لا تجزَعنَّ لمكروه تصابُ بهِ

لا تجزَعنَّ لمكروه تصابُ بهِ

فقد يُؤدِيكَ نحو الصّحة المرضُ

فقد يُؤدِيكَ نحو الصّحة المرضُ

Do not grieve at any affliction that befalls you;

Do not be distraught over a misfortune that befalls you.

illness may indeed lead you back to health.

For illness can lead you toward health.

واعلم بأنّك عبد لا فكاك له

واعلم بأنّك عبد لا فكاك له

والعبد ليس على مولاه يعترض

والعبد ليس على مولاه يعترض

Know that you are a servant with no escape,

And know that you are a slave for whom there is no release.

and a servant does not object to his Lord.

And a slave does not protest against his master.

فسلّم لاأمر تسلم في عواقبه

فسلّم لاأمر تسلم في عواقبه

وأرض القضاء فقد فاز الذين رضوا

وأرض القضاء فقد فاز الذين رضوا

Submit to the decree, and you will be safe from its consequences;

So submit to the decree, and you will be safe in its consequences.

accept what fate ordains, for those who accepted it have triumphed.

And accept the decree, for those who were content have triumphed.

وإن غدت أزمةٌ فاصبر لشدتها

وإن غدت أزمةٌ فاصبر لشدتها

إن الشدائد تأتي ثم تنقرض

إن الشدائد تأتي ثم تنقرض

If a crisis should arise, endure its severity:

And if a crisis arises, endure its severity patiently.

hardships come, and then they pass away.

Indeed, hardships come, then pass away.

والعسر يتلوه يسر إن صبرت له

والعسر يتلوه يسر إن صبرت له

ضدان هذا وهذا عندنا عرض

ضدان هذا وهذا عندنا عرض

Hardship is followed by ease, if you endure it;

And hardship is followed by ease, if you bear it patiently.

they are opposites, yet both are transient states to us.

Two opposites—this and that—are passing states for us.

والعيشُ كالحُلم أضغاث منوعة

والعيشُ كالحُلم أضغاث منوعة

وسوف يلحق بالإِيقاظ مغتمض

وسوف يلحق بالإِيقاظ مغتمض

Life is like a dream—a medley of varied visions—

And life is like a dream: a varied jumble of visions.

and the sleeper will soon join those who are awake.

And soon the closed-eyed sleeper will join the wakeful.

يا من تسخَّط ما يجري القضاءُ به

يا من تسخَّط ما يجري القضاءُ به

كم أنت في سنن الهلاك ترتكض

كم أنت في سنن الهلاك ترتكض

O you who resent what destiny brings to pass,

O you who resent what the decree brings about,

how long will you keep racing down the paths of ruin?

How often you run headlong along the path of ruin!

إن ارتماضك مما لا دفاع له

إن ارتماضك مما لا دفاع له

شؤم عليك فكم ذا أنت ترتمض

شؤم عليك فكم ذا أنت ترتمض

Your anguish over what cannot be repelled

Indeed, your anguish over what cannot be warded off

is an ill omen for you—how long will you keep burning with pain?

Is ill fortune for you—how long will you burn with anguish?

سفينُ صبرك نحو الأمر يدفعها

سفينُ صبرك نحو الأمر يدفعها

فاصبر قليلاً فمن قدَّامك الفُرَضُ

فاصبر قليلاً فمن قدَّامك الفُرَضُ

Your patience drives its ship onward through the trial;

Your fleet of patience is driven toward what is decreed.

so endure a little: the harbors lie ahead.

So be patient a little, for the harbors lie ahead of you.

في شأن يوسف إن فكّرت معتبرٌ

في شأن يوسف إن فكّرت معتبرٌ

وهو الدليل الذي ما فيه معترض

وهو الدليل الذي ما فيه معترض

In Joseph’s story, if you reflect, there is a lesson;

In Joseph's story, if you reflect, there is a lesson.

it is a proof against which no objection can stand.

And it is the proof to which no objection can be made.

لاقى الشدائد بالتّسليم منتظراً

لاقى الشدائد بالتّسليم منتظراً

لطف الإله ولم يظهر له مضض

لطف الإله ولم يظهر له مضض

He met hardships with submission, awaiting

He met hardships with submission, awaiting

God’s gracious aid, and showed no bitterness.

God's kindness, and no anguish showed in him.

وكم أرادت زليخا صرف خاطره

وكم أرادت زليخا صرف خاطره

إلى هواها ببسط وهو ينقبض

إلى هواها ببسط وهو ينقبض

How often Zulaykha sought to turn his heart

And how often Zulaikha sought to turn his thoughts

toward her desire by enticement, while he drew back.

Toward her desire, with open advances, while he drew back.

