وَما فَضَلوكُم غَيرَ أَنَّ أَباكُمُ

وَما فَضَلوكُم غَيرَ أَنَّ أَباكُمُ

أَطالَ فَأَكدى ثُمَّ قالَ فَأَنكَدا

أَطالَ فَأَكدى ثُمَّ قالَ فَأَنكَدا

And they surpassed you only because your father

They have no merit over you but that their father

spoke at length to no avail, then spoke and brought distress,

Prolonged then intenified, then said and confirmed

وَفاحَشَ أَهلَ الشَرَّ حَتّى بَذاهُمُ

وَفاحَشَ أَهلَ الشَرَّ حَتّى بَذاهُمُ

وَإِنَّ أَباهُم قَلَ خَيراً وَأَحمَدا

وَإِنَّ أَباهُم قَلَ خَيراً وَأَحمَدا

and vied with the wicked in foul speech until he outdid them,

And he indulged the people of evil until he made them accustomed

while their father spoke well and earned praise.

While their father seldom said good and praised

فَجاؤوا عَلى ما عُوِّدوا وَأَتَيتُمُ

فَجاؤوا عَلى ما عُوِّدوا وَأَتَيتُمُ

عَلى عادَةٍ وَالمَرءُ مِمّا تَعَوَّدا

عَلى عادَةٍ وَالمَرءُ مِمّا تَعَوَّدا

So they acted as they had been taught, and you acted

So they came in their accustomed ways and you came

according to habit; a man is shaped by what he grows accustomed to.

In a habit, and a man becomes accustomed to what he is used to

وَما الفُحشُ إِلّا مَن أَتى الفُحشَ سادِراً

وَما الفُحشُ إِلّا مَن أَتى الفُحشَ سادِراً

وَما المَجدُ إِلّا مَن عَلا وَتَمَجَّدا

وَما المَجدُ إِلّا مَن عَلا وَتَمَجَّدا

And foulness lies only in one who commits foul deeds heedlessly,

Evil is not but from one who comes to evil freely

and glory lies only in one who rises high and becomes illustrious.

And glory is not but from one who rises and is glorified