عز المساعد إذ عز الذي قصدوا

عز المساعد إذ عز الذي قصدوا

علماً به وهو المشهودُ لو علموا

علماً به وهو المشهودُ لو علموا

Help was hard to find, for exalted beyond reach was the One they sought

The helper was hard to find, since elusive was the One they sought

to know—though He is the One beheld, if only they knew.

to know—yet He is the one witnessed, if only they knew.

هم الحيارى وعين العلم عندهمُ

هم الحيارى وعين العلم عندهمُ

فنعم ما شهدوا وبئس ماحكموا

فنعم ما شهدوا وبئس ماحكموا

They are the bewildered, though the very essence of knowledge is theirs:

They are bewildered, yet the very essence of knowledge is with them.

how excellent what they witnessed, and how wretched what they judged!

So excellent is what they witnessed, and wretched is what they judged.

العقلُ خوّفهم والشرعُ آمنهم

العقلُ خوّفهم والشرعُ آمنهم

إنَّ النجاة لهم إنْ شرعهم لزموا

إنَّ النجاة لهم إنْ شرعهم لزموا

Reason filled them with fear, while Revelation made them feel secure;

Reason frightened them, and revealed law reassured them.

surely salvation is theirs, if they hold fast to their revealed Law.

Indeed, salvation is theirs, if they adhere to their revealed law.

هم الحيارى السكارى في معارفهم

هم الحيارى السكارى في معارفهم

ومنا لهم خبر بأنهم قدموا

ومنا لهم خبر بأنهم قدموا

They are the bewildered, drunk upon their mystical insights,

They are bewildered, intoxicated in their knowledge.

and from us comes word to them that they have advanced

And from us comes word to them that they came

عليه من غير علمٍ قام عندهمُ

عليه من غير علمٍ قام عندهمُ

به ولو علموا بعلمهم ندموا

به ولو علموا بعلمهم ندموا

toward Him, though no knowledge arose among them

to Him without knowledge established within them

of Him; had their knowledge truly taught them, they would have repented.

of Him; and had they known of their knowledge, they would have felt regret.

عجبت للجهلِ في علمٍ أحققه

عجبت للجهلِ في علمٍ أحققه

لديهمُ وهم الجهلا كما زعموا

لديهمُ وهم الجهلا كما زعموا

I marvel at the ignorance within a knowledge I affirm

I marveled at ignorance amid knowledge I affirm

is theirs—while they are the ignorant, just as they claim.

in them—though they are the ignorant, as they claimed.