أَيا نَجلَ الأَماثِلِ آلِ بَكرٍ

أَيا نَجلَ الأَماثِلِ آلِ بَكرٍ

وَمَن نالَ الفَخارَ بِغَيرِ نُكرِ

وَمَن نالَ الفَخارَ بِغَيرِ نُكرِ

O scion of the noblest of the house of Bakr,

O descendant of the exemplary clan of Bakr

and you who have attained glory without reproach,

Who attained glory without any disgrace

تَفَنَّنَ في العُلُومِ فكلُّ فَضلٍ

تَفَنَّنَ في العُلُومِ فكلُّ فَضلٍ

حَواهُ العلمُ في بَرٍّ وَبحرِ

حَواهُ العلمُ في بَرٍّ وَبحرِ

Become versed in the sciences, for every excellence

Master diverse sciences, for every merit

is embraced by learning, on land and sea.

Has been gathered in both land and sea by knowledge

ولا تَسأم وَلا تطلُب سِواهُ

ولا تَسأم وَلا تطلُب سِواهُ

وقابِلهُ بِتَقريرٍ وفِكرِ

وقابِلهُ بِتَقريرٍ وفِكرِ

And do not grow weary, nor seek anything besides it;

Do not ever tire or seek a substitute

and engage with it through exposition and reflection.

And meet it with affirmation and contemplation

وجانِب جاهِلاً عنهُ تَلاهى

وجانِب جاهِلاً عنهُ تَلاهى

بِأَنواعِ المَكاسِبِ خَوفَ فَقرِ

بِأَنواعِ المَكاسِبِ خَوفَ فَقرِ

And shun an ignorant man who turns away from it,

And avoid an ignorant one who evades it

to various ways of earning, for fear of poverty.

Out of fear of poverty through various means

فَإِنَّ الرِّزقَ قَدَّرَهُ إِلَهي

فَإِنَّ الرِّزقَ قَدَّرَهُ إِلَهي

فَللأسبابُ تَغطِيةٌ لِسِرِّ

فَللأسبابُ تَغطِيةٌ لِسِرِّ

For my God has decreed sustenance;

Indeed, my God has preordained rizq (sustenance)

so the means are a veil over a mystery.

Thus, causes are but covers for the secret

فإِن نَنظُر لأسبابِ البَرايا

فإِن نَنظُر لأسبابِ البَرايا

لِجَلبِ مَعيشَةٍ أَو دَفعِ ضُرِّ

لِجَلبِ مَعيشَةٍ أَو دَفعِ ضُرِّ

For if we consider the means people use

If we look at the means for righteousness

to gain a livelihood or avert harm,

To attain livelihood or avert harm

وَجَدنا العلمَ أَقواها لِدَفع

وَجَدنا العلمَ أَقواها لِدَفع

وَأَحظاها بِمَكرُمَةٍ وَيُسرِ

وَأَحظاها بِمَكرُمَةٍ وَيُسرِ

we find learning the strongest of them for averting it,

We find that knowledge is the strongest to avert

and the richest in honor and ease.

And the most endowed with ease and honor

فَقَد سَجَدَ المَلائِكُ حينَ أَربَى

فَقَد سَجَدَ المَلائِكُ حينَ أَربَى

عَليهِم آدمٌ بالعِلمِ فادرِ

عَليهِم آدمٌ بالعِلمِ فادرِ

For the angels prostrated themselves when they were surpassed

For the angels had prostrated when Adam excelled

by Adam in knowledge—so understand.

Over them through knowledge, so remember

وَكَم بالعلمِ نالَ العِزَّ قَومٌ

وَكَم بالعلمِ نالَ العِزَّ قَومٌ

وَكَم بِالعِلمِ أَثرَى بَعدَ عُسرِ

وَكَم بِالعِلمِ أَثرَى بَعدَ عُسرِ

And how many a people has gained honor through learning!

And how many people attained honor through knowledge

And how many have grown wealthy through learning after hardship!

And how many became wealthy after hardship through it

وَأَعنِي عِلمَ شَرعِ اللَّهِ فينا

وَأَعنِي عِلمَ شَرعِ اللَّهِ فينا

وَلا أَعنِي بهِ عِلماً لِعَصرِ

وَلا أَعنِي بهِ عِلماً لِعَصرِ

And I mean knowledge of God's law among us,

I mean the knowledge of Allah's Law for us

not, by it, the learning of the age.