وآثر السجن إرضاء لخالقه

وآثر السجن إرضاء لخالقه

ولم يزل به في خطره الدَّحض

ولم يزل به في خطره الدَّحض

He chose prison instead, seeking to please his Creator,

And he preferred prison to please his Creator.

though the danger of slipping never ceased to beset him.

Nor did slippery ground make him stumble in his peril.

عناية الله تحميه وعصمته

عناية الله تحميه وعصمته

فما يتمّ لشيطان به غرض

فما يتمّ لشيطان به غرض

God’s care and protection guarded him,

God's care and His protection shield him,

so Satan could achieve no purpose through him.

So no devil achieves an aim through him.

من كان ظاهره نوراً وباطنه

من كان ظاهره نوراً وباطنه

لم يلف في ظلمات الجهل ينتهض

لم يلف في ظلمات الجهل ينتهض

One whose outward self is light, and whose inward self is likewise,

Whoever is light both outwardly and inwardly

will not be found rising amid the darkness of ignorance.

Will not be found rising in the darkness of ignorance.

لَمَّا رأى اللهُ منه صدق باطنِهِِ

لَمَّا رأى اللهُ منه صدق باطنِهِِ

وأنَّ حبلَ تقاه ليس ينتقض

وأنَّ حبلَ تقاه ليس ينتقض

When God saw the sincerity within him,

When God saw in him the sincerity of his inward self,

and that the cord of his piety would not break,

And that the cord of his piety did not unravel,

كانت عبارته الرؤيا له سبباً

كانت عبارته الرؤيا له سبباً

للملك والناس في أهوائهم فضض

للملك والناس في أهوائهم فضض

his interpretation of the dream became the means

His interpretation of the dream became a means for him

to kingship, while people scattered after their desires.

To power, while people were scattered amid their desires.

ومُلّك الأمرَ يطويه وينشرُهُ

ومُلّك الأمرَ يطويه وينشرُهُ

فالبذل في يده والقَبضُ والقَبضُ

فالبذل في يده والقَبضُ والقَبضُ

He was given command of affairs, to fold and unfold them;

And he was given mastery of affairs, folding and unfolding them.

giving lay in his hand, and withholding—and withholding.

So giving lies in his hand, and withholding, and withholding.

وجاء أخوتُهُ طوعاً ووالده

وجاء أخوتُهُ طوعاً ووالده

شوقاً له وهو مما ناله جرض

شوقاً له وهو مما ناله جرض

His brothers came willingly, and his father too,

And his brothers came willingly, and his father

yearning for him and choking with grief at what had befallen him.

Out of longing for him, choked with grief at what had befallen him.

فجمَّع الشمل ربٌّ كان فَرَّقَه

فجمَّع الشمل ربٌّ كان فَرَّقَه

وليس لله في الحالين معترض

وليس لله في الحالين معترض

Thus the Lord who had scattered the family gathered it together;

So the Lord who had scattered the family reunited it.

and no one may object to God in either state.

And none can object to God in either state.

ومن يكن تاركاً شيئا لخالقه

ومن يكن تاركاً شيئا لخالقه

فسوف يرضيه من متروكه العِوَضُ

فسوف يرضيه من متروكه العِوَضُ

Whoever relinquishes something for his Creator

And whoever gives up something for his Creator,

will be pleased by the recompense for what he gave up.

Then the recompense for what he gave up will please him.

إنَّا لنذكر أوصافاً مكرّمه

إنَّا لنذكر أوصافاً مكرّمه

ونحن لا حَبَضٌ فينا ولا نبض

ونحن لا حَبَضٌ فينا ولا نبض

We do indeed recount ennobling qualities,

We do indeed recount noble qualities,

though there is neither movement nor pulse within us.

Yet there is neither movement nor pulse within us.

سُنَّت علينا فلم نصلح للبستها

سُنَّت علينا فلم نصلح للبستها

والطير من بلل الأمطار ينتفض

والطير من بلل الأمطار ينتفض

They were fashioned to fit us, but we proved unfit to wear them—

They were prescribed for us, but we were not fit to wear them.

as a bird shakes off the wetness of the rain.

And birds shake off the wetness of the rains.

بتنا نخادع بالأطماع أنفسنا

بتنا نخادع بالأطماع أنفسنا

وكلُّنا للرّزايا والاسى غرض

وكلُّنا للرّزايا والاسى غرض

We spend our nights deceiving ourselves with hopes,

We spent the night deceiving ourselves with greedy hopes,

while every one of us is a target for calamity and sorrow.

And all of us are targets for calamities and grief.

ما نحن ناس إذا حققت حالتنا

ما نحن ناس إذا حققت حالتنا

وإنما الناس قوم قبلنا انقرضوا

وإنما الناس قوم قبلنا انقرضوا

We are scarcely human, if our condition is truly examined;

We are not people, if you closely examine our condition.

the true people were a generation before us who have passed away.

Rather, the true people were those who passed away before us.