بِعالِجٍ باتَ هَمُّ النَفسِ يَعتَلِجُ

بِعالِجٍ باتَ هَمُّ النَفسِ يَعتَلِجُ

فهَل أَسيتَ لِعَينٍ حينَ تَختَلِجُ

فهَل أَسيتَ لِعَينٍ حينَ تَختَلِجُ

At ʿĀlij, the soul's anxiety seethed all night.

With a healer, the soul's worries churn,

Have you grieved for an eye when it twitches?

So have you been unjust to an eye when it flickers?

إِن بَشَّرَتَ بِدُموعٍ فَهيَ صادِقَةٌ

إِن بَشَّرَتَ بِدُموعٍ فَهيَ صادِقَةٌ

أَو خَبَّرَت بِسُرورٍ قُلتَ لا يَلِجُ

أَو خَبَّرَت بِسُرورٍ قُلتَ لا يَلِجُ

If it heralds tears, it speaks the truth;

If it foretells tears, it is truthful,

or if it foretells joy, you say, 'It will not enter.'

Or if it tells of joy, it says do not worry.

أَدلِج إِلى رَحمَةِ اللَهِ الَّتي بُذِلَت

أَدلِج إِلى رَحمَةِ اللَهِ الَّتي بُذِلَت

فَما يَسُرُّكَ إِلّا في التُقى دَلِجُ

فَما يَسُرُّكَ إِلّا في التُقى دَلِجُ

Travel by night toward God's mercy, which has been bestowed;

Seek the mercy of God which has been granted,

for night travel gladdens you only in piety.

For nothing pleases you except piety, seek it.

قَد عِيلَ صَبرُكَ وَالظَلماءُ داجِيَةٌ

قَد عِيلَ صَبرُكَ وَالظَلماءُ داجِيَةٌ

فَاِصبِر قَليلاً لَعَلَّ الصُبحَ يَنبَلِجُ

فَاِصبِر قَليلاً لَعَلَّ الصُبحَ يَنبَلِجُ

Your patience is spent, and the night is pitch-dark;

Your patience is worn and the darkness engulfs,

so be patient a little; perhaps dawn will break.

So be patient a little, perhaps dawn will shine.

لا يَعرِفُ الدَهرَ إِلّا مَعشَرٌ غَلَبوا

لا يَعرِفُ الدَهرَ إِلّا مَعشَرٌ غَلَبوا

فَما اِستَكانوا وَلَم يُزهَوا وَقَد فُلِجوا

فَما اِستَكانوا وَلَم يُزهَوا وَقَد فُلِجوا

None know Time but a people who have prevailed;

None know fate except the folk who prevailed,

they did not yield or grow proud, though they had been overcome.

They neither surrendered nor boasted when defeated.

غُيوثُ مَحلٍ وَمِن أَدراعِهِم غُدُرٌ

غُيوثُ مَحلٍ وَمِن أَدراعِهِم غُدُرٌ

بِحارُ جودٍ وَفي أَغمارِهِم خُلِجُ

بِحارُ جودٍ وَفي أَغمارِهِم خُلِجُ

Rains in drought, and from their coats of mail come pools;

Helpers of refuge, yet betrayal in their sleeves,

seas of generosity, and among their untried men are inlets.

A sea of generosity, yet deceit in their depths.

الأَلمَعِيونَ إِن ظَنّوا وَإِن حَدَسوا

الأَلمَعِيونَ إِن ظَنّوا وَإِن حَدَسوا

ظَنينَهُم بِيَقينٍ واضِحٍ ثَلَجوا

ظَنينَهُم بِيَقينٍ واضِحٍ ثَلَجوا

The keen-witted—whether they conjecture or intuit—

The brilliant, if they suppose and intuit,

put their doubter at ease with clear certainty.

Their assumptions with clear certainty they ascertain.