تَوَكَّلنا عَلى رَبِّ السَماءِ

تَوَكَّلنا عَلى رَبِّ السَماءِ

وَسَلَّمنا لِأَسبابِ القَضاءِ

وَسَلَّمنا لِأَسبابِ القَضاءِ

We have put our trust in the Lord of heaven,

We have entrusted ourselves to the Lord of the heavens,

And submitted to the workings of divine decree.

And submitted to the causes of destiny.

وَوَطَّنّا عَلى غِيَرِ اللَيالي

وَوَطَّنّا عَلى غِيَرِ اللَيالي

نُفوساً سامَحَت بَعدَ الإِباءِ

نُفوساً سامَحَت بَعدَ الإِباءِ

And to the nights' reversals we inured

We have settled, after trials,

Souls that yielded after defiance.

Souls that forgave after being wronged.

وَأَفنِيَةُ المُلوكِ مُحَجَّباتٌ

وَأَفنِيَةُ المُلوكِ مُحَجَّباتٌ

وَبابُ اللَهِ مَبذولُ الفِناءِ

وَبابُ اللَهِ مَبذولُ الفِناءِ

And the courtyards of kings are screened off,

The courts of kings are veiled,

But God's gate has a courtyard open to all.

Yet God's door is open and accessible.

فَما أَرجو سِواهُ لِكَشفِ ضُرّي

فَما أَرجو سِواهُ لِكَشفِ ضُرّي

وَلَم أَفزَع إِلى غَيرِ الدُعاءِ

وَلَم أَفزَع إِلى غَيرِ الدُعاءِ

So I hope in none but Him to relieve my suffering,

So I hope for none but Him to relieve my pain,

And have turned to nothing but supplication.

And cry out to none but Him in my prayers.

وَلِم لا أَشتَكي بَثّي وَحُزني

وَلِم لا أَشتَكي بَثّي وَحُزني

إِلى مَن لا يَصَمُّ عَنِ النِداءِ

إِلى مَن لا يَصَمُّ عَنِ النِداءِ

And why should I not complain of my anguish and sorrow

Why shouldn't I complain of my sorrows and grief

To Him who never turns deaf to a call?

To the One who does not ignore supplication?

هِيَ الأَيّامُ تَكلِمُنا وَتَأسو

هِيَ الأَيّامُ تَكلِمُنا وَتَأسو

وَتَجري بِالسَعادَةِ وَالشَقاءِ

وَتَجري بِالسَعادَةِ وَالشَقاءِ

Such are the days: they wound us and heal us,

The days speak to us and grieve,

And run their course with happiness and misery.

And flow with good and ill fortune.

فَلا طولُ الثَواءِ يَرُدُّ رِزقاً

فَلا طولُ الثَواءِ يَرُدُّ رِزقاً

وَلا يَأتي بِهِ طولُ البَقاءِ

وَلا يَأتي بِهِ طولُ البَقاءِ

So no long stay can turn sustenance away,

Neither length of life brings sustenance,

Nor can long life bring it.

Nor does longevity bring it.

وَلا يُجدي الثَراءُ عَلى بَخيلٍ

وَلا يُجدي الثَراءُ عَلى بَخيلٍ

إِذا ما كانُ مَحظورَ الثَراءِ

إِذا ما كانُ مَحظورَ الثَراءِ

Nor does wealth benefit a miser,

Wealth does not benefit the miser

If he is barred from enjoying his riches.

When wealth itself is forbidden to him.

وَلَيسَ يَبيدُ مالٌ عَن نَوالٍ

وَلَيسَ يَبيدُ مالٌ عَن نَوالٍ

وَلا يُؤتى سَخِيٌّ مِن سَخاءِ

وَلا يُؤتى سَخِيٌّ مِن سَخاءِ

Nor does wealth perish through giving,

No money is lost to the generous,

Nor is a generous man harmed by generosity.

Nor is the generous given from generosity.

كَما أَنَّ السُؤالَ يُذِلُّ قَوماً

كَما أَنَّ السُؤالَ يُذِلُّ قَوماً

كذاكَ يُعِزُّ قَوماً بِالعَطاءِ

كذاكَ يُعِزُّ قَوماً بِالعَطاءِ

Just as begging humbles some people,

Just as asking debases some people,

So too it honors others through giving.

So giving honors others.

