أَمِنتُ بِحَمدِ اللَهِ مِمّا أُحاذِرُ

أَمِنتُ بِحَمدِ اللَهِ مِمّا أُحاذِرُ

وَأَمسى لي التَوفيقُ مِمّا يُحاصِرُ

وَأَمسى لي التَوفيقُ مِمّا يُحاصِرُ

I am safe, praise be to God, from what I fear.

I have attained, by the Grace of Allah, that which I feared,

And by evening, success too has come to surround me.

And success has come to me from what besieged me.

وَأَيُّ مَساءٍ ها هُنا قَد رَأَيتُهُ

وَأَيُّ مَساءٍ ها هُنا قَد رَأَيتُهُ

فَها أَنا فيهِ إِذ دَجا اللَيلُ باكِرُ

فَها أَنا فيهِ إِذ دَجا اللَيلُ باكِرُ

And what an evening I have seen here!

And whatever evening I have seen here,

So here I am in it, an early riser as night grows dark.

Behold, I am in it as the night falls quickly.

سَأَذكُرُ ما أَولَيتَ وَالذِكرُ شُكرُهُ

سَأَذكُرُ ما أَولَيتَ وَالذِكرُ شُكرُهُ

وَضامِنَتي فيهِ اللَيالي الغَوابِرُ

وَضامِنَتي فيهِ اللَيالي الغَوابِرُ

I shall recount what you bestowed; recalling it is gratitude for it.

I will remember what you have bestowed on me, and remembering it is thanking it,

And the nights to come stand surety for me in this.

And my guarantor for that are the heavy nights.

وَحَسبُكَ أَنّي بَعدَ عُقلَةِ مِقوَلي

وَحَسبُكَ أَنّي بَعدَ عُقلَةِ مِقوَلي

وَبَعدَ بِلاهُ شاكِرٌ لَكَ ذاكِرُ

وَبَعدَ بِلاهُ شاكِرٌ لَكَ ذاكِرُ

And let it suffice you that, after my tongue was bound,

It suffices you that after my speech and my confusion,

and after it had worn out, I give you thanks and speak of you.

I am still grateful and remembering you.

فَإِنَّ الَّذي تُبقي المحابِرُ لَيسَ مِن

فَإِنَّ الَّذي تُبقي المحابِرُ لَيسَ مِن

قَبيلِ الَّذي تَعدو عَلَيهِ المَقابِرُ

قَبيلِ الَّذي تَعدو عَلَيهِ المَقابِرُ

For what the inkwells preserve is not of

Indeed, who you let the nights pass over is not like,

the kind that graves assail.

Those over whose graves the nights pass.

أَخَذتُ الَّذي أَولَيتَني وَشَكَرتُهُ

أَخَذتُ الَّذي أَولَيتَني وَشَكَرتُهُ

وَما لَكَ مِثلي آخِذٌ مِنكَ شاكِرُ

وَما لَكَ مِثلي آخِذٌ مِنكَ شاكِرُ

I received what you bestowed on me and gave thanks for it.

I took what you bestowed upon me and thanked it,

And you have no recipient like me, taking from you and giving thanks.

And there is no one like me, taking from You and thanking You.

وَقَد بَقِيَت عِندَ الأَمانِيِّ فَضلَةٌ

وَقَد بَقِيَت عِندَ الأَمانِيِّ فَضلَةٌ

وَأَنتَ عَلى ما يُعجِزُ الناسَ قادِرُ

وَأَنتَ عَلى ما يُعجِزُ الناسَ قادِرُ

Yet something remains among my wishes,

There remains with hopes, bounty,

and you can do what leaves others helpless.

While You have power over what makes people helpless.

فَلا تَرَكنن مِنّي إِلى صَبرِ مُقتَضٍ

فَلا تَرَكنن مِنّي إِلى صَبرِ مُقتَضٍ

فَقَد كادَني مَن قالَ إِنّيَ صابِرُ

فَقَد كادَني مَن قالَ إِنّيَ صابِرُ

So do not rely on my patience as one seeking his due;

So do not rely on me exercising patience,

for whoever said I am patient has schemed against me.

For I was almost destroyed by one who said that I am patient.

إِذا ما مَشى ماشٍ إِلَيكَ بِحاجَةٍ

إِذا ما مَشى ماشٍ إِلَيكَ بِحاجَةٍ

فَدَع قَولَهُم يَمشي وَقُل هُوَ طائِرُ

فَدَع قَولَهُم يَمشي وَقُل هُوَ طائِرُ

Whenever someone walks to you with a need,

When one walks to You with a need,

dismiss their saying, "He walks," and say, "He flies."

Disregard their saying he walks, and say he flies.

أَسَرَّكَ أَن قالوا مَشى في طَريقِهِ

أَسَرَّكَ أَن قالوا مَشى في طَريقِهِ

إِلَيكَ المُرَجّي وَاِحتَوَتهُ المَعاثِرُ

إِلَيكَ المُرَجّي وَاِحتَوَتهُ المَعاثِرُ

Did it please you that they said he walked along his path

Does it please you that they said, he who hopes in You walked

to you, full of hope, and pitfalls engulfed him?

On his path to You, and difficulties overwhelmed him?

أَتَتكَ بِيَ الدُنيا لِتَغفِرَ ذَنبَها

أَتَتكَ بِيَ الدُنيا لِتَغفِرَ ذَنبَها

إِلَيَّ فَبَشِّرها بِأَنَّكَ غافِرُ

إِلَيَّ فَبَشِّرها بِأَنَّكَ غافِرُ

The world brought me to you so that you might forgive its offense

The world brought me to You to forgive its sin against me,

against me; so give it glad tidings that you forgive.

So give it the glad tidings that You are the Forgiver.

