عَلَى اللهِ في القَصدِ المَعَوَّلُ وَحدَهُ

عَلَى اللهِ في القَصدِ المَعَوَّلُ وَحدَهُ

وهُوَّ الذي يُولِى المُؤمِّلَ قَصدَهُ

وهُوَّ الذي يُولِى المُؤمِّلَ قَصدَهُ

On God alone rests reliance in pursuing one's aim.

Upon Allah alone reliance in purpose is placed

And He is the one who grants the hopeful seeker his aim.

And He alone grants success to him of purpose possessed

وَهوَّ الذي يهدى إِلى الطُّرُقِ التى

وَهوَّ الذي يهدى إِلى الطُّرُقِ التى

يَنَالُ بها مَن يَبتَغِى الرُّشدَ رُشدَهُ

يَنَالُ بها مَن يَبتَغِى الرُّشدَ رُشدَهُ

And He is the one who guides to the paths by which

He it is who guides to the paths whereby

Whoever seeks right guidance attains his guidance.

Man attains the right guidance he sought to possess

يُضِلُّ ويَهدِى عَادِلاً في قضائهِ

يُضِلُّ ويَهدِى عَادِلاً في قضائهِ

ويُورِدُ كُلاًّ في المَشِيئَةِ وِردَهُ

ويُورِدُ كُلاًّ في المَشِيئَةِ وِردَهُ

He leads astray and guides, just in His judgment,

He leads astray and guides with justice in His decree

And by His will brings each to his watering place.

And each He makes attain the destination He assessed

رَضِينَا بِهِ رَبًّا هدانَا إلى الهُدَى

رَضِينَا بِهِ رَبًّا هدانَا إلى الهُدَى

بِخيرِ رسولٍ لارسالةَ بَعدَهُ

بِخيرِ رسولٍ لارسالةَ بَعدَهُ

We are content with Him as Lord; He guided us to right guidance

We accepted Him as Lord who guided us to guidance

Through the best messenger, with no prophetic mission after him.

Through the best Messenger after whom none progressed

فهذَا وإِنَّ المَرءَ إخبَارُه بما

فهذَا وإِنَّ المَرءَ إخبَارُه بما

يَفِيدَ مُفِيداً ليسَ يَنقُصُ مَجدَهُ

يَفِيدَ مُفِيداً ليسَ يَنقُصُ مَجدَهُ

So it is; indeed, a man's reporting what

So this, though a man's relating what

Is useful to a benefactor does not diminish his honor.

Benefits the benefited diminishes not his worth

لَقَد جئتُ إِبراهيمَ عِندَ مَدِينَةٍ

لَقَد جئتُ إِبراهيمَ عِندَ مَدِينَةٍ

لأحيَىَ مِن بعدِ التَّبَاعُدِ عَهدَهُ

لأحيَىَ مِن بعدِ التَّبَاعُدِ عَهدَهُ

Indeed, I came to Ibrahim at Madina,

I came to Abraham near a town

To renew our bond after our separation,

To revive after separation our friendship of old

وأحظَى بِإجلاَلِ وحُسنِ ضِيافَةٍ

وأحظَى بِإجلاَلِ وحُسنِ ضِيافَةٍ

وَينجُزَ مِن سالفِ الوَعدِ وَعدَهُ

وَينجُزَ مِن سالفِ الوَعدِ وَعدَهُ

And to enjoy honor and gracious hospitality,

And enjoy veneration, hospitality fine

And for him to fulfill his earlier promise.

And fulfillment of promises made of yore untold

فَأقبلتُ مِن أسخَى مَنازِلِ كَولخٍ

فَأقبلتُ مِن أسخَى مَنازِلِ كَولخٍ

وتَعلَمُ مِن تِلكَ المَحَلَّةِ بُعدَهُ

وتَعلَمُ مِن تِلكَ المَحَلَّةِ بُعدَهُ

So I came from the most generous dwelling in Kaolack,

So I came from Kaulakh, of dwellings the most plush

And you know how far he is from that quarter—

And learned of that locality the distance remote

مَحَلِّ الأمينِ المُرتَضَى خيرِ سيِّدٍ

مَحَلِّ الأمينِ المُرتَضَى خيرِ سيِّدٍ

مِن الناس مَن لاَ يَمنعُ الناسَ رِفدَهُ

مِن الناس مَن لاَ يَمنعُ الناسَ رِفدَهُ

The abode of al-Amin al-Murtada, the finest master

Abode of the trusted, chosen best of lords

Among men, one who does not withhold his bounty from people.

Whom people's flocking to him did not inhibit or choke

تَيَمَّمتُهُ والوَبلُ يَنهَلُّ صَوبُهُ

تَيَمَّمتُهُ والوَبلُ يَنهَلُّ صَوبُهُ

وسيلُ مَجَارِى الوَهدِ أَفعَمَ نَجدَهُ

وسيلُ مَجَارِى الوَهدِ أَفعَمَ نَجدَهُ

I made for him as the downpour streamed down,

I yearned for him while torrents around him rushed

And torrents in the lowland channels had flooded his high ground.

And valley streams overflowed with coursing flood

وقَد خُضتُ خَضخَاضَ الشوارِع دُونهُ

وقَد خُضتُ خَضخَاضَ الشوارِع دُونهُ

ولم يدرِ إلا اللهُ ما خضتُ عِندَهُ

ولم يدرِ إلا اللهُ ما خضتُ عِندَهُ

And I had waded through the streets' deep mire before reaching him;

Through streets' deep mire I waded to reach him

And only God knew what I had waded through there.

None but Allah knew what I braved in that neighborhood

فأطلعَ لَمَّا جئتُه غَيرَ سَعدِهِ

فأطلعَ لَمَّا جئتُه غَيرَ سَعدِهِ

وما ضَرَّهُ لو كَانَ أَطلَعَ سَعدَهُ

وما ضَرَّهُ لو كَانَ أَطلَعَ سَعدَهُ

Then, when I came to him, he showed anything but his good cheer;

But when I came he showed not joy for my sake

And it would not have harmed him to show his good cheer.

And it would not have harmed him to show pleasure untold

فَحَدَّثني حتى سَئِمتُ حَدِيثَهُ

فَحَدَّثني حتى سَئِمتُ حَدِيثَهُ

وَبيَّنتُ عكسض القصدِ مِنهُ وَطَردَهُ

وَبيَّنتُ عكسض القصدِ مِنهُ وَطَردَهُ

Then he spoke to me until I tired of his talk,

He talked till I tired of his talk

And I explained what I sought from him, both its converse and its direct sense.

And revealed my contrary intent and aim as I was told

فَوَدَّعتُهُ توديعَ مَن ليس هَمُّهُ

فَوَدَّعتُهُ توديعَ مَن ليس هَمُّهُ

إِذَا جَاءَهُ ذاك التحدثُّ وَحدَهُ

إِذَا جَاءَهُ ذاك التحدثُّ وَحدَهُ

So I bade him farewell as one whose concern is not,

Then I bade him farewell as one who cares not

When he comes to him, that conversation alone.

When such unwanted conversation he did behold