تقنّعْ فكيفما تبَدَّلَ وجْهكَ

تقنّعْ فكيفما تبَدَّلَ وجْهكَ

القبيح تظلُّ في العيونِ دنيّا

القبيح تظلُّ في العيونِ دنيّا

Mask yourself: however your face may change,

You disguise yourself, yet no matter how you change your face

ugly as it is, you remain base in people's eyes.

The ugly remains ugly in the eyes

تلوّنْ فكيفما تلوَّنَ جلدُك

تلوّنْ فكيفما تلوَّنَ جلدُك

فغلُّك بائنٌ وليس خفيّا

فغلُّك بائنٌ وليس خفيّا

Change your colors: however your skin changes color,

You camouflage yourself, yet no matter how your skin changes color

your rancor is plain, not hidden.

Your fraud is evident and not hidden

ومهما تفنّنتْ بإخفاءِ كنهها

ومهما تفنّنتْ بإخفاءِ كنهها

تظلّ الحرابيُّ أقلّ رقيّا

تظلّ الحرابيُّ أقلّ رقيّا

And however artfully they conceal their true nature,

No matter how you try to conceal your nature

chameleons remain less refined.

You remain the most ignoble

تكبّرْ ففي قلبِ تكبُّرِك الفنا

تكبّرْ ففي قلبِ تكبُّرِك الفنا

وفي عينهِ فناك بات جليّا

وفي عينهِ فناك بات جليّا

Be arrogant: at the heart of your arrogance lies ruin,

You boast, yet in the heart of your boast is decay

and in its eye your ruin has become clear.

And in its eyes is your evident decay

تجبّرْ فقد تجبّرتْ أممٌ خلتْ

تجبّرْ فقد تجبّرتْ أممٌ خلتْ

فكان المآلُ نيطلا أبديّا

فكان المآلُ نيطلا أبديّا

Be tyrannical, for bygone nations were tyrannical,

You act arrogantly, yet arrogant nations have passed

and their end was everlasting calamity.

And the outcome was eternal damnation

سرقتَ المكانَ وائْتسى بكَ أرذلُ

سرقتَ المكانَ وائْتسى بكَ أرذلُ

الزمانِ وكنت للّئامِ وليّا

الزمانِ وكنت للّئامِ وليّا

You stole your position, and were emulated by the vilest

You stole the place and the most vulgar took shelter in you

of the age; you were a patron to the base.

And you were a patron to the wicked

وأيّدك العارُ بقومٍ كبيرُهم

وأيّدك العارُ بقومٍ كبيرُهم

رعاهُ الفجورُ والنفاقُ صبيّا

رعاهُ الفجورُ والنفاقُ صبيّا

And disgrace backed you with people whose leader

And disgrace supported you with a people whose elders

was reared as a boy by debauchery and hypocrisy.

Were shepherded by immorality and hypocrisy while young

فعدْتم لفرعونَ وهامانَ عُبَّدا

فعدْتم لفرعونَ وهامانَ عُبَّدا

وكنتمْ لمن خابَ وعابَ مطيّا

وكنتمْ لمن خابَ وعابَ مطيّا

So you all became worshippers of Pharaoh and Haman,

You then worshipped Pharaoh and Haman

and you were mounts for those who failed and were flawed.

And were a horse for those who lost and were shamed

وطارت بك الأحلامُ غايتُها برو

وطارت بك الأحلامُ غايتُها برو

ج وهمٍ أمِنْتها وكنتَ عميّا

ج وهمٍ أمِنْتها وكنتَ عميّا

And dreams bore you aloft, their goal the tow-

Dreams carried you away, believing in delusions

ers of illusion you trusted, while you were blind.

While you were blind

وسُمَّ كلامُك ونمَّ لسانك

وسُمَّ كلامُك ونمَّ لسانك

فخفّ الكريمُ للترابِ رضيّا

فخفّ الكريمُ للترابِ رضيّا

And your speech was poisoned, and your tongue spread slander;

Your words were poisoned and your tongue slept

so the noble man hastened contentedly to the dust.

So the generous recoiled into dust willfully

وعابتْ فعالُك وعمّ بلاؤُك

وعابتْ فعالُك وعمّ بلاؤُك

وإبليس ودَّ لو يعودُ تقيّا

وإبليس ودَّ لو يعودُ تقيّا

And your deeds were shameful, and your scourge spread wide,

And your actions were blameworthy and your afflictions spread

and Iblis wished he could become pious again.

That even Satan, if he returned, would become devout

 وعشتَ مُدلّسًا عطاؤكَ للغري

وعشتَ مُدلّسًا عطاؤكَ للغري

رِ من جيْبِهِ وكم بذلتَ سخيَّا

رِ من جيْبِهِ وكم بذلتَ سخيَّا

And you lived a fraud: your gifts to the gul-

You lived as a swindler, your charity to the needy

lible man came from his own pocket—and how generously you gave!

Was from their own pockets - how generous you were!

وزاد عطاؤُك وكُدِّسَ مالُك

وزاد عطاؤُك وكُدِّسَ مالُك

وأمسيْت بين الأرذلينَ عليّا

وأمسيْت بين الأرذلينَ عليّا

And your giving grew, and your wealth was piled up,

Your charity increased and your wealth was sanctified

and you became exalted among the vilest.

