وَلَو قَضى اللَهُ لي بِسُؤلٍ

وَلَو قَضى اللَهُ لي بِسُؤلٍ

فيهِ شَفى دائي العُضالا

فيهِ شَفى دائي العُضالا

Had God granted me a wish,

And if God granted me a wish,

If Allah had ordained for me a request

If Allah were to decree for me a wish

through it He would have cured my incurable disease.

through it He would cure my incurable affliction.

That would cure my incurable illness,

In which He would cure my incurable ailment,

لا حَولَ لي في قَضائِهِ لا

لا حَولَ لي في قَضائِهِ لا

قُوَّةَ إِلّا بِهِ تَعالى

قُوَّةَ إِلّا بِهِ تَعالى

I have no power against His decree, no

I have no power over His decree, no

I have no power over His decree, no

I have no power regarding His decree, no

strength save through Him—exalted is He.

strength except through Him, exalted is He.

Strength but through Him the Exalted.

Strength, save through Him, the Exalted.

لَأَجرهُ لَو صَبَرتُ خَيرٌ

لَأَجرهُ لَو صَبَرتُ خَيرٌ

كَم عاضَ بِالصَبرِ كَم أَنالا

كَم عاضَ بِالصَبرِ كَم أَنالا

Surely His reward, if I endure, is better;

Surely His reward, were I patient, would be better;

His reward, if I were patient, would be better,

His reward, were I to endure with patience, is better;

how often patience brings recompense, how much it bestows!

how much He has given for patience, how much bestowed!

How many gained through patience, how many attained.

How often He compensates through patience, how often He bestows.

لا أَدَّعي الصَبرَ إِنَّ قَلبي

لا أَدَّعي الصَبرَ إِنَّ قَلبي

كانَ مِنَ الصَخرِ فَاِستَحالا

كانَ مِنَ الصَخرِ فَاِستَحالا

I do not claim patience; indeed, my heart,

I claim no patience: indeed, my heart

I do not claim to have patience, for my heart

I do not claim to possess patience, for truly my heart

though once of stone, has melted away.

was of rock, then was transformed.

Was of rock and turned to change.

Was once made of rock, yet it has utterly changed.

لأَمتي السَرد قَدَّها مَن

لأَمتي السَرد قَدَّها مَن

كَسَّرَ في قَلبي النِصالا

كَسَّرَ في قَلبي النِصالا

My tightly woven coat of mail was rent by him

My closely linked coat of mail was rent by the one who

For my nation I was a leader, one who

My coat of mail was torn asunder by the One who

who shattered the arrowheads within my heart.

shattered arrowheads in my heart.

Broke in my heart the arrows.

Shattered the arrowheads inside my very heart.

لِآلئُ الدَمعِ راحَتي في

لِآلئُ الدَمعِ راحَتي في

رُزئِهِ هَدَّتِ الجِبالا

رُزئِهِ هَدَّتِ الجِبالا

The pearls of tears are my consolation in

The pearls of tears—my solace in

The pearls of my tears are my comfort

The pearls of tears are my sole relief in

bereavement for him—a loss that would level mountains.

losing him—have shattered the mountains.

When they roll down the mountains.

This calamity of his, which has leveled the mountains.

لا تَعصِني الدَهرَ لا تَني يا

لا تَعصِني الدَهرَ لا تَني يا

عَيني وَإِن هِجتني اِنهِمالا

عَيني وَإِن هِجتني اِنهِمالا

Never disobey me, never weary, O

Never disobey me; do not slacken, O

Do not disobey me O time, do not blame me O

Do not disobey me ever, do not falter, O

my eye, though you provoke me to torrents of tears.

my eye, in streaming—even if you agitate me.

My eye, even if you frown at me intensely.

My eye, even if you drown me in a torrent.

لاقَيتُ ما هَدَّ رُكنَ مَجدي

لاقَيتُ ما هَدَّ رُكنَ مَجدي

وَهَزَّ يمنايَ وَالشِمالا

وَهَزَّ يمنايَ وَالشِمالا

I have met what shattered the pillar of my glory

I have encountered what shattered the pillar of my glory

I met what toppled the pillar of my glory

I have met that which destroyed the pillar of my glory,

and shook both my right hand and my left.

and shook my right hand and my left.

