فِيInأُنَاسٍpeopleتَرَاهُمُthe eye sees themالْعَيْنُasنَاساًpeople
There are people whom the eye sees as people...
فَإِذَاbut whenخُبِّرُواthey are testedفَلَيْسُواthen they are notبِنَاسِpeople.
...but when they are tested, they are not people.
وَقَالَAndآخَرُanotherخَفِيفٌ:on the Khafif meter:
And another said on the Khafif meter:
ذَهَبَGone isالْمِلْحُthe saltمِنْfromكَثِيرٍmanyمِنَof theالنَّاسِpeople
The salt has gone from many of the people,
وَمَاتَand diedالَّذِينَthose whoكَانُواwereمِلَاحَاsalt/charming.
and those who were charming have passed away.
وَبَقِيَAnd remaining areالْأَسْمَجُونَthe dull/unpleasant onesمِنْfromكُلِّeveryصِنْفٍkind
The unpleasant ones of every kind remain,
لَيْتَwould thatذَاthisالْمَوْتَdeathمِنْهُمْfrom themقَدْhadأَرَاحَاbrought relief.
would that death had brought relief from them.
وَقَالَAndآخَرُanotherكَامِلٌ:on the Kamil meter:
And another said on the Kamil meter:
ذَهَبَGone areالَّذِينَthose whoإِذَاwhenمَرِضْتَyou fell illتَجَهَّلُواfeigned ignorance
Gone are those who, when you fell ill, feigned ignorance,
وَإِذَاand whenجَهِلْتَyou acted ignorantlyعَلَيْهِمُtoward themلَمْdid notيَجْهَلُواact ignorantly.
and when you acted ignorantly toward them, they did not act ignorantly.
وَإِذَاAnd whenأَصَبْتُI attainedغَنِيمَةًspoils/gainفَرِحُواthey rejoicedبِهَاthereat
And when I attained gain, they rejoiced at it,
وَإِذَاand whenبَخِلْتُI was miserlyعَلَيْهِمْtoward themلَمْdid notيَبْخَلُواbe miserly.
and when I was miserly toward them, they were not miserly.
وَأَنْشَدَنِيAnd recited to meأَبُوAbuعَبْدِAbdاللَّهِAllahالسَّدُوسِيُّal-Sadusiكَامِلاً:completely/on Kamil:
Abu Abdullah al-Sadusi recited to me:
ذَهَبَGone areالَّذِينَthose whoهُمُtheyالْغِيَاثُthe succorالْمُسْبَلُextended
Gone are those who are the extended succor,
وَبَقِيَand remaining areالَّذِينَthose whoهُمُtheyالْعَذَابُthe tormentالْمُنْزَلُsent down.
and remaining are those who are the sent-down torment.
وَتَقَطَّعَتْAnd severed areأَرْحَامُthe ties of kinship ofأَهْلِthe people ofزَمَانِنَاour time
The ties of kinship of the people of our time have been severed,
فَكَأَنَّمَاso it is as ifخُلِقَتْthey were createdلِئَلَّاso that they would notتُوصَلُbe joined.
so it is as if they were created so as not to be joined.
النَّاسُPeopleمُشْتَبِهُونَare similarمَنْwhoeverكَشَفْتَهُyou uncovered/tested him
People are similar; whoever of them you test,
مِنْهُمْof themكَشَفْتَyou uncoverعَنِaboutالَّذِيthat whichلَاdoes notيَحْمِلُendure.
you uncover that which cannot be endured.