And you became the highest of the most vulgar

وهاجت رياحُ الشرق وانتفضتْ رما

وهاجت رياحُ الشرق وانتفضتْ رما

لُهُ فغدَتْ بروجُ وهمِك جِيّا

لُهُ فغدَتْ بروجُ وهمِك جِيّا

And the winds of the East raged, and its sa-

The winds of the East roared and its expanses shook

nds rose up; so your towers of illusion turned to plaster.

So the constellations of your delusions perished

فعدتَ بهيئة الغرابِ لتدّعي

فعدتَ بهيئة الغرابِ لتدّعي

الخلاقَ وما كان الغرابُ دعيّا

الخلاقَ وما كان الغرابُ دعيّا

So you returned in a crow's guise to claim

You returned in the form of a crow claiming

virtue—though the crow was no impostor.

To be the Creator - yet crows cannot create

أما علّموك أنّ برجاً على رما

أما علّموك أنّ برجاً على رما

لِنا لا يدومُ أم غدوتَ نسيّا

لِنا لا يدومُ أم غدوتَ نسيّا

Did they not teach you that a tower on our sa-

Did they not teach you that a constellation in the sky

nds cannot endure—or have you become forgetful?

Does not last? Or did you become forgetful?

وليس يفيدك القناعُ وأنفُك

وليس يفيدك القناعُ وأنفُك

اذا ما تحدثت استطال شكيّا

اذا ما تحدثت استطال شكيّا

The mask does you no good, and your nose,

Neither the disguise, nor your nose

whenever you speak, lengthens in complaint.

When you speak, doubt arises

ولا تدّع الرقيَّ إذْ أنت خصمُه

ولا تدّع الرقيَّ إذْ أنت خصمُه

وما كنت الا أرْعَناً همَجيّا

وما كنت الا أرْعَناً همَجيّا

Do not claim refinement, for you are its foe;

Do not claim excellence when you are its adversary

you were nothing but reckless and barbaric.

And you were nothing but a barbaric screamer

ولا يخرجنّ صدرك الآه مبدياً

ولا يخرجنّ صدرك الآه مبدياً

إباءَ رجولةٍ فلستَ أبيّا

إباءَ رجولةٍ فلستَ أبيّا

Do not let your chest utter a sigh, displaying

Do not let your chest reveal a sigh showing

manly dignity, for you are not noble-spirited.

Virility - for you are not virile

ولا تذرفنّ عينك الدمع مبدياً

ولا تذرفنّ عينك الدمع مبدياً

نقاءَ سريرةٍ فلستَ نقيّا

نقاءَ سريرةٍ فلستَ نقيّا

Do not let your eye shed tears, displaying

Nor let your eye reveal a teardrop displaying

purity of heart, for you are not pure.

Purity - for you are not pure

ولا تدَّعِ الحزنَ على حال أمّةٍ

ولا تدَّعِ الحزنَ على حال أمّةٍ

أضاعتْ طريقَها فلسْتَ وليّا

أضاعتْ طريقَها فلسْتَ وليّا

Do not claim sorrow over the plight of a nation

Do not claim to grieve over the state of a nation

that has lost its way, for you are no guardian.

That lost its way - for you are no guardian

ورتِّلْ كتابَكم وغادرْ كتابَنا

ورتِّلْ كتابَكم وغادرْ كتابَنا

فما كنت مؤمناً ولا عربيّا

فما كنت مؤمناً ولا عربيّا

Recite your book, and leave our book alone;

Reject your scripture and leave ours

for you were neither a believer nor an Arab.

For you were never faithful nor Arab

وألفُ نبيٍّ ما كفوكَ ألوثةٌ

وألفُ نبيٍّ ما كفوكَ ألوثةٌ

سرتْ من خيالٍ فاستحلتَ نبيَّا؟

سرتْ من خيالٍ فاستحلتَ نبيَّا؟

A thousand prophets did not suffice you—did a touch of madness

For is not one prophet enough for your wickedness

creep from fantasy, so that you became a prophet?

That crept from a delusion so you deemed yourself a prophet?

وليس البقاءُ فوق أرضٍ دليل قو

وليس البقاءُ فوق أرضٍ دليل قو

وةٍ أو مناعةٍ فلسْتَ قويّا

وةٍ أو مناعةٍ فلسْتَ قويّا

And surviving on earth is no proof of stre-

And survival on land is no indication of strength

ngth or invulnerability, for you are not strong.

Or immunity - so you are not strong

فأعجِبْ بمن أعْطاكَ سلمًا مُصدّقًا

فأعجِبْ بمن أعْطاكَ سلمًا مُصدّقًا

بأنّك يا نذلُ غدوتَ سويّا

بأنّك يا نذلُ غدوتَ سويّا

So marvel at whoever gave you peace, believing

So praise the One who gave you a peaceful ladder agreeing

that you, scoundrel, had become upright.

That you, O despicable one, became decent

فقد فسدَ الكونُ وأنت علامةٌ

فقد فسدَ الكونُ وأنت علامةٌ

وإلّا فما سرّ بقائك حيّا

وإلّا فما سرّ بقائك حيّا

For the world has grown corrupt, and you are a sign;

For the universe is corrupt and you are a symbol

otherwise, what is the secret of your remaining alive?

Otherwise, what is the secret behind your survival?

وإن كنت في شكِّ من القولِ فاستعرْ

وإن كنت في شكِّ من القولِ فاستعرْ

من العقل شيئاً ثمّ فكّرْ مليّا

من العقل شيئاً ثمّ فكّرْ مليّا

And if you doubt these words, then borrow

And if you doubt this speech, then borrow

a little reason, then ponder at length.

Some intellect and ponder thoroughly