إِنَّما نَحنُ في ضَلالٍ وَتَعلي

إِنَّما نَحنُ في ضَلالٍ وَتَعلي

لٍ فَإِن كُنتَ ذا يَقينٍ فَهاتِه

لٍ فَإِن كُنتَ ذا يَقينٍ فَهاتِه

We are only in error and rationalization;

We are but lost in error and absurdity

so if you possess certainty, then bring it.

If you possess the truth then show it forth to me

وَلحُبِّ الصَحيحِ آثَرَتِ الرو

وَلحُبِّ الصَحيحِ آثَرَتِ الرو

مُ اِنتِسابَ الفَتى إِلى أُمَّهاتِه

مُ اِنتِسابَ الفَتى إِلى أُمَّهاتِه

And for love of certainty, the Romans preferred

And for love of the right, the soul preferred

tracing a young man's descent through his mothers.

A child's lineage to the mother attributed be

جَهِلوا مِن أَبوهُ إِلّا ظُنوناً

جَهِلوا مِن أَبوهُ إِلّا ظُنوناً

وَطَلا الوَحشِ لاحِقٌ بِمَهاتِه

وَطَلا الوَحشِ لاحِقٌ بِمَهاتِه

They knew who his father was only by conjecture,

They knew not from the father but surmises

and the wild fawn is linked to its oryx mother.

While the wild beasts to the mothers cling and flee

قَد يَجوزُ الحَبُّ الشَحيحُ جَبا الما

قَد يَجوزُ الحَبُّ الشَحيحُ جَبا الما

ءِ وَلا يَستَحِقُّ نَضحَ لَهاتِه

ءِ وَلا يَستَحِقُّ نَضحَ لَهاتِه

The miserly beloved may pass a basin of water,

A niggard love may stint the water supply

yet deserves no sprinkling on his uvula.

Yet deserve not that its course run free

وَكَثيرٌ لَهُ إِذا قيسَتِ الأَش

وَكَثيرٌ لَهُ إِذا قيسَتِ الأَش

ياءُ عَظمٌ يَرميهِ بَعضُ طُهاتِه

ياءُ عَظمٌ يَرميهِ بَعضُ طُهاتِه

And too much for him, when things are weighed,

And many a man belittled, if justly weighed

is a bone that some of his cooks toss.

Is in his bulk a giant by some deemed to be

رُئِسَ الناسُ بِالدَهاءِ فَما يَن

رُئِسَ الناسُ بِالدَهاءِ فَما يَن

فَكُّ جيلٌ يَنقادُ طَوعَ دُهاتِه

فَكُّ جيلٌ يَنقادُ طَوعَ دُهاتِه

People have been ruled by cunning; never

By guile men rise; few loose the bonds

does a generation cease to submit willingly to its cunning men.

Of the smooth generations yielding to their pleas