed Him false piety, beseeching Him.

سَعوا لِدُنياهُم بِآخِرَةٍ

سَعوا لِدُنياهُم بِآخِرَةٍ

فَبِئسَ ما حاوَلوا غَداةَ سَعوا

فَبِئسَ ما حاوَلوا غَداةَ سَعوا

They sought their worldly gain through the hereafter;

They sought the life of this world with the next,

so wretched was what they attempted the morning they strove!

So evil is that which they pursued at dawn when they hastened.

وَخَلَّفوا العَقلَ مِن وَرائِهِم

وَخَلَّفوا العَقلَ مِن وَرائِهِم

وَاِستَودَعوا كُلَّ سَوأَةٍ فَرَعوا

وَاِستَودَعوا كُلَّ سَوأَةٍ فَرَعوا

And they left reason behind them,

And they left reason behind them

and put every disgrace in safekeeping, then tended it.

And undertook every evil deed recklessly.

وَلَم يَعوا ما يَقولُ واعِظُهُم

وَلَم يَعوا ما يَقولُ واعِظُهُم

لَكِنَّ قَولَ المُخَرِّصينَ وَعَوا

لَكِنَّ قَولَ المُخَرِّصينَ وَعَوا

And they did not grasp what their preacher says,

They did not heed what their preacher said to them,

but grasped the words of the fabricators.

Rather, they obeyed the words of those who make light.

مِثلُ تُيوسِ المَعيزِ نازِيَةً

مِثلُ تُيوسِ المَعيزِ نازِيَةً

وَلَم يُضاهوا الفُحولَ حينَ قَعوا

وَلَم يُضاهوا الفُحولَ حينَ قَعوا

Like leaping he-goats,

They are like well-fed camels, yearning for more,

they did not rival the breeding males when they mounted.

And they did not equal the noble ones when they fell.