دعْ صاعداً يقتني الدنيا وزِبرِجها

دعْ صاعداً يقتني الدنيا وزِبرِجها

في العلم باللَّهِ مما ناله عِوضُ

في العلم باللَّهِ مما ناله عِوضُ

Let Ṣāʿid acquire the world and its finery;

Let one who is ascending acquire the world and its ostentation,

In knowing God lies a substitute for what he has gained.

In knowledge of Allah I have gained in lieu of what he attained.

ما بالُ من جَوْهَرُ الأشياء قُنْيتُه

ما بالُ من جَوْهَرُ الأشياء قُنْيتُه

يأسى ويحسدُ قوماً حظُّهم عَرَضُ

يأسى ويحسدُ قوماً حظُّهم عَرَضُ

What ails one whose possession is the substance of things,

What is the concern of one whose essence of things is his contentment,

That he grieves and envies people whose share is a mere accident?

Who despairs and envies a people whose lot is but show.

إنّي لأعجبُ من قوم يشُفُّهمُ

إنّي لأعجبُ من قوم يشُفُّهمُ

حُبُّ الزخارفِ لا يدْرُونَ ما العرضُ

حُبُّ الزخارفِ لا يدْرُونَ ما العرضُ

I truly marvel at people consumed

I wonder at people who are appeased

By love of finery, not knowing what an accident is.

By love of trappings, not knowing what honor is.

ألا عُقُولَ ألا أحلامَ تَزْجُرهُم

ألا عُقُولَ ألا أحلامَ تَزْجُرهُم

بلى عُقولٌ وأحلامٌ بها مرض

بلى عُقولٌ وأحلامٌ بها مرض

Have they no minds, no judgment to restrain them?

Oh minds, oh dreams to deter them!

Yes, minds and judgment—but sickness afflicts them.

Rather minds and dreams in them is sickness.

سعيُ السُّعاةِ لفضل المال بعد غِنىً

سعيُ السُّعاةِ لفضل المال بعد غِنىً

حِرمٌ كما طلبُ الأقواتِ مُفترض

حِرمٌ كما طلبُ الأقواتِ مُفترض

The strivers' pursuit of surplus wealth once they have enough

The striving of the ambitious for surplus wealth after being rich

Is forbidden, just as seeking sustenance is obligatory.

Is forbidden, like the seeking of sustenance when already obligated.

أليس جُرماً تناسي المرءِ خَالقَهُ

أليس جُرماً تناسي المرءِ خَالقَهُ

إذا أليحتْ له الأذهابُ والفضَضُ

إذا أليحتْ له الأذهابُ والفضَضُ

Is it not a sin for a person deliberately to forget his Creator

Is it not a crime, one's forgetting his Creator,

When gold and silver are displayed before him?

When strayings and trappings have adorned themselves to him.

لا سيما والذي يكفيه حاضِرُه

لا سيما والذي يكفيه حاضِرُه

لعارفِ اللَهِ من هاتيك مُمْتعضُ

لعارفِ اللَهِ من هاتيك مُمْتعضُ

Especially when he already has enough at hand;

Especially when the present suffices him,

For one who knows God, those things are a source of vexation.

The knower of God is averse to such things.

لو آمنتْ أنفسٌ باللَّهِ ما شُغِلْت

لو آمنتْ أنفسٌ باللَّهِ ما شُغِلْت

عنه بما ليس في فقدانِه مَضَض

عنه بما ليس في فقدانِه مَضَض

If souls believed in God, they would not be distracted

If souls had faith in God, they would not be preoccupied

From Him by things whose loss brings no pain.

By what is lost without anguish.

كلا ولا اضطجعتْ إلا ومَضْجعُها

كلا ولا اضطجعتْ إلا ومَضْجعُها

كأنه حائلٌ من دُونه القَضَض

كأنه حائلٌ من دُونه القَضَض

No indeed; nor would they lie down without their bed

Nay, nor would they retire, except that their retirement

Seeming a barrier, with gravel between them and it.

Is as though an obstacle between it and the final ingathering.