أُخيَّmy dear brother دعِabandon البطالةidleness والْهُand turn away عنهاfrom it
أُخيَّ دعِ البطالة والْهُ عنها
وجانِبْهاand shun it فعُقباهاfor its outcome الشّقاءُmisery
وجانِبْها فعُقباها الشّقاءُ
My dear brother, abandon idleness and turn away from it.
O brother, leave idleness and turn away from it
And shun it, for its outcome is misery.
Its consequences are misery
جمالُbeauty المرءِa person فيin الدنياthis world صلاحٌrighteousness
جمالُ المرءِ في الدنيا صلاحٌ
وخيرُand the best بضاعةِmerchandise الحرِّthe freeborn man الحياءُmodesty
وخيرُ بضاعةِ الحرِّ الحياءُ
A person's beauty in this world is righteousness,
A man's beauty in life is righteousness
And a freeborn man's finest merchandise is modesty.
And the best merchandise of the free man is modesty
عجبتُI marveled لمنat one who يميلinclines الىtoward المعاصيsins
عجبتُ لمن يميل الى المعاصي
وتعجِبُهand delight him الملاهيdiversions والغِناءُand singing
وتعجِبُه الملاهي والغِناءُ
I marvel at one who inclines toward sins,
I wonder at him who inclines towards sins
And is delighted by diversions and singing.
And is amused by frivolities and singing
وعقبىand the outcome ذَينِthose two لوif يدريhe knew شقاءٌmisery
وعقبى ذَينِ لو يدري شقاءٌ
يطولُlasts long وبعدهand after it أيضاًalso عناءُsuffering
يطولُ وبعده أيضاً عناءُ
The outcome of those two, if he but knew, is misery
The outcome of both, if he only knew, is misery
That lasts long, with further suffering after it.
Prolonged, and after it more hardship
تنبّهْawake ياO نؤومُheavy sleeper فلستَfor you are not تدريyou know
تنبّهْ يا نؤومُ فلستَ تدري
عليكupon you بماconcerning what الذيwhich سبقَhas already preceded القضاءُthe decree of fate
عليك بما الذي سبقَ القضاءُ
Awake, you heavy sleeper, for you do not know
Wake up, o sleepy one, for you don't know
What fate has already decreed for you.
What has been ordained by fate beforehand
وكِلْand entrust للهto God أمرَكyour affairs إنهindeed He فيthroughout
وكِلْ لله أمرَك إنه في
جميعall الخلقcreation يفعلُHe does ماwhat يشاءُHe wills
جميع الخلق يفعلُ ما يشاءُ
And entrust your affairs to God, for He, throughout
And entrust your matter to God, for He
All creation, does whatever He wills.
Does whatever He wills with all creatures
ولُذْand seek refuge بالحافظwith al-Hafiz الحَبْرِthe learned scholar المُرجّىin whom hope is placed
ولُذْ بالحافظ الحَبْرِ المُرجّى
ففيهfor in him الفضلُexcellence أجمعall of it والوفاءُand faithfulness
ففيه الفضلُ أجمع والوفاءُ
And seek refuge with al-Hafiz, the learned scholar in whom hope is placed,
And take refuge in the Protected Book
For in him lie all excellence and faithfulness.
For in it are all merit and loyalty
إمامٌan imam كلall منwho فيon الأرضthe earth أرضٌearth
إمامٌ كل من في الأرض أرضٌ
إذاwhen اختُبِرواthey are tested وهمّتُهُand his aspiration سماءُthe sky
إذا اختُبِروا وهمّتُهُ سماءُ
An imam—all who dwell on earth are earth
A leader whom everyone on earth is beneath
When tested, while his aspiration is the sky.
When tested, and his ambition is the sky
عليهabove him منof المفاخرglories والمعاليand lofty honors
عليه من المفاخر والمعالي
لسواءٌindeed equal (possibly a misprint for 'banner') حبذاhow splendid ذاكthat اللواءُbanner
لسواءٌ حبذا ذاك اللواءُ
Above him, of glories and lofty honors,
He has such glories and excellences
A banner [reading uncertain]—how splendid that banner!
That to that banner is equally lofty
أدامmay perpetuate لهfor him البقاlasting life والعزّand honor ربّيmy Lord
أدام له البقا والعزّ ربّي
متىwhenever ماemphatic particle أعقبَfollows الصُبْحَthe morning المساءُthe evening
متى ما أعقبَ الصُبْحَ المساءُ
May my Lord prolong his life and honor,
May my Lord prolong his existence and honour
For as long as evening follows morning.
Whenever the dawn turns into evening
Sol 6.1