إذا عهدوا فَلَيسَ لهم وَفاء

إذا عهدوا فَلَيسَ لهم وَفاء

وان وعدوا فموعدهم هباء

وان وعدوا فموعدهم هباء

When they pledge, they have no fidelity.

If they make a promise, they have no loyalty,

And if they promise, their promise is dust.

And if they make an appointment, their tryst is mirage.

وان أَرضيتهم غضبوا ملالا

وان أَرضيتهم غضبوا ملالا

وان أحسنت عشرتهم أَساؤا

وان أحسنت عشرتهم أَساؤا

And if you please them, they grow angry out of boredom.

And if I please them, they get angry out of boredom,

And if you treat them well, they treat you badly.

And if I associate with them, they do evil.

فطب نفسا جعلت فداك عنهم

فطب نفسا جعلت فداك عنهم

وَلا تَبكي فَما يغني البكاء

وَلا تَبكي فَما يغني البكاء

So be content without them—may I be your ransom—

So rest yourself, I ransom you from them,

And do not weep: what use is weeping?

And do not cry, for crying is of no use.

وَحاذر تَستَمع فيهممَلاما

وَحاذر تَستَمع فيهممَلاما

أَنا وَاللائمون لهم فداء

أَنا وَاللائمون لهم فداء

And beware of listening to blame against them:

And beware of listening to blame about them,

I and those who blame them are their ransom.

I and those who blame them are their ransom.

فضول صبابة وَنحولجسم

فضول صبابة وَنحولجسم

لعمرك ما عَلى هَذا بقاء

لعمرك ما عَلى هَذا بقاء

Excessive yearning and a wasting body—

They are the excess of youth and lean of body,

By your life, there is no surviving this.

By your life, this has no permanence!

وَلا مسود قلبك من حديد

وَلا مسود قلبك من حديد

وَلا عَيناك دَمعهما دماء

وَلا عَيناك دَمعهما دماء

Nor is your darkened heart made of iron,

And do not blacken your heart with iron,

Nor are the tears of your eyes blood.

Nor your eyes with tears of blood.

ومن لك بالزيارة من حَبيب

ومن لك بالزيارة من حَبيب

حمته البيض والاسل الظماء

حمته البيض والاسل الظماء

And who can win you a visit from a beloved

And who do you have that visits you of a beloved one,

Guarded by bright swords and thirsty spears?

Whose love is chaste and friendship faithful?

أصبح في لمى شفتيه خمرا

أصبح في لمى شفتيه خمرا

كأن مزاجها عسل وَماء

كأن مزاجها عسل وَماء

In the duskiness of his lips, it has become wine,

The wine on his lips in the morning is intoxicant,

As though its blend were honey and water.

As if its temper is honey and water.

سقيم اللحظ أَورثني سقاما

سقيم اللحظ أَورثني سقاما

وَفي شفتيه للسقم الشفاء

وَفي شفتيه للسقم الشفاء

Languid of gaze, he has bequeathed me sickness,

Sick of glance, he caused me lovesickness,

While in his lips lies the cure for sickness.

And in his lips is the cure for illness.

دَعاني للوداع فذبت وَحدا

دَعاني للوداع فذبت وَحدا

فَهَل بعد لوداع لنا لقاء

فَهَل بعد لوداع لنا لقاء

He called me to farewell, and I melted away alone.

He bid me farewell, so I melted and separation alone remained,

Will we meet again after farewell?

Is there after the farewell for us any meeting?

اذا رحل الحَبيب فَما حَياتي

اذا رحل الحَبيب فَما حَياتي

وَمَوتي بعده الاسواء

وَمَوتي بعده الاسواء

If the beloved departs, my life

If the beloved travels, then what is my life?

And my death after him are but the same.

And after him, my death and living are equal.

جعلت فداك ما العشاك الا

جعلت فداك ما العشاك الا

مَساكين قلوبهم هَواء

مَساكين قلوبهم هَواء

May I be your ransom: lovers are only

I ransom you, what is love except

Poor souls whose hearts are empty air.

Poor hearts that are empty winds?

تزوّد للخطوب السود صبرا

تزوّد للخطوب السود صبرا

فان الصبر ظلمته ضياء

فان الصبر ظلمته ضياء

Provision yourself with patience for dark calamities,

Take provision for misfortunes, patience,

For patience's darkness is light.

For verily patience, its darkness is illumination.

