أَلا رُبَّ أَحزانٍ شَجاني طُروقُها

أَلا رُبَّ أَحزانٍ شَجاني طُروقُها

فَسَكَّنتُ نَفسي حينَ هَمَّ خُفوقُها

فَسَكَّنتُ نَفسي حينَ هَمَّ خُفوقُها

Ah, many sorrows have grieved me with their coming by night.

Oh, how many sorrows have saddened me, their beginnings have pained me,

So I calmed my soul when it was about to flutter.

So I calmed my soul when it worried about its endings,

وَلَن يَستَتِمَّ الصَبرَ مَن لا يَرُبُّهُ

وَلَن يَستَتِمَّ الصَبرَ مَن لا يَرُبُّهُ

وَلَن يَعرِفَ الأَحزانَ مَن لا يَذوقُها

وَلَن يَعرِفَ الأَحزانَ مَن لا يَذوقُها

And whoever does not nurture patience will never attain it fully.

And patience will not be perfected by one who does not practice it,

And whoever does not taste sorrows will never know them.

And one who does not taste anguish will not know anguish,

وَلِلناسِ خَوضٌ في الكَلامِ وَأَلسُنٌ

وَلِلناسِ خَوضٌ في الكَلامِ وَأَلسُنٌ

وَأَقرَبُها مِن كُلِّ خَيرٍ صَدوقُها

وَأَقرَبُها مِن كُلِّ خَيرٍ صَدوقُها

And people wade into talk and have tongues,

People plunge into words and have tongues,

And the truthful tongue among them is closest to every good.

But the closest of them to all good are their truthful ones,

وَما صَحَّ إِلّا شاهِدٌ صَحَّ غَيبُهُ

وَما صَحَّ إِلّا شاهِدٌ صَحَّ غَيبُهُ

وَما تُنبِتُ الأَغصانَ إِلّا عُروقُها

وَما تُنبِتُ الأَغصانَ إِلّا عُروقُها

And nothing outward is sound unless its unseen part is sound,

And nothing is sound unless its unseen corroborates it,

And nothing makes branches grow but their roots.

And branches only grow from their roots,

أَراني بِأَعباثِ المَلاعِبِ لاهِياً

أَراني بِأَعباثِ المَلاعِبِ لاهِياً

وَبِاللَهوِ لَولا جَهلُ نَفسي وَموقُها

وَبِاللَهوِ لَولا جَهلُ نَفسي وَموقُها

I see myself heedlessly absorbed in the frivolities of play,

I see myself distracted by playthings, heedless,

And in diversion—but for my soul's ignorance and folly, I would not be.

And if not for my soul’s ignorance and its caprice,

أُرَقِّعُ مِن دُنيايَ دُنيا دَنِيَّةً

أُرَقِّعُ مِن دُنيايَ دُنيا دَنِيَّةً

وَداراً كَثيراً وَهيُها وَخُروقُها

وَداراً كَثيراً وَهيُها وَخُروقُها

I patch up a lowly world with what I have of this world,

I patch up from my lowly world a worthless house,

And a dwelling with much decay and many holes.

Full of so much commotion and its cracks,

فَإِن كانَ لي سَمعٌ فَقَد أَسمَعُ النِدا

فَإِن كانَ لي سَمعٌ فَقَد أَسمَعُ النِدا

يُنادي غُروبُ الشَمسِ لي وَشُروقُها

يُنادي غُروبُ الشَمسِ لي وَشُروقُها

So if I have hearing, then indeed I hear the call:

If I had hearing, I would hear the call

The sun's setting and its rising call out to me.

Of the setting sun to me and its rising,

وَتَجرَةِ صِدقٍ لِلمَعادِ أَضَعتُها

وَتَجرَةِ صِدقٍ لِلمَعادِ أَضَعتُها

وَقَد أَمكَنَتني مِن يَدِ الرِبحِ سوقُها

وَقَد أَمكَنَتني مِن يَدِ الرِبحِ سوقُها

And many an honest trade for the hereafter have I squandered,

And I missed the chance for truthful commerce for the Hereafter,

Though its market had placed profit's hand within my reach.

Whose markets once enabled me from the hand of profit,

وَلَم تَخلُ نَفسي مِن نَهارٍ يَقودُها

وَلَم تَخلُ نَفسي مِن نَهارٍ يَقودُها

إِلى الغايَةِ القُصوى وَلَيلٍ يَسوقُها

إِلى الغايَةِ القُصوى وَلَيلٍ يَسوقُها

And my soul has never been without a day that leads it

And my soul did not lack a day leading it,

To the ultimate end, and a night that drives it.

To the ultimate aim, and a night driving it.