تمادى رجال على غيهم

تمادى رجال على غيهم

أضرّ بهم وبأهل البلاد

أضرّ بهم وبأهل البلاد

Men persisted in their error,

Men persisted in their waywardness;

and that harmed them and the people of the land.

It harmed them and the people of the land.

وقد وضع الحق في نوره

وقد وضع الحق في نوره

فمن أمّ أمّ ومن حاد حادْ

فمن أمّ أمّ ومن حاد حادْ

Truth now stands revealed in its own light;

And the truth has been placed in its own light:

so whoever hopes, let him hope—and whoever strays, let him stray.

So whoever sought it, sought it; whoever turned aside, turned aside.

ففيم وقوفك يا سيدي

ففيم وقوفك يا سيدي

وخطبتك اليوم بين العباد

وخطبتك اليوم بين العباد

What, then, is the point of your standing, my lord,

So why do you stand up, sir,

and of your address today among the people?

And make your speech today among the people?

قناة السويس انقضى أمرها

قناة السويس انقضى أمرها

فلا تستعدهُ فليس يعاد

فلا تستعدهُ فليس يعاد

The Suez Canal—its affair is over;

The matter of the Suez Canal is over;

do not seek to recover it, for it will not be restored.

So do not reopen it, for it will not be reopened.

أثرتَ لهُ أمس حرباً عواناً

أثرتَ لهُ أمس حرباً عواناً

فهذا الحريق بذاك الزناد

فهذا الحريق بذاك الزناد

For its sake, yesterday you stirred up a renewed, long-raging war;

Yesterday you stirred up a renewed war over it;

this conflagration was sparked by that flint.

So this blaze comes from that fire-striker.

عزيز علينا خروجك منها

عزيز علينا خروجك منها

خروج المريد بغير المراد

خروج المريد بغير المراد

Grievous to us is your departure from it—

It pains us that you emerge from it

a seeker’s departure without what he sought.

As a seeker leaving without what he sought.

ومن نكد الدهر أن الصروف

ومن نكد الدهر أن الصروف

تصيد الرجال وليست تصاد

تصيد الرجال وليست تصاد

Among the miseries of Time is that its vicissitudes

And one of time's miseries is that its turns of fortune

hunt men, yet cannot themselves be hunted.

Hunt men, yet are not themselves hunted.

وخبرت أنك عاتبت قوماً

وخبرت أنك عاتبت قوماً

فقلت العتاب تبيع الوداد

فقلت العتاب تبيع الوداد

I was told that you reproached a certain group

And I was told that you had reproached some people,

and said, “Reproach follows upon affection.”

So I said, 'Reproach is affection's attendant.'

فلما قرأت الذي قلنهُ

فلما قرأت الذي قلنهُ

غدوتُ بوادٍ وظني بواد

غدوتُ بوادٍ وظني بواد

But when I read what they had said,

But when I read what they had said,

I found myself in one valley, while they were in another.

I found myself in one valley, my supposition in another.

بربك سائل فؤادك يوماً

بربك سائل فؤادك يوماً

أأحسنت أم لا يجبك الفؤاد

أأحسنت أم لا يجبك الفؤاد

By your Lord, question your heart one day:

By your Lord, ask your heart one day:

“Did you do right, or not?” Your heart will answer you.

'Have you acted well or not?' Your heart will answer you.

فإن الضمائر لا ترتشي

فإن الضمائر لا ترتشي

ومهما تعاند تمل العناد

ومهما تعاند تمل العناد

For consciences cannot be bribed,

For consciences do not accept bribes,

and however stubbornly you resist, you will tire of defiance.

And however stubbornly you resist, you will tire of obstinacy.

وهيهات إن فزت من بعدها

وهيهات إن فزت من بعدها

سيضرب ربّ السداد السداد

سيضرب ربّ السداد السداد

Far from it! Even if you escape its aftermath,

And how unlikely! If you triumph after that,

the Lord of unerring judgment will strike the mark.

The master of sound judgment will strike true.