تقرّبت إلاَّ في رضى الأم والأب

تقرّبت إلاَّ في رضى الأم والأب

وبرّهما في الدّين أصل التقرّب

وبرّهما في الدّين أصل التقرّب

You sought nearness to God—but not through pleasing mother and father,

I sought nearness only through pleasing my mother and father,

though honoring them is religion’s foundation for drawing near.

And being dutiful to them in religion is the essence of nearness.

وقدّمت أسباب العقوق وإنها

وقدّمت أسباب العقوق وإنها

لمثمرة في الحشر شرّ مسبب

لمثمرة في الحشر شرّ مسبب

You have advanced the causes of filial disobedience, and they

I presented the causes of disobedience, though they

will surely yield the worst consequence at the Resurrection.

Bear bitter fruit on the Day of Resurrection.

رضى الله يُروى أنّه في رضاهما

رضى الله يُروى أنّه في رضاهما

فأَرضهما تظفر به أو فجنب

فأَرضهما تظفر به أو فجنب

God’s pleasure, it is related, lies in their pleasure;

It is said that God's pleasure lies in their pleasure,

so please them and attain it—or else forgo it.

So pleasing them, you will attain it, or be deprived.

وقد جاء في التّأفيف ما فيه عبرة

وقد جاء في التّأفيف ما فيه عبرة

تدلَّ على ما فوقها فتأدَّب

تدلَّ على ما فوقها فتأدَّب

Concerning even saying “uff,” there has come a lesson

What the Quran contains is an admonition

pointing to what is worse than that—so conduct yourself well.

Pointing to what is beyond, so be disciplined.

ينالهما منك القبيح وطال ما

ينالهما منك القبيح وطال ما

أنا لاك ما تهوى بسهل ومرحب

أنا لاك ما تهوى بسهل ومرحب

Ugly treatment reaches them from you, though for so long

They receive from you what is ugly, after long

they granted you what you desired, readily and warmly.

Saying to you: Do what you wish, with ease and welcome!

وتشنأ ما تأتي به السنُّ منهما

وتشنأ ما تأتي به السنُّ منهما

وبالأمس قد جاءت به منك فأعجب

وبالأمس قد جاءت به منك فأعجب

You loathe what age brings forth from them,

You drink what old age brings from them,

though only yesterday the same came from you—so marvel!

And yesterday, you did the same, to their delight.

وتنفق ما لا آثلاً لك أصله

وتنفق ما لا آثلاً لك أصله

وحالهما من رِفدِهِ حالُ مجدب

وحالهما من رِفدِهِ حالُ مجدب

You spend wealth whose foundation they laid for you,

You spend what you have no ancestral claim to,

while their share of its bounty is the lot of one stricken by drought.

While their condition from its flow is that of barren land.

وتؤثر أهواء النّساء عليهما

وتؤثر أهواء النّساء عليهما

وقد منحاك الوجَّ في كلِّ مطلب

وقد منحاك الوجَّ في كلِّ مطلب

You favor women’s whims over them,

You prefer the whims of women over them,

though they have granted you [love?] in every pursuit.

After they pampered you in every wish.

فكن حذراً من أن تصيبك دعوةٌ

فكن حذراً من أن تصيبك دعوةٌ

تدلُّ عليك السَّخط من كلِّ مذهب

تدلُّ عليك السَّخط من كلِّ مذهب

So beware lest a curse befall you,

So beware, lest a prayer comes upon you,

directing wrath toward you from every quarter.

Drawing down wrath upon you, from every creed.

فما بين أصحاب العقوق وبينه

فما بين أصحاب العقوق وبينه

سوى أدمع ترفضُّ للأم والأب

سوى أدمع ترفضُّ للأم والأب

For between those guilty of filial disobedience and that wrath

What lies between the people of disobedience and Him

lie only the streaming tears of mother and father.

Is but tears they shed for their mother and father.

ودونك نصحٌ لم تشبه خديعة

ودونك نصحٌ لم تشبه خديعة

فثق بالذي قد قلته أو فجرب

فثق بالذي قد قلته أو فجرب

Here is counsel that no deceit has tainted;

My advice to you is no trickery,

so trust what I have said—or put it to the test.

So trust what I have said, or try it yourself.

مقالك في الدارين قول مصدِّق

مقالك في الدارين قول مصدِّق

وفعلك إن أنصفت فعل مكِّذب

وفعلك إن أنصفت فعل مكِّذب

Your words about the two abodes are those of a believer,

Your words in both abodes are those of one truthful,

but your deeds, if you judge fairly, are those of a denier.

And your actions, if you judge fairly, are those of one lying.

فبادر وفي آثار عمرك فسحة

فبادر وفي آثار عمرك فسحة

وإلاَّ فهل ترضيك حال معِّذِّب

وإلاَّ فهل ترضيك حال معِّذِّب

So hasten while some room remains in what is left of your life;

So take the initiative, while there is space in the tracks of your life,

otherwise, would the plight of one tormented please you?

Otherwise, are you pleased with the state of one tormented?

ولا تحسبن الله يهمل عبده

ولا تحسبن الله يهمل عبده

ولكن له ستر على كل مذنب

ولكن له ستر على كل مذنب

Do not suppose that God neglects His servant;

Do not think God neglects His servant,

rather, He keeps a veil over every sinner.

But He veils each sinner.