And shook my right side and the left.

And shook my foundation from the right and the left.

لاحَ هِلالي فَغابَ نَقصاً

لاحَ هِلالي فَغابَ نَقصاً

وَكُنتُ أَرجو لَهُ الكَمالا

وَكُنتُ أَرجو لَهُ الكَمالا

My crescent moon appeared, then waned away,

My crescent shone, then vanished incomplete,

My crescent disappeared imperfectly

My crescent moon appeared, then vanished in imperfection,

though I had hoped to see him reach fullness.

and I had hoped it would reach fullness.

While I hoped it would be complete.

When I had hoped to see it wax to fullness.

لانت لَيالِيَّ ثُمَّ عادَت

لانت لَيالِيَّ ثُمَّ عادَت

تَشتَدُّ مِن لَوعَتي طِوالا

تَشتَدُّ مِن لَوعَتي طِوالا

My nights grew gentle, then returned,

My nights grew gentle, then once again

My nights then returned,

My nights grew gentle, only to return

made harsh and long by my anguish.

grew harsh and long with my burning grief.

Prolonging my burning agony.

Intense with my anguish, stretching endlessly long.

لازَمَ فيكَ السُهادُ طَرفي

لازَمَ فيكَ السُهادُ طَرفي

وَلَيتَهُ لازَمَ الحِيالا

وَلَيتَهُ لازَمَ الحِيالا

For your sake sleeplessness clung to my eyes;

Sleeplessness over you has clung to my eyes,

In you, sleeplessness stuck to my eyelid,

Sleeplessness has bound itself to my vision for your sake,

would that it had clung to every saving stratagem.

and would that it had clung to the barren women.

And I wish it would stick to my dreams.

And would that it had bound the obstructions instead.

لاموا فَقُلتُ البَكاءُ فيهِ

لاموا فَقُلتُ البَكاءُ فيهِ

راحَةُ ثَكلان ساءَ حالا

راحَةُ ثَكلان ساءَ حالا

They blamed me, and I said: Weeping for him

They blamed me, so I said: 'Weeping for him

They blamed me, so I said: in it is

They blamed me, so I said: Weeping for him

is the solace of a bereaved one fallen into misery.

is the solace of a bereaved parent in a wretched plight.'

The solace of the bereaved, miserable state.

Is the solace of a bereaved parent in a wretched state.

لاحَظَكَ القَلبُ حَيثُ تبلى

لاحَظَكَ القَلبُ حَيثُ تبلى

فَاِزدَدتُ لَولا الهُدى خبالا

فَاِزدَدتُ لَولا الهُدى خبالا

My heart beholds you where you waste away,

My heart gazed upon you where you decay,

The heart noticed where you are worn down,

My heart watched you as you decayed into the earth,

and but for divine guidance, my madness would have grown.

and, but for guidance, I would have grown more deranged.

And I became, without guidance, deluded.

And I increased in madness, were it not for Divine Guidance.

لاذَت بِكَ الحورُ قائِلات

لاذَت بِكَ الحورُ قائِلات

اِرقُد هَنيئاً نَعِمت بالا

اِرقُد هَنيئاً نَعِمت بالا

The dark-eyed maidens of Paradise gathered around you, saying:

The houris sought refuge with you, saying:

The maidens blamed you saying:

The maidens of Paradise sought refuge in you, saying:

“Sleep in bliss; may peace be yours.”

'Sleep blissfully; may your mind be at peace.'

"Sleep in comfort, you had a good life."

"Sleep in bliss, may you be joyous of mind."

لَأَرجُوَن سَيِّدي عَسى أَن

لَأَرجُوَن سَيِّدي عَسى أَن

يَحُطَّ أَوزارِيَ الثِقالا

يَحُطَّ أَوزارِيَ الثِقالا

I shall surely hope, my Lord, that perhaps You

I shall surely place hope in my Lord, that He may

I hope, my master, that it would

I shall surely hope in my Master, that perchance

will lift my heavy burdens of sin.

remove my heavy burdens of sin.

Unload the heavy burdens from me.

He will lift from me my heavy burdens.