And not the temporal knowledge of an era

فإِنَّ تَعَلُّمَ العَصرِيِّ جَهلٌ

فإِنَّ تَعَلُّمَ العَصرِيِّ جَهلٌ

يُوافِقُ كُلَّ مَفتُونٍ وَدَهرِي

يُوافِقُ كُلَّ مَفتُونٍ وَدَهرِي

For acquiring modern learning is ignorance,

For learning the knowledge of the times is ignorance

befitting every deluded person and materialist.

Suiting every misguided and atheistic person

فَلا تَطلُب بِعِلمِ اللَّهِ دُنيا

فَلا تَطلُب بِعِلمِ اللَّهِ دُنيا

فَفِي هَذا الهَوانُ وكلُّ خُسرِ

فَفِي هَذا الهَوانُ وكلُّ خُسرِ

So do not seek worldly gain through knowledge of God,

So do not seek the life of this world through Allah's knowledge

for in this lie humiliation and utter loss.

For in this is disgrace and all loss

وَدُنياكَ الَّتِي لا بُدَّ نُطها

وَدُنياكَ الَّتِي لا بُدَّ نُطها

بِأمثَل مَن تَرى يَسعَى بأَجرِ

بِأمثَل مَن تَرى يَسعَى بأَجرِ

And your worldly affairs, which are unavoidable—entrust them

As for your worldly life, which you inevitably need

to the best person you see working for a wage.

Seek it through the best that you see striving for a wage

ولا تَحزَن عَلى ما فاتَ مِنها

ولا تَحزَن عَلى ما فاتَ مِنها

وَقَد عُوِّضتَ عَنها بِالأَبَرِّ

وَقَد عُوِّضتَ عَنها بِالأَبَرِّ

And do not grieve over what you have missed of them,

And do not grieve over what has passed from it

for you have been compensated for them with what is better.

For you have been compensated with the finest

وَما قَد فاتَ لَم يَذهَب وَلَكن

وَما قَد فاتَ لَم يَذهَب وَلَكن

تَراهُ في الصَّحيفَةِ يَومَ نَشرِ

تَراهُ في الصَّحيفَةِ يَومَ نَشرِ

And what has passed you by has not vanished; rather,

What has passed did not vanish, but

you will see it in the record on the day it is unfolded.

You will see it on the Day of Spreading

وَإِن تَعفُ فَإِنَّ العَفوَ خَيرٌ

وَإِن تَعفُ فَإِنَّ العَفوَ خَيرٌ

وَخَيرُ الناسِ ذُو عَفوٍ وَصَبرِ

وَخَيرُ الناسِ ذُو عَفوٍ وَصَبرِ

And if you pardon, then pardon is better;

And if you pardon, pardoning is better

and the best of people are those who pardon and are patient.

And the best of people is one of pardon and patience

وَإِن تُضطَرَّ في حالٍ لِشَيء

وَإِن تُضطَرَّ في حالٍ لِشَيء

فَسَل أَقوَى وَأَرحَمَ كُلِّ بَرِّ

فَسَل أَقوَى وَأَرحَمَ كُلِّ بَرِّ

And if, in any circumstance, you urgently need something,

And if you are forced into a situation for something

then ask the mightiest and most merciful of all benefactors.

Then ask the Most Powerful and Most Merciful of the righteous

قَريبٌ مِنكَ إِن تَدعُوهُ يَسرِي

قَريبٌ مِنكَ إِن تَدعُوهُ يَسرِي

لَهُ التَّصريفُ في خَلقٍ وَأَمرِ

لَهُ التَّصريفُ في خَلقٍ وَأَمرِ

He is near you if you call upon Him; His sway extends

One near to you, if you call upon Him, He will hasten

over creation and command.

To Him belongs the design in creation and command

وَحَسِّن بِالإِلَهِ البَرِّ ظَنّاً

وَحَسِّن بِالإِلَهِ البَرِّ ظَنّاً

تَجِدهُ عِندَ ذاكَ لِكُلِّ برِّ

تَجِدهُ عِندَ ذاكَ لِكُلِّ برِّ

And think well of God, the Beneficent;

And think good of Allah, the Most Kind

you will then find Him the source of every good.

