أَقول لِدَهر ضلّ عَن مَنهَج الحَقِّ

أَقول لِدَهر ضلّ عَن مَنهَج الحَقِّ

وَسالم رَبّ العيّ وَاللؤم وَالفسقِ

وَسالم رَبّ العيّ وَاللؤم وَالفسقِ

I say to Time, which strayed from the path of truth

I say to the unjust days that strayed from the path of truth,

And made peace with the master of inarticulacy, baseness, and depravity,

Peace be upon the Lord of mankind, iniquity, and immorality.

وَعاند أَقواماً كِراماً عُلومُهم

وَعاند أَقواماً كِراماً عُلومُهم

قَد اِنتَشَرَت في مَغرب الأَرض وَالشرق

قَد اِنتَشَرَت في مَغرب الأَرض وَالشرق

And opposed noble people whose learning

They opposed noble scholars whose knowledge

Has spread through the earth’s west and east:

Spread in the west and east of the earth.

أَيا دَهرُ كم تَصبو لِغَمر وَجاهل

أَيا دَهرُ كم تَصبو لِغَمر وَجاهل

وَتَرغب عَن حَبرٍ لَبيب وَلا تُبقي

وَتَرغب عَن حَبرٍ لَبيب وَلا تُبقي

O Time, how often you yearn for a simpleton and an ignoramus,

O days, how much you desire an ignorant and unwise man,

And turn away from a discerning scholar, and spare none!

Yet dislike a perceptive and intelligent man, leaving no trace of him.

وَتَرفع مَخفوضاً وَتَخفض راقِياً

وَتَرفع مَخفوضاً وَتَخفض راقِياً

وَتَسطو عَلى الأَخيار مِنا بِلا رفق

وَتَسطو عَلى الأَخيار مِنا بِلا رفق

You raise those brought low and bring down those rising,

You raise the lowly and debase the exalted,

And assail the good among us without gentleness.

And overpower the virtuous among us without mercy.

أَما أَنتَ حَيث ميزت

أَما أَنتَ حَيث ميزت

الرشدِ وَالفهمِ وَالنطق

الرشدِ وَالفهمِ وَالنطق

Are you not ... when you distinguished

Since when have you distinguished

Sound judgment, understanding, and speech?

Righteousness, wisdom and eloquence?

أَما كُنت تَرضى لِلرياسة فاضِلاً

أَما كُنت تَرضى لِلرياسة فاضِلاً

سِوىلِلّه وَالرُسلِ وَالخَلق

سِوىلِلّه وَالرُسلِ وَالخَلق

Did you not once favor a virtuous man for leadership,

Were you not content with a virtuous leader

Other than—for God, the messengers, and creation [wording unclear].

Other than God, His messengers and all creation?

لَقد شَبتَ يا دَهري وَأَصبَحتَ عاجِزاً

لَقد شَبتَ يا دَهري وَأَصبَحتَ عاجِزاً

عَن الحُكم لا تَدري خطاك مِن الحَق

عَن الحُكم لا تَدري خطاك مِن الحَق

You have indeed grown gray, O my Time, and become incapable

You have aged, o my days, and become incapable

Of judgment: you cannot tell your error from the truth.

Of judging, not knowing your steps from the truth.

فَأَخَّرتَ سحباناً وَقسّاً وَأَحنَفاً

فَأَخَّرتَ سحباناً وَقسّاً وَأَحنَفاً

وَباقلُك المَعروف قَد فازَ بِالسبق

وَباقلُك المَعروف قَد فازَ بِالسبق

So you held back Sahban, Quss, and Ahnaf,

Thus you belittled Suhban, Qass and Ahnaf,

And your well-known Baqil has won precedence.

While the well-known Baqiluk won the race.

وَأَحوَجتَني أَني أَقول مُؤرخاً

وَأَحوَجتَني أَني أَقول مُؤرخاً

رقى في وَقت وَصل بِلا حَق

رقى في وَقت وَصل بِلا حَق

And you have compelled me to say, composing a chronogram:

You forced me to say, chronicling history,

He rose at a time when he attained [his position] without right.

That an unworthy man rose in his time without merit.