وَأَرْدَيْتَ جِيلاً مِنَ النَّاسِ كَثِيراً،
You have ruined a large group of people
خَدَعْتَهُمْ بِغَيِّكَ،
whom you have deceived by your misguidance,
وَأَلْقَيْتَهُمْ فِي مَوْجِ بَحْرِكَ،
and have flung them into the currents of your sea
تَغْشَاهُمُ الظُّلُمَاتُ،
where darkness has covered them
تَتَلاَطَمُ بِهِمُ الشُّبُهَاتُ،
and misgivings toss them about.
فَجاروا عَنْ وِجْهَتِهِمْ،
As a result they have strayed from the right path
وَنَكَصُوا عَلَى أَعْقَابِهِمْ،
and turned on their backs.
وَتَوَلَّوْا عَلَى أَدْبَارِهِمْ،
They turned their backs
وَعَوَّلُوا عَلَى أحْسَابِهِمْ،
and pushed forward
إِلاَّ مَنْ فَاءَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْبَصَائِرِ،
except those wise ones who came back
فَإِنَّهُمْ فَارَقُوكَ بَعْدَ مَعْرِفَتِكَ،
because they left you after understanding you
وَهَرَبُوا إِلَى اللهِ سُبحانَهُ مِنْ مُوَازَرَتِكَ،
and ran towards Allah away from your assistance
إِذْ حَمَلْتَهُمْ عَلَى الصَّعْبِ،
when you put them to troubles
وَعَدَلْتَ بِهِمْ عَنِ الْقَصْدِ.
and deviated them from the middle path.
فَاتَّقِ اللهَ يَا مُعَاوِيَةُ فِي نَفْسِكَ،
Therefore, O Mu'awiyah, fear Allah about yourself
وَجَاذِبِ الشَّيْطَانَ قيَادَكَ،
and take away your rein from Satan,
فَإِنَّ الدُّنْيَا مُنْقَطِعَةٌ عَنْكَ،
since this world is shortly to be cut off from you
وَالاْخِرَةَ قَرِيبَةٌ مِنْكَ،
and the next world is near you;
وَالسَّلاَمُ.
and that is an end to the matter.
