أَيَسجُنُني رَبُّ العُلا مُنصِفٌ

أَيَسجُنُني رَبُّ العُلا مُنصِفٌ

وَإِن تُقنَ راحٌ فَهيَ لا رَيبَ تُبزَلُ

وَإِن تُقنَ راحٌ فَهيَ لا رَيبَ تُبزَلُ

Would the just Lord on high imprison me?

Does the Lord of the High imprison me, though just?

And if wine is stored, it is surely drawn off.

And if my rest is cut short, it is surely made brief.

فَيا عَجَبا لِلشَمسِ تُنشَرُ بِالضُحى

فَيا عَجَبا لِلشَمسِ تُنشَرُ بِالضُحى

وَتُطوى الدُجى وَالبَدرُ يَنمو وَيُهزَلُ

وَتُطوى الدُجى وَالبَدرُ يَنمو وَيُهزَلُ

So how wondrous that the sun is unfurled at forenoon,

How strange is the sun unleashed at dawn,

And darkness is folded away, while the full moon waxes and wanes!

And the darkness folded, as the moon waxes and wanes!

وَمُعتَزِليٍّ لَم أُوافِقهُ ساعَةً

وَمُعتَزِليٍّ لَم أُوافِقهُ ساعَةً

أَقولُ لَهُ في اللَفظِ دينُكَ أَجزَلُ

أَقولُ لَهُ في اللَفظِ دينُكَ أَجزَلُ

And many a Muʿtazilite with whom I never agreed for a single hour—

I have never agreed with the ascetics, not for an hour.

I say to him, in words, 'Your creed is broken-backed.'

I say to him, in words, “Your religion is more austere.”

أُريدُ بِهِ مِن جُزلَةِ الظَهرِ لَم أُرِد

أُريدُ بِهِ مِن جُزلَةِ الظَهرِ لَم أُرِد

مِنَ الجَزلِ في الأَقوالِ تُلوى وَتُجزَل

مِنَ الجَزلِ في الأَقوالِ تُلوى وَتُجزَل

By that I mean a damaged section of the back; I do not mean

I do not mean by this the austerity of strong conviction -

The force of eloquence in sayings twisted and trimmed.

I mean the austerity of speech that is twisted and spun.

جَهَلتُ أُقاضي الرَيَّ أَكثَرُ مَأثَماً

جَهَلتُ أُقاضي الرَيَّ أَكثَرُ مَأثَماً

بِما نَصَّهُ أَم شاعِرٌ يَتَغَزَّلُ

بِما نَصَّهُ أَم شاعِرٌ يَتَغَزَّلُ

I cannot tell: is the judge of Rayy more sinful

I have often judged the transmitters of tradition more sinful

In what he has laid down, or a poet composing love verse?

Than what their texts enjoined, whether poet or fabricator.

وَأَعلَمُ أَنَّ اِبنَ المُعَلِّمِ هازِلٌ

وَأَعلَمُ أَنَّ اِبنَ المُعَلِّمِ هازِلٌ

بِأَصحابِهِ وَالباقِلانيَّ أَهزَلُ

بِأَصحابِهِ وَالباقِلانيَّ أَهزَلُ

And I know that Ibn al-Muʿallim makes sport

And I know that the son of the teacher is joking

Of his companions, and al-Baqillani is more mocking still.

With his friends, while al-Baqillani is more jesting.

وَكَم مِن فَقيهٍ خابِطٍ في ضَلالَةٍ

وَكَم مِن فَقيهٍ خابِطٍ في ضَلالَةٍ

وَحِجَّتُهُ فيها الكِتابُ المُنَزَّلُ

وَحِجَّتُهُ فيها الكِتابُ المُنَزَّلُ

And how many a jurist flounders in error,

How many a fallible jurist strays in his error,

While his proof therein is the revealed Book!

Yet his authority for it is the revealed text!

وَقارِئِكُم يَرجو بِتَطريبِهِ الغِنى

وَقارِئِكُم يَرجو بِتَطريبِهِ الغِنى

فَآضَ كَما غَنّى لِيَكسَبَ زَلزَلُ

فَآضَ كَما غَنّى لِيَكسَبَ زَلزَلُ

And your reciter hopes for wealth through his tuneful chanting;

And your Koran-reciters seek riches by their melodious chanting,

So he has become like Zalzal, who sang for gain.

So they chirp as they sing, to gain silver pieces and gold.

يَرى الخُلدَ عَيناً وَالزَبابَةَ مَسمَعاً

يَرى الخُلدَ عَيناً وَالزَبابَةَ مَسمَعاً

وَيَقزِلُ في التَنميسِ وَالذِئبُ أَقزَلُ

وَيَقزِلُ في التَنميسِ وَالذِئبُ أَقزَلُ

He takes the mole for an eye and the shrew for an ear,

They see eternal youth as a magic potion, and rasping throats as the height of musical sound,

And he limps in imposture, while the wolf is lame.

While snarling at songstresses’ singing, though the wolf howls more sweetly!

فَما لِعَذابٍ فَوقَكُم لا يَعُمُّكُم

فَما لِعَذابٍ فَوقَكُم لا يَعُمُّكُم

وَما بالُ أَرضٍ تَحتَكُم لا تُزَلزَلُ

وَما بالُ أَرضٍ تَحتَكُم لا تُزَلزَلُ

So why does a torment above you not engulf you all?

Why, then, does no doom fall upon you from above, to annihilate you,

And why is the earth beneath you not shaken?

And why does no earth gape open beneath you and swallow you down?

فَعُفّوا وَصَلّوا وَاِصمُتوا عَن تَناظُرٍ

فَعُفّوا وَصَلّوا وَاِصمُتوا عَن تَناظُرٍ

فَكُلُّ أَميرٍ بِالحَوادِثِ يُعزَلُ

فَكُلُّ أَميرٍ بِالحَوادِثِ يُعزَلُ

So be chaste, pray, and abstain from disputation;

So offer your prayers, keep the fast, and cease fruitless disputes,

For every ruler is deposed by events.

For every ruler is soon deposed by the blows of events.

وَما رَدَّ عَن آلِ السِماكِ سِلاحَهُ

وَما رَدَّ عَن آلِ السِماكِ سِلاحَهُ

وَلا كَفَّ عَنهُ المَوتُ إِن قيلَ أَعزَلُ

وَلا كَفَّ عَنهُ المَوتُ إِن قيلَ أَعزَلُ

And his weapon did not shield the family of al-Simak,

No weapon has turned back from the house of Simak,

Nor did death spare him if he was called 'unarmed.'

Nor has death desisted, though they said, “Turn aside!”

أَسَيفُكَ سَيفٌ أَم حُسامُكَ مِشرَطٌ

أَسَيفُكَ سَيفٌ أَم حُسامُكَ مِشرَطٌ

وَرُمحُكَ رُمحٌ أَم قَناتُكَ مِغزَلُ

وَرُمحُكَ رُمحٌ أَم قَناتُكَ مِغزَلُ

Is your sword a sword, or your keen blade a lancet?

Is your sword a sword, or your spearhead a paring-knife?

And is your spear a spear, or your lance a spindle?

Is your lance a lance, or your cane-shaft a spindle?