ما كُنْتُ أَعْلَمُ أنّ العِلْمَ عِنْدَهُمُ

ما كُنْتُ أَعْلَمُ أنّ العِلْمَ عِنْدَهُمُ

إنْ زادَ يُنْقِصُ مِنْ مِقْدارِ حامِلِهِ

إنْ زادَ يُنْقِصُ مِنْ مِقْدارِ حامِلِهِ

I did not know that knowledge, in their eyes,

I did not know that with them, knowledge

If it increases, lowers the standing of its bearer.

If it increased, diminished the stature of its bearer

فلا رَعَى اللهُ عَصْراً سادَ مِثْلُكُمُ

فلا رَعَى اللهُ عَصْراً سادَ مِثْلُكُمُ

في مِثْلِهِ فجَهِلْتُمْ حَقَّ فاضِلِهِ

في مِثْلِهِ فجَهِلْتُمْ حَقَّ فاضِلِهِ

So may God not watch over an age where the likes of you held sway;

So may God not oversee an era dominated by the likes of you

In such an age, you thus failed to recognize what was due to its man of merit.

In which you are ignorant of the right of its superior