حَلَبنا الدَهرَ أَشطُرَهُ وَمَرَّت

حَلَبنا الدَهرَ أَشطُرَهُ وَمَرَّت

بِنا عُقَبُ الشَدائِدِ وَالرَخاءِ

بِنا عُقَبُ الشَدائِدِ وَالرَخاءِ

We have milked Time's every teat, and there have passed

We have milked the days, their halves and wholes,

Over us successive turns of hardship and ease.

And we have tasted the ups and downs.

فَلَم آسَف عَلى دُنيا تَوَلَّت

فَلَم آسَف عَلى دُنيا تَوَلَّت

وَلَم نُسبَق إِلى حُسنِ العَزاءِ

وَلَم نُسبَق إِلى حُسنِ العَزاءِ

So I did not grieve for worldly fortune that turned away,

I did not lament a world that has turned away,

Nor were we surpassed in patient endurance.

Nor did we hasten to beautifully console ourselves.

وَلَم نَدَعِ الحَياءَ لِمَسِّ ضُرٍّ

وَلَم نَدَعِ الحَياءَ لِمَسِّ ضُرٍّ

وَبَعضُ الضُرِّ يَذهَبُ بِالحَياءِ

وَبَعضُ الضُرِّ يَذهَبُ بِالحَياءِ

Nor did we forsake modesty at hardship's touch,

We did not abandon propriety in the face of harm,

Yet some hardship carries modesty away.

Though some harm takes propriety away.

وَجَرَّبنا وَجَرَّبَ أَوَّلونا

وَجَرَّبنا وَجَرَّبَ أَوَّلونا

فَلا شَيءٌ أَعَزُّ مِنَ الوَفاءِ

فَلا شَيءٌ أَعَزُّ مِنَ الوَفاءِ

We have learned by experience, as did our forebears:

We and our forebears have experienced

So nothing is more precious than loyalty.

That nothing is nobler than loyalty.

تَوَقَّ الناسَ يَاِبنَ أَبي وَأُمّي

تَوَقَّ الناسَ يَاِبنَ أَبي وَأُمّي

فَهُم تَبَعُ المَخافَةِ وَالرَجاءِ

فَهُم تَبَعُ المَخافَةِ وَالرَجاءِ

Beware of people, O son of my father and mother,

People disappoint, my son of my father and mother.

For they are followers of fear and hope.

They follow fear and hope.

وَلا يَغرُركَ مِن وَغدٍ إِخاءٌ

وَلا يَغرُركَ مِن وَغدٍ إِخاءٌ

لِأَمرٍ ما غَدا حَسَنَ الإِخاءِ

لِأَمرٍ ما غَدا حَسَنَ الإِخاءِ

And let no knave's friendship deceive you:

No friendship tomorrow should delude you

For some purpose he has become so brotherly.

About something whose comradeship was not good yesterday.

أَلم تَرَ مُظهِرينَ عَلَيَّ غِشّاً

أَلم تَرَ مُظهِرينَ عَلَيَّ غِشّاً

وَهُم بِالأَمسِ إِخوانُ الصَفاءِ

وَهُم بِالأَمسِ إِخوانُ الصَفاءِ

Have you not seen those displaying deceit against me,

Have you not seen those displaying enmity toward me

Though yesterday they were brothers in sincere affection?

When just yesterday they were boon companions?

بُليتُ بِنَكبَةٍ فَغَدَوا وَراحوا

بُليتُ بِنَكبَةٍ فَغَدَوا وَراحوا

عَلَيَّ أَشَدَّ أَسبابِ البَلاءِ

عَلَيَّ أَشَدَّ أَسبابِ البَلاءِ

I was afflicted by calamity, and morning and evening they proved

I was struck by misfortune and they left,

The harshest sources of affliction for me.

Inflicting on me the harshest causes of tribulation.

أَبَت أَخطارُهُم أَن يَنصُروني

أَبَت أَخطارُهُم أَن يَنصُروني

بِمالٍ أَو بِجاهٍ أَو بِراءِ

بِمالٍ أَو بِجاهٍ أَو بِراءِ

Their high standing would not let them support me

They refused to support me

With money, influence, or counsel.

With money, status, or integrity.

وَخافوا أَن يُقالَ لَهُم خَذَلتُم

وَخافوا أَن يُقالَ لَهُم خَذَلتُم

صَديقاً فَاِدَّعَوا قِدَمَ الجَفاءِ

صَديقاً فَاِدَّعَوا قِدَمَ الجَفاءِ

And they feared being told, 'You have forsaken

They feared it would be said they abandoned

A friend,' so they claimed the estrangement was longstanding.

