1. يا أيها السَائلُ عن قومِنا

    لمَّا رأى بِزَّةَ أحبارِهِمْ

    O you who ask about our people,

    on seeing their religious scholars' garb

  2. وحُسن سَمْتٍ منهمُ ظاهراً

    إعلانهُم ليس كأسرارهمْ

    and their outwardly fine bearing:

    Their outward show is unlike their secrets.

  3. سائل ْ بهم أحمر أو غيَره

    يُنبيك عن قومي وأخبارهمْ

    Ask Ahmar, or someone else, about them;

    he will tell you about my people and their affairs.

  4. قومٌ كرامٌ ما عدا أنهم

    صَوْلَتُهم منهم على جارهِمْ

    A noble people, except that

    they unleash their fury upon their neighbor.

  5. أسدٌ على الجيرانِ أعداؤهم

    آمنةٌ تخطرُ في دارهمْ

    Lions against their neighbors, while their enemies

    strut safely in their abode.

  6. لو جاءهم مقتبساً جارُهُم

    ما قَبَسوهُ الدهرَ من نارِهِمْ

    If their neighbor came to them seeking a firebrand,

    they would never give him one from their fire.

  7. وقد وَتَرناهُم ولم نَخشَ من

    ينهضُ في سيرةِ أوتارهمْ

    And indeed, we have inflicted losses on them, yet feared no one

    who might rise to seek vengeance for them.

  8. أحسنُ قومٍ لمواليهمُ

    إن أيسروا يوماً لأيسارِهمْ

    The best of people toward their clients—

    toward their wealthy ones, if ever they prosper.

  9. شهادةُ الزورِ لهم عادة

    حقا بها قيمةُ أخيارِهمْ

    False testimony is their habit;

    indeed, their best men's worth rests on it.

  10. ما لهم مجدٌ سوى مسجدٍ

    به تعدَّوا فوقَ أطوارهمْ

    They have no glory save a mosque;

    through it they have risen above their station.

  11. لو هُدِمَ المسجدُ لم يعرفوا

    يوماً ولم يُسمع بأخبارهمْ

    If the mosque were demolished, they would not be known

    ever, nor would any news of them be heard.