أقاسمُ لا تسددْ سبيلي إلى الرضا

أقاسمُ لا تسددْ سبيلي إلى الرضا

فأنت المولّى فتحَ كلِّ سبيلِ

فأنت المولّى فتحَ كلِّ سبيلِ

O Qasim, do not bar my path to favor,

My hopes, do not block my path to contentment,

For you are entrusted with opening every path.

For You are the Guardian, opening every way,

ولا تجعلنّ الظن ما عشتَ صاحباً

ولا تجعلنّ الظن ما عشتَ صاحباً

فلستَ تراه صاحباً لنبيلِ

فلستَ تراه صاحباً لنبيلِ

Do not, as long as you live, make suspicion your companion,

And do not let presumption be my companion,

For you will not find it a noble man's companion.

For You see it not as a companion to the noble.

أتقبل دعوى الظن وهي مُخيلةٌ

أتقبل دعوى الظن وهي مُخيلةٌ

وتتركُ مثلي وهْي غيرُ مُخيلِ

وتتركُ مثلي وهْي غيرُ مُخيلِ

Do you accept suspicion's claim, though it is conjectural,

Do you accept the claim of presumption, which is fanciful,

And forsake one like me, whose claim is not conjectural?

And forsake the likes of me, that is not fanciful?

وقد سار مدحي فيك كلَّ مسيرة

وقد سار مدحي فيك كلَّ مسيرة

مزحزحةٍ بل سال كلَّ مسيلِ

مزحزحةٍ بل سال كلَّ مسيلِ

And my praise of you has traveled every road

And my praise of You has gone on every course,

That leads afar—nay, has flowed through every channel.

Pushing ahead; indeed, flowing down every stream.

فإن قلت قد صحَّ الذي أنت جاحدٌ

فإن قلت قد صحَّ الذي أنت جاحدٌ

فهبْ ذنبَ جانٍ لاعتذارِ ذليلِ

فهبْ ذنبَ جانٍ لاعتذارِ ذليلِ

So if you say, "What you deny has proved true,"

If You say what I deny is true,

Then pardon a sinner's sin for a humbled man's apology.

Excuse then the sin of an apologizing lowly one.

أطال عليّ الليلُ أنْ قد منعتني

أطال عليّ الليلُ أنْ قد منعتني

رضاكَ وكان الليلُ غيرَ طويلِ

رضاكَ وكان الليلُ غيرَ طويلِ

The night grew long for me because you denied me

The night was long upon me when You denied me

Your favor, though the night had not been long;

Your pleasure, yet the night was not long.

وأنك صدقتَ الظنونَ وما أتت

وأنك صدقتَ الظنونَ وما أتت

على ما ادّعتْ من قصتي بدليلِ

على ما ادّعتْ من قصتي بدليلِ

And because you believed suspicions, though they brought no

And that You spoke truly of suspicions and what

Proof for what they alleged about my case.

Was claimed in my story without proof.

وإنّ العدا مذ عُلتني وحَجبتني

وإنّ العدا مذ عُلتني وحَجبتني

رأوْا وجه قالٍ عند ذاك وقيلِ

رأوْا وجه قالٍ عند ذاك وقيلِ

And indeed, since you supported me and shut me out, the enemies

And since You spurned me and veiled me from You

Have found grounds then for talk and gossip.

They saw the face of one who then spoke and told.

وإن جُدتَ لي بالكُثْر قالوا مبغَّضٌ

وإن جُدتَ لي بالكُثْر قالوا مبغَّضٌ

فدى نفسَه مِنْ قُربِه بجزيلِ

فدى نفسَه مِنْ قُربِه بجزيلِ

And if you give me much, they say I am detested:

If You were generous to me in plenty they said, hated one

You paid a lavish ransom to escape my company.

Ransomed himself from nearness by ample funds.

وإن جدتْ لي بالقُلّ قال خطيبُهم

وإن جدتْ لي بالقُلّ قال خطيبُهم

قليلٌ رُمِي في وجهه بقليلِ

قليلٌ رُمِي في وجهه بقليلِ

And if you give me little, their spokesman says,

If You were generous to me in paucity, their spokesman said

"A paltry man, pelted in the face with a paltry sum."

A little was cast in his face by a little.

وجودُك بالفضلِ الذي قدْ بذلته

وجودُك بالفضلِ الذي قدْ بذلته

شفاءٌ فلا تمزجه لي بغليلِ

شفاءٌ فلا تمزجه لي بغليلِ

And your generosity in the bounty you have bestowed

Your generosity with bounty You have granted

Is healing; do not mix it for me with burning anguish.

Is healing, so do not mix it for me with bitterness.

وكلّ الذي أسلفتني من صنيعةٍ

وكلّ الذي أسلفتني من صنيعةٍ

جميلٌ فلا تُردفه غيرَ جميلِ

جميلٌ فلا تُردفه غيرَ جميلِ

And every kindness you have bestowed on me

All that You have advanced me of favor

Is beautiful; do not follow it with anything unlovely.

Is beautiful, so do not follow it with less than beautiful.

أنلتَ فإن شئتَ الإقالة محسناً

أنلتَ فإن شئتَ الإقالة محسناً

أقلتَ ولم أعهدْك غيرَ مُقيلِ

أقلتَ ولم أعهدْك غيرَ مُقيلِ

You have given; if you wish to pardon in your kindness,

You have attained, so if You wish to dismiss favorably,

You will pardon—I have known you only as forgiving.

Then dismiss me, and I never knew You as one who dismisses.

وقالوا عليلٌ قلتُ كلا وإن يكنْ

وقالوا عليلٌ قلتُ كلا وإن يكنْ

عليلاً فما إحسانُهُ بعليلِ

عليلاً فما إحسانُهُ بعليلِ

And they said, "He is ill." I said, "No! Even if he is

And they said, ailing one! I said no, and even if he be

Ill, his kindness is not ill."

Ailing, his beneficence is not ailing.

كساهُ الذي أعلاهُ بُرْءاً وصحّةً

كساهُ الذي أعلاهُ بُرْءاً وصحّةً

وكانت له الأيامُ خيرَ خليلِ

وكانت له الأيامُ خيرَ خليلِ

May He who exalted him clothe him in recovery and health,

He who exalted him clothed him in health and strength,

And may the days be his best companion.

And his days were the best companion.

وأضحى وأمسى والسلامةُ عنده

وأضحى وأمسى والسلامةُ عنده

لحافَ مبيتٍ أو فراش مقيلِ

لحافَ مبيتٍ أو فراش مقيلِ

And may he pass morning and evening with well-being beside him,

He came and went while well-being was with him

As a coverlet for the night or a bed for midday rest.

A blanket for overnight rest or the bedding of one at rest.