A friend, so they pretended our friendship was long gone.

تَضافَرَتِ الرَوافِضُ وَالنَصارى

تَضافَرَتِ الرَوافِضُ وَالنَصارى

وَأَهلُ الإِعتِزالِ عَلى هِجائي

وَأَهلُ الإِعتِزالِ عَلى هِجائي

The Rafidites and the Christians joined forces,

The Shia, the Christians, the Mu’tazilites

And the adherents of Mu'tazilism, to lampoon me.

Banded together to revile me.

فَبَختَيشوعُ يَشهَدُ لِاِبنِ عَمروٍ

فَبَختَيشوعُ يَشهَدُ لِاِبنِ عَمروٍ

وَعَزّونٌ لِهارونَ المُرائي

وَعَزّونٌ لِهارونَ المُرائي

So Bakhtishuʿ testifies for Ibn ʿAmr,

So Bukhtyishu’ testifies for the son of ‘Amr,

And ʿAzzun for Harun the hypocrite.

And ‘Izzun for Harun the Heretic.

وَما الجَذماءُ بِنتُ أَبي سُمَيرٍ

وَما الجَذماءُ بِنتُ أَبي سُمَيرٍ

بِجَذماءِ اللِسانِ عَنِ الخَناءِ

بِجَذماءِ اللِسانِ عَنِ الخَناءِ

Nor is the maimed daughter of Abu Sumayr

As for Al-Jadhma’ the daughter of Abi Sumayr,

Maimed of tongue when it comes to obscene speech.

Her tongue’s wit cannot match her vulgarity.

وَعابوني وَما ذَنبي إِلَيهم

وَعابوني وَما ذَنبي إِلَيهم

سِوى عِلمى بِأَولادِ الزِناءِ

سِوى عِلمى بِأَولادِ الزِناءِ

They faulted me, though my only offense against them

They blame me though I have done them no wrong

Was my knowledge of the offspring of fornication.

Save my knowledge of the illegitimate children.

إِذا ما عُدَّ مِثلُهُمُ رِجالاً

إِذا ما عُدَّ مِثلُهُمُ رِجالاً

فَما فَضلُ الرِجالِ عَلى النِساءِ

فَما فَضلُ الرِجالِ عَلى النِساءِ

If their like are counted as men,

When the likes of them are counted as men,

Then what superiority do men have over women?

What virtue do men have over women?

عَلَيهِم لَعنَةُ اللَهِ اِبتَداءً

عَلَيهِم لَعنَةُ اللَهِ اِبتَداءً

وَعَوداً في الصَباحِ وَفي المَساءِ

وَعَوداً في الصَباحِ وَفي المَساءِ

Upon them be God's curse, at the outset,

May God's curse be upon them at the start

And again, in the morning and in the evening.

And repeat each dawn and eve.

إِذا سَمَّيتُهُم لِلنّاسِ قالوا

إِذا سَمَّيتُهُم لِلنّاسِ قالوا

أُولئِكَ شَرُّ مَن تَحتَ السَماءِ

أُولئِكَ شَرُّ مَن تَحتَ السَماءِ

When I name them to people, they say:

When I name them to people, they say

'Those are the worst of all beneath heaven.'

“Those are the worst under the heavens.”

أَنا المُتَوَكِّلِيُّ هَوىً وَرَأياً

أَنا المُتَوَكِّلِيُّ هَوىً وَرَأياً

وَما بِالواثِقِيَّةِ مِن خَفاءِ

وَما بِالواثِقِيَّةِ مِن خَفاءِ

I am al-Mutawakkil's partisan in affection and conviction,

I am Al-Mutawakkilī in passion and reason,

And there is nothing hidden about al-Wathiq's faction.

And there is no shame in trusting completely.

وَما حَبسُ الخَليفَةِ لي بِعارٍ

وَما حَبسُ الخَليفَةِ لي بِعارٍ

وَلَيسَ بِمُؤيسي مِنهُ التَنائي

وَلَيسَ بِمُؤيسي مِنهُ التَنائي

And the caliph's imprisonment of me is no disgrace,

My detention by the Caliph is no disgrace,

Nor does separation make me despair of him.

Nor does remoteness from him make me despair.