فَلا يَشغَلَنَّ المَجدُ بِالحَمدِ قَلبَهُ

فَلا يَشغَلَنَّ المَجدُ بِالحَمدِ قَلبَهُ

فَإِنَّ الَّذي يَبغيهِ عِندِيَ حاضِرُ

فَإِنَّ الَّذي يَبغيهِ عِندِيَ حاضِرُ

So let glory not preoccupy its heart with praise,

Let not glory preoccupy the heart from praising,

for what it seeks is here with me.

For the One I desire is present before me.

أَتى تاجِراً لِلحَمدِ سوقُكَ بابُهُ

أَتى تاجِراً لِلحَمدِ سوقُكَ بابُهُ

وَغُرُّ القَوافي في الكِرامِ مَتاجِرُ

وَغُرُّ القَوافي في الكِرامِ مَتاجِرُ

It came as a merchant seeking praise; your market is its doorway.

The market of Your praise, its door came to the merchant of praise,

And radiant rhymes are marketplaces among the generous.

And the themes of poems in generosity are profitable.

وَأَخسَرُ خَلقِ اللَهِ في الصِدقِ صَفحَةً

وَأَخسَرُ خَلقِ اللَهِ في الصِدقِ صَفحَةً

عَدُوٌّ يَرى أَنّي بِبابِكَ خاسِرُ

عَدُوٌّ يَرى أَنّي بِبابِكَ خاسِرُ

And of God's creatures, the one with the poorest record for truthfulness

And the most loss-making of God's creation in honesty,

is an enemy who thinks I am losing at your door.

Is an enemy who sees me as losing at Your door.

حَلَفتُ لَهُم يا بَحرُ أَنَّكَ راجِعي

حَلَفتُ لَهُم يا بَحرُ أَنَّكَ راجِعي

وَفي فِيَّ وَالكَفَّينِ مِنكَ الجَواهِرُ

وَفي فِيَّ وَالكَفَّينِ مِنكَ الجَواهِرُ

I swore to them, O sea, that you would send me back

I swore to them, O sea, that you will return,

with jewels from you in my mouth and both my palms.

And pour into me, and into my palms, your pearls.

لَقَد أَسِفَ الأَعداءُ أَنّي إِلَيكُمُ

لَقَد أَسِفَ الأَعداءُ أَنّي إِلَيكُمُ

حَجَجتُ فَلا سُرّوا بِأَنِّيَ نافِرُ

حَجَجتُ فَلا سُرّوا بِأَنِّيَ نافِرُ

Indeed, the enemies were grieved that to you

Indeed, the enemies were sorry that I made pilgrimage to You,

I made pilgrimage; may they not rejoice that I depart.

So they were not pleased that I have turned away.

أَحاديثُ أَذكى الحَقُّ جَذوَةَ نارِها

أَحاديثُ أَذكى الحَقُّ جَذوَةَ نارِها

وَكُلُّ حَديثٍ يَفتَريهِ فَفاتِرُ

وَكُلُّ حَديثٍ يَفتَريهِ فَفاتِرُ

Accounts whose fiery ember truth has kindled,

The talks which truth has kindled their raging fire,

while every account he fabricates is lukewarm.

And every made-up talk is cold.

إِذا نَحنُ فَضَّلنا عَلى كُبَرائِهِم

إِذا نَحنُ فَضَّلنا عَلى كُبَرائِهِم

فَهَل فيهِمُ مُستَكبِرٌ أَو مُكابِرُ

فَهَل فيهِمُ مُستَكبِرٌ أَو مُكابِرُ

When we are favored above their chiefs,

If we have preferred them over their chiefs,

is anyone among them, then, haughty or obstinately defiant?

Is there among them one who is arrogant or obstinate?

وَشَرَّفَني دونَ السَريرِ بِوَقفَةٍ

وَشَرَّفَني دونَ السَريرِ بِوَقفَةٍ

بِها اِستُخلِصَت في الوُدِّ مِنّي السَرائرُ

بِها اِستُخلِصَت في الوُدِّ مِنّي السَرائرُ

And he honored me with a moment of standing before the throne,

And You have honored me with a halt below the throne,

through which my innermost secrets were drawn from me in affection.

Through which my secrets were extracted in affection.

وَأَدخُلُ مَأَموراً وَأَخرُجُ آمِراً

وَأَدخُلُ مَأَموراً وَأَخرُجُ آمِراً

كَذَلِكَ مَأَمورُ السَلاطينِ آمِرُ

كَذَلِكَ مَأَمورُ السَلاطينِ آمِرُ

And I enter under orders and leave giving orders.

I enter commanded and leave commanding,

Thus whoever is commanded by sultans is one who commands.

Such is the commanded of sultans, the commander.

تَلَفَّتُّ فيها لَم أَجِد لَكَ كاثِراً

تَلَفَّتُّ فيها لَم أَجِد لَكَ كاثِراً

وَمَن ذا الَّذي فَوقَ السَماءِ يُكاثِرُ

وَمَن ذا الَّذي فَوقَ السَماءِ يُكاثِرُ

I looked around there and found none to rival you.

I looked around and found none rivaling You,

And who is there above the sky to vie with you?

And who above the sky rivals You?

وَصِرتُ بِكَهفٍ تُحجَبُ الشَمسُ دونَهُ

وَصِرتُ بِكَهفٍ تُحجَبُ الشَمسُ دونَهُ

فَللشَمسِ تَحتي مَنكِبٌ مُتَزاوِرُ

فَللشَمسِ تَحتي مَنكِبٌ مُتَزاوِرُ

And I have come into a cave beneath which the sun is veiled,

I have become a cave with the sun hidden from it,

so the sun beneath me turns its shoulder aside.

So the sun under me has a shoulder for setting.