وَنُبِّئتُ أَن قَد زادَ ما بِكَ سَيِّدي

وَنُبِّئتُ أَن قَد زادَ ما بِكَ سَيِّدي

فَضعفيَ قَد أَربى وَصَبريَ ناقِصُ

فَضعفيَ قَد أَربى وَصَبريَ ناقِصُ

And I was told that your ailment has worsened, my master.

I was informed that your suffering has increased, my master

So my weakness has grown, and my patience is dwindling.

So my weakness has grown and my patience diminished

وَلِم لا وَلي نَفسٌ إِليك نُزوعها

وَلِم لا وَلي نَفسٌ إِليك نُزوعها

وَبِرُّكَ لي وافٍ وِودُّكَ خالِصُ

وَبِرُّكَ لي وافٍ وِودُّكَ خالِصُ

And why not, when I have a soul whose longing is for you,

Why wouldn't a soul incline towards you?

And your kindness to me is ample, and your affection sincere?

Your righteousness suffices me and your love is pure

نَشَأت برَوضِ العِلم وَالغُصنُ دَوحَةٌ

نَشَأت برَوضِ العِلم وَالغُصنُ دَوحَةٌ

وَلا زَهرها ذاوٍ وَلا الظِلُّ قالِصُ

وَلا زَهرها ذاوٍ وَلا الظِلُّ قالِصُ

You grew in the garden of learning, and the branch is a spreading tree,

I was raised in the meadows of knowledge, a flourishing branch

And its blossoms do not wither, nor does its shade recede.

With neither fading blossoms nor scarce shade

فَضيلة نَفسٍ لَم تَشنها رَذالة

فَضيلة نَفسٍ لَم تَشنها رَذالة

وَشيمة حُرٍّ لَم تَشُبها النَقائصُ

وَشيمة حُرٍّ لَم تَشُبها النَقائصُ

A soul's virtue, unmarred by baseness,

A virtuous soul not tainted by vileness

And a noble man's character, untainted by faults.

And the traits of a free man unmarred by defects

إِذا لاحَت العَلياءُ كُنتَ مُبادِراً

إِذا لاحَت العَلياءُ كُنتَ مُبادِراً

إِلَيها وَإِن تَبدُ الدَنايا فَناكِصُ

إِلَيها وَإِن تَبدُ الدَنايا فَناكِصُ

When lofty honor appears, you are swift to hasten

When the sublime manifest, you hasten

Toward it; but if base deeds appear, you draw back.

Towards them, though the lowly recede

فَدَتكَ لِداتٌ ضَيَّعُوا شَرخ عمرهم

فَدَتكَ لِداتٌ ضَيَّعُوا شَرخ عمرهم

وَأَنتَ عَلى نَيلِ المَعارِفِ حارِصُ

وَأَنتَ عَلى نَيلِ المَعارِفِ حارِصُ

May your peers, who squandered the prime of their lives, be your ransom,

Your peers wasted the prime of their lives

While you are intent on acquiring knowledge.

While you strove for knowledge and learning

إِذا فَحَصُوا عَن نَيل لذاتٍ اِنقَضَت

إِذا فَحَصُوا عَن نَيل لذاتٍ اِنقَضَت

فَإِنَّك عَن تَدقيقِ عِلمِكَ فاحِصُ

فَإِنَّك عَن تَدقيقِ عِلمِكَ فاحِصُ

When they inquire into gaining pleasures that pass away,

When they searched for fleeting pleasures

You inquire into the finer points of your learning.

You delved deep into your knowledge

وَإِن شُغِلُوا يَوماً بِصَيدٍ وَلَذَّةٍ

وَإِن شُغِلُوا يَوماً بِصَيدٍ وَلَذَّةٍ

فَأَنتَ لشُرادِ المسائِلِ قانِصُ

فَأَنتَ لشُرادِ المسائِلِ قانِصُ

And if one day they are occupied with hunting and pleasure,

And when they busied themselves with sport and delight

Then you hunt down elusive problems.

You pursued solutions to problems

وَفي نسبةٍ لِلنورِ أَصدَقُ شاهِدٍ

وَفي نسبةٍ لِلنورِ أَصدَقُ شاهِدٍ

عَلى عنصرٍ زاكٍ عَدَتهُ القَوارِصُ

عَلى عنصرٍ زاكٍ عَدَتهُ القَوارِصُ

And in a lineage linked to light lies the truest witness

In attributing light, the most truthful witness

To pure stock that stinging barbs have spared.

Of a pure element, are the precise scales

فَلا زالَتِ الأَنوارُ تُشرِقُ دائِماً

فَلا زالَتِ الأَنوارُ تُشرِقُ دائِماً

وَشانيكَ في بَحرِ الشَقاوَةِ غائِصُ

وَشانيكَ في بَحرِ الشَقاوَةِ غائِصُ

So may the lights keep shining forever,

So may the lights continue shining forever

While your hater is immersed in the sea of misery.

While you plunge into the sea of misery