1. A door will open when a door is closed
Yes, and difficulties will become easy
١. سَيُفْتَحُ بَابٌ إِذَا سُدَّ بَابُ
نَعَمْ، وَتهُونُ الأُمُورُ الصِّعَابُ
2. And the situation will widen after
The paths have narrowed in it
٢. وَيتَّسِعُ الحَالُ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا
تَضِيقُ المَذَاهِبُ فِيهَا الرِّحَابُ
3. With worries there