You will find Him as such for every kindness

وَعظِّم أَمرَهُ في كُلِّ حالٍ

وَعظِّم أَمرَهُ في كُلِّ حالٍ

تُعَظَّم في الأَنامِ بِكلِّ قَدرِ

تُعَظَّم في الأَنامِ بِكلِّ قَدرِ

And revere His command in every circumstance;

And revere His command in every situation

you will be honored among humankind with every mark of esteem.

You will be revered among people with all might

وَقَرِّب نَفسَكَ الدُّنيا إِلَيهِ

وَقَرِّب نَفسَكَ الدُّنيا إِلَيهِ

بأَخلاقٍ يَراها كُلُّ حَبرِ

بأَخلاقٍ يَراها كُلُّ حَبرِ

And bring your lower self nearer to Him,

And bring yourself close to Him in this world

through virtues recognized by every scholar.

With character that every devout scholar sees

تَراها في الكِتابِ عَلَيكَ تُتلَى

تَراها في الكِتابِ عَلَيكَ تُتلَى

فَحَقِّقهَا وَراقِبها بِحَصرِ

فَحَقِّقهَا وَراقِبها بِحَصرِ

You see them in the Book, recited to you;

You see it in the Book being recited to you

so put them into practice and observe them without exception.

So realize it and observe it closely

وجاهِد نَفسَكَ الدُّنيا عَلَيها

وجاهِد نَفسَكَ الدُّنيا عَلَيها

لِتَحظَى بِالكَمالِ وَطِيبِ ذِكرِ

لِتَحظَى بِالكَمالِ وَطِيبِ ذِكرِ

And strive against your lower self to uphold them,

And struggle against your self regarding it

so that you may attain perfection and a good name.

To be endowed with perfection and good reputation

وَجانِب لِلفُضُولِ وَكُلِّ لَغوٍ

وَجانِب لِلفُضُولِ وَكُلِّ لَغوٍ

فَفِي هَذا إِضاعَةُ كُلِّ حُرِّ

فَفِي هَذا إِضاعَةُ كُلِّ حُرِّ

And avoid superfluities and all idle talk,

And avoid superfluities and all nonsense

for in this lies the undoing of every free person.

For in this is the waste of every freeman

وَأَعطِ الجارَ وَالقُربَى حُقوقاً

وَأَعطِ الجارَ وَالقُربَى حُقوقاً

قَضاها اللَّه في آياتِ ذِكرِ

قَضاها اللَّه في آياتِ ذِكرِ

And give your neighbor and kin the rights

And give the neighbor and relatives their rights

God decreed in verses of the Remembrance.

Which Allah has decreed in the verses of the Reminder

وَصَفِّ النَّفسَ مِن حَسَدٍ وَبَغيٍ

وَصَفِّ النَّفسَ مِن حَسَدٍ وَبَغيٍ

ولاقِ الناسَ في لُطف وَبِشرِ

ولاقِ الناسَ في لُطف وَبِشرِ

And purify the soul of envy and oppression,

And purify the self from envy and transgression

and meet people with gentleness and cheerfulness.

And meet people with kindness and glad tidings

وبِالمَعرُوفِ فأمُر لا تُبالِ

وبِالمَعرُوفِ فأمُر لا تُبالِ

وَقُم بِالنَّهيِ عَن فُحشٍ وَنُكرِ

وَقُم بِالنَّهيِ عَن فُحشٍ وَنُكرِ

And enjoin what is right; do not worry.

And enjoin good and do not care

And undertake to forbid indecency and wrongdoing.

And forbid evil and disrepute

وَتِلكَ نَصِيحَةٌ جاءَت إِلَيكُم

وَتِلكَ نَصِيحَةٌ جاءَت إِلَيكُم

دَعاها حُبُّكُم يا آلَ بَكرِ

دَعاها حُبُّكُم يا آلَ بَكرِ

And that is counsel that has come to you,

That is an advice which has come to you

prompted by love for you, O house of Bakr.

Called for by my love for you, O clan of Bakr

فأنتُم قُرَّةٌ لِلعَينِ دُمتُم

فأنتُم قُرَّةٌ لِلعَينِ دُمتُم

عَلى نَهجِ الرَّشادِ بِكُلِّ عَصرِ

عَلى نَهجِ الرَّشادِ بِكُلِّ عَصرِ

For you are a delight to the eye; may you remain

For you are comfort to the eye as long as you remain

on the path of right guidance in every age.

On the path of righteousness, in every era