وَخذ من كل من واخاك حذرا

وَخذ من كل من واخاك حذرا

فَهَذا الدهر لَيسَ له اخاء

فَهَذا الدهر لَيسَ له اخاء

And be wary of everyone who calls you brother:

And take from everyone you befriend, caution,

This age knows no brotherhood.

For this life has no true brotherhood.

وَلا تأنس بعهد من أناس

وَلا تأنس بعهد من أناس

اذا عهدوا فَلَيسَ لهم وَفاء

اذا عهدوا فَلَيسَ لهم وَفاء

And do not trust a pledge from people

And do not feel safe with the promise of people,

Who, when they pledge, have no fidelity.

If they make a promise, they have no loyalty.

وان عثرة بك الايام فانزل

وان عثرة بك الايام فانزل

بأَكرم من تظلله السماء

بأَكرم من تظلله السماء

And if the days trip you, lodge

And if the days cause you to stumble, then descend

With the noblest man the sky overshadows:

Upon the most generous whom the sky shades -

نبي هاشمي أَبطحي

نبي هاشمي أَبطحي

شَمائله السماحة وَالوفاء

شَمائله السماحة وَالوفاء

A Hashimite Prophet of al-Abtah,

The Hashimi Prophet with a bright face,

Whose traits are generosity and fidelity.

His traits are leniency and loyalty.

طَويل الباع ذو كرم وَصدق

طَويل الباع ذو كرم وَصدق

نمته الاكرمون الاصدقاء

نمته الاكرمون الاصدقاء

Long of reach, possessed of generosity and truth,

Of long generosity, bounty and truthfulness,

Reared by the noblest friends.

The most generous and truthful were his companions.

بِنَفسي من سَرى وَسما إِلى أَن

بِنَفسي من سَرى وَسما إِلى أَن

رأى حجب الجلال لها اِنطواء

رأى حجب الجلال لها اِنطواء

My life for him who journeyed by night and rose until

By my soul that journeyed and ascended until

He saw the veils of Majesty fold away.

It saw the veils of Majesty wrapped around Him!

وَناداه المُهَيمن يا حَبيبي

وَناداه المُهَيمن يا حَبيبي

هلم لوصلنا ولك الهناء

هلم لوصلنا ولك الهناء

And the Guardian called to him: “O My beloved,

And the All-Dominant called him "My beloved!

Come to communion with Us; yours is bliss.

Come to Our communion and for you be felicity!"

فقل واشفع تَرى كرما وَمجدا

فقل واشفع تَرى كرما وَمجدا

وَسل تعطى فَشيمَتنا العطاء

وَسل تعطى فَشيمَتنا العطاء

Speak and intercede: you shall see generosity and glory.

So say and intercede - will you see generosity and glory? -

Ask, and you shall be given, for giving is Our way.

And ask - you will be given, for generosity is our trait.

خَزائِن رَحمَتي وَنَعيم ملكي

خَزائِن رَحمَتي وَنَعيم ملكي

بحكمك فاقض فيها ما تَشاء

بحكمك فاقض فيها ما تَشاء

The treasuries of My mercy and the bliss of My dominion

The treasuries of My Mercy and the bliss of My Dominion

Are at your command: dispose of them as you wish.

Are by your judgement, so judge in them what you wish!

لك الحوض المعين كرامة يا

لك الحوض المعين كرامة يا

محمد وَالشَفاعة وَاللواء

محمد وَالشَفاعة وَاللواء

Yours is the flowing Pool, as an honor, O

For you is the Basin of Abundance, an honor O Muhammad,

Muhammad, and intercession and the banner.”

And the intercession and the banner!

مقامك تقصر الاملاك عنه

مقامك تقصر الاملاك عنه

وَفضلك لم تنله الانبياء

وَفضلك لم تنله الانبياء

The angels fall short of your station,

Your station, even the angels fall short of it,

And the prophets have not attained your excellence.

And your superiority no prophet has attained.

وَكَم لك في العلا من معجزات

وَكَم لك في العلا من معجزات

وآيات بها سبق القضاء

وآيات بها سبق القضاء

How many miracles are yours in the heights,

And how many miracles and signs you have in the Highest,

And signs foreordained by the decree!

By which the Ordainment was determined!

اذا نسبوا المَكارِم وَالمَعالي

اذا نسبوا المَكارِم وَالمَعالي

فأنت لها تمام واِبتداء

فأنت لها تمام واِبتداء

When they trace the lineage of virtues and high honors,

If they attribute the honorable deeds and sublime traits,

You are their fulfillment and their beginning.

Then you are their perfection and beginning!

