هندست طول الليل حتى

هندست طول الليل حتى

بانت لي انواع العقول

بانت لي انواع العقول

I worked things out all night, until

I engineered throughout the night, until

the different kinds of minds became clear to me.

The types of minds appeared to me

أجى وسعى المرء شتى

أجى وسعى المرء شتى

إن لم يدع عنه الفضُول

إن لم يدع عنه الفضُول

A man comes, and his striving goes in many directions,

A person's effort and pursuit are diverse

unless he leaves idle meddling behind.

If he does not abandon curiosities

إن قد حفظت الباء من التاء

إن قد حفظت الباء من التاء

وخضت في علم الأصول

وخضت في علم الأصول

If you have learned to tell bāʾ from tāʾ,

If you have memorized the "baa" from the "taa"

and delved into the science of fundamentals,

And delved into the science of principles

فلا تقل هذا بيرفع

فلا تقل هذا بيرفع

فيها وذا مسبل بده

فيها وذا مسبل بده

do not say, “This one raises his hands

Do not say this is far-fetched

during prayer, while that one lets his hand hang.”

It has loose ends and this is coherent

إن قد قبعت أربع في اربع

إن قد قبعت أربع في اربع

فشل ثوبك واقصده

فشل ثوبك واقصده

If you have huddled in a four-by-four,

If you have sat four by four

then lift your robe and seek him out.

Then your robe has failed, aim for it

لا الوعظ منه فيك ينفع

لا الوعظ منه فيك ينفع

ولا انت تقدر ترشده

ولا انت تقدر ترشده

No preaching from him does you any good,

Neither advice benefits you from it

nor can you guide him.

Nor can you guide him

كما الصلاة في الأصل لله

كما الصلاة في الأصل لله

ومعظم الدين الورع

ومعظم الدين الورع

Just as prayer is fundamentally for God,

Just as prayer is essentially for God

and most of religion is pious restraint,

And most religion is piety

والسر حسن الظن في الله

والسر حسن الظن في الله

عندي وصلى لك برع

عندي وصلى لك برع

the secret is thinking well of God,

And the secret is good faith in God

in my view—and pray for yourself outside.

In my view, and pray for you, O' skilled one

وخل خلق الله على الله

وخل خلق الله على الله

فباب عفوه متسع

فباب عفوه متسع

Leave God's creatures to God,

And leave the creation of God to God

for the door of His pardon is wide.

For His door of pardon is vast

ومذهب السنه والازهار

ومذهب السنه والازهار

سوا سوا في مذهبي

سوا سوا في مذهبي

The schools of the Sunnah and al-Azhār

And the way of the Sunnah and flowers

are equal—equal—in my view.

Are equal, equal in my doctrine

كله روى عن أمه اخيار

كله روى عن أمه اخيار

والكل من شرع النبي

والكل من شرع النبي

Each transmitted from virtuous imams,

All of it narrated from the best of mothers

and all derive from the Prophet's law.

And all are from the Prophet's law

وإنما احنا عالم اغمار

وإنما احنا عالم اغمار

الدقن منا والصبى

الدقن منا والصبى

We are merely ignorant folk,

We are but scholars of ignorance

the bearded among us and the young.

The young and the child among us

إن كنت متوقف وعاقل

إن كنت متوقف وعاقل

فاسمع نصيحه من حكيم

فاسمع نصيحه من حكيم

If you are hesitant and sensible,

If you are hesitant and reasonable

then hear advice from a wise man.

Then listen to the advice of a wise one

أوصيك لا تبقى تهاول

أوصيك لا تبقى تهاول

في أمر كله مستقيم

في أمر كله مستقيم

I advise you: do not keep making a fuss

I advise you not to keep indulging

over a matter that is entirely straightforward.

In a matter that is straightforward

السر تقوى الله داخل

السر تقوى الله داخل

أما الصلاه الله كريم

أما الصلاه الله كريم

The secret is inward reverence for God;

The secret is fearing God inwardly

as for prayer, God is generous.

As for prayer, God is Generous

أو هو يفيد كثر التبرصاص

أو هو يفيد كثر التبرصاص

يعنى وتطويل الركوع

يعنى وتطويل الركوع

Or does it help to make so many affected gestures—

Or it benefits frequent lead bullets

I mean, and to prolong the bowing?

That is, and prolonging bowing down