الناسpeople طراall آمنواhave believed باللهin God
الناس طرا آمنوا بالله
وأراكand I see you عنهfrom Him بالطبيعةby nature لاهىdistracted
وأراك عنه بالطبيعة لاهى
All people have believed in God,
People once believed in Allah
Yet I see you distracted from Him by nature.
Yet I see you distracted by nature
آهah علىfor أيامdays دينfaith قدalready خلتhave passed
آه على أيام دين قد خلت
آهah عليهاfor them ثمthen آهah آهah
آه عليها ثم آه آه
Ah, for days of faith that have passed!
Alas, the days of religion have passed
Ah, for them—then ah, ah!
Alas for them, alas, alas
إنيindeed I لأسمعsurely hear قائلاًa speaker يدعوcalls إلىfor
إني لأسمع قائلاً يدعو إلى
كفرdisbelief دعاءa call أخىone given to ضلالerror داهيcunning
كفر دعاء أخى ضلال داهي
I indeed hear a speaker calling for
I hear someone calling to
Disbelief—the call of a cunning man steeped in error:
Misguided unbelief, my brother's aberration
ياO قومpeople إنindeed الدينreligion اكبرgreatest مانعbarrier
يا قوم إن الدين اكبر مانع
لرقيكمto your progress وبهand in it الجميعeveryone يباهيtakes pride
لرقيكم وبه الجميع يباهي
“O people, religion is the greatest barrier
O people, religion is the greatest obstacle
To your progress, yet everyone boasts of it.
To your progress, though all boast of it
لكمfor you الطبيعةnature فاعبدوهاso worship her أنهاthat she
لكم الطبيعة فاعبدوها أنها
جلتis exalted عنbeyond الأمثالequals والأشباهand likenesses
جلت عن الأمثال والأشباه
Nature is yours, so worship her, for she
Nature is yours, so worship it, for it is
Is exalted beyond equals and likenesses.
Sublime, beyond comparisons
ماnot للذيfor the one who عبدworshipped الطبيعةnature مخلصاًsincerely
ما للذي عبد الطبيعة مخلصاً
غيرother than الطبيعةnature آمرone who commands أوor ناهيone who forbids
غير الطبيعة آمر أو ناهي
For one who worships nature sincerely,
What law for one who worships nature sincerely
None but nature commands or forbids.
Except nature, neither commanding nor forbidding
أفfie لقومupon people يؤمنونthey believe بخالقin a Creator
أف لقوم يؤمنون بخالق
للكونof the universe أجمعهall of it بلاwithout استكناهfathoming the essence
للكون أجمعه بلا استكناه
Fie upon people who believe in a Creator
Can people who believe in a Creator
Of the entire universe, without fathoming His essence.
Of the whole universe, unfathomed
الكفرdisbelief لاno إكراهcoercion فيهin it لآخذfor one embracing it
الكفر لا إكراه فيه لآخذ
والدينand religion قدindeed نشروهthey spread it بالإكراهby coercion
والدين قد نشروه بالإكراه
No one is compelled to embrace disbelief,
Unbelief is not compelled, though they spread
And they have spread religion by coercion.
Religion through compulsion
ليسis not الذيthe one who هوhe بالطبيعةin nature مؤمنa believer
ليس الذي هو بالطبيعة مؤمن
مثلlike الذيthe one who هوhe مؤمنa believer باللَهin God
مثل الذي هو مؤمن باللَه
One who believes in nature is not
One who believes in nature is not like
Like one who believes in God.
One who believes in Allah
إنindeed الطبيعةnature للورىto humankind ملموسةtangible
إن الطبيعة للورى ملموسة
واللَهand God مسموعheard of منfrom الأفواهmouths
واللَه مسموع من الأفواه
Nature is indeed tangible to humankind,
Nature is tangible to people
And God is heard of by word of mouth.
While Allah is heard from mouths
العقلreason ينفيdenies اللَهGod بعدafter رويةreflection
العقل ينفي اللَه بعد روية
ربأout of regard بكونfor a universe ليسis not بالمتناهىfinite
ربأ بكون ليس بالمتناهى
Reason denies God after reflection,
Reason denies Allah once seeing
Out of regard for a universe without bounds.
The Lord's infinity
والمؤمنونand the believers بذيin one endowed with اختيارfree will بارئa Creator
والمؤمنون بذي اختيار بارئ
متمسكونclinging بخيطto a thread ظنconjecture واهيfrail
متمسكون بخيط ظن واهي
And believers in a Creator endowed with free will
While believers in the Choosing Creator
Cling to a frail thread of conjecture.”
Cling to a thread of faint supposition
هذاthis لعمريby my life ماwhat سمعتI heard وانهand indeed it
هذا لعمري ما سمعت وانه
للناسfor humankind فيهin it مصائبcalamities ودواهيand disasters
للناس فيه مصائب ودواهي
This, by my life, is what I heard, and indeed
By my life, I never heard the like, that
In it lie calamities and disasters for humankind.
For people it holds woes and misfortunes