تزيد اذا اشمأز الدهر جودا

تزيد اذا اشمأز الدهر جودا

وَجودك لا يغيره الرياء

وَجودك لا يغيره الرياء

Your generosity increases when the age turns grim,

You increase in generosity when the times recoil,

And ostentation does not alter your generosity.

And your generosity is not changed by ostentation.

وَتخصب في السنين الغبر سوحا

وَتخصب في السنين الغبر سوحا

وَتَصفو كلما كدر الصفاء

وَتَصفو كلما كدر الصفاء

And your courts grow fertile in the dust-gray years,

And you make the dusty years into meadows,

And you stay clear whenever purity turns murky.

And clarify whenever the serenity is muddled.

اذا الفخر انتهى شرفا فَحاشا

اذا الفخر انتهى شرفا فَحاشا

وَكلا ما لمفخرك انتهاء

وَكلا ما لمفخرك انتهاء

If glory reaches its utmost in nobility—far be it!

When glory ends in nobility, then far be it!

No, never: your glory has no end.

And never will your pride reach an end!

وَمن يحصى مَكارمك اللَواتي

وَمن يحصى مَكارمك اللَواتي

لَها في كل مرتبة سناء

لَها في كل مرتبة سناء

And who can count your noble qualities,

And who can enumerate your noble deeds,

Whose splendor shines at every rank?

Which have glory in every order?

أحب يا ابن العَواتك صوت عبد

أحب يا ابن العَواتك صوت عبد

أَسير الذَنب فيه لك الوَلاء

أَسير الذَنب فيه لك الوَلاء

Cherish, O son of the ʿAtikas, a servant's voice,

I love - O son of the chambers - the voice of a servant,

A captive of sin, with loyalty to you within him.

Captive of sin, his loyalty to you remains intact.

من النيابَتين دعاك لما

من النيابَتين دعاك لما

تَولى العمر وانقطع الرَجاء

تَولى العمر وانقطع الرَجاء

From al-Niyabatayn he called upon you when

From both abodes he calls you for what

Life had passed and hope was severed.

Years have ruled and hope is cut off.

مدحتك مذ وجدتك لي رَبيعا

مدحتك مذ وجدتك لي رَبيعا

فَلي منك النَدى وَلك الثَناء

فَلي منك النَدى وَلك الثَناء

I have praised you since I found you a springtime for me:

I praised you since I found you as my spring,

Bounty from you is mine, and praise is yours.

So for me from you is freshness, and for you is praise.

تداركني بجاهك من نوب

تداركني بجاهك من نوب

وأوزار يَضيق بها الفَضاء

وأوزار يَضيق بها الفَضاء

Rescue me, through your standing, from calamities

Save me by your station from mistakes

And burdens of sin beneath which the wide expanse grows narrow.

And burdens, which straiten the horizon!

ومن لي ملجأ في كل حال

ومن لي ملجأ في كل حال

فَلَيسَ الى سواك لي التجاء

فَلَيسَ الى سواك لي التجاء

And who is my refuge in every circumstance?

And who do I have as refuge in every state?

For I have no recourse to anyone but you.

For I have no shelter except You alone!

وقل عَبد الرَحيم ومن يَليه

وقل عَبد الرَحيم ومن يَليه

لهم في ريف رأفتنا جزاء

لهم في ريف رأفتنا جزاء

And say: “ʿAbd al-Rahim and those beside him

And say: "Abd al-Rahim and those with him

Have their reward in the green fields of our compassion.”

Have reward in the countryside of Our Mercy."

فان أَكرمتنا دنيا وأخرى

فان أَكرمتنا دنيا وأخرى

فَلَيسَ البحر تنقصه الدلاء

فَلَيسَ البحر تنقصه الدلاء

If you honor us in this world and the next,

For if You honor us in this life and the next,

The sea is not diminished by buckets.

Then the sea is not diminished by buckets!

عليك صَلاة ربك ما تَبارَت

عليك صَلاة ربك ما تَبارَت

نجوم الجوأ وعصفت رخاء

نجوم الجوأ وعصفت رخاء

Your Lord's blessing be upon you, as long as there vie

Upon you is your Lord's blessing for as long

The stars of the sky, and gentle breezes gust.

As the stars of the sky shine and winds blow softly!

صَلاة تبلغ المأمول فيها

صَلاة تبلغ المأمول فيها

صحابتك الكِرام الاتقياء

صحابتك الكِرام الاتقياء

A blessing through which the hoped-for is attained by

A blessing that achieves what is hoped for within it -

Your noble, God-fearing Companions.

Your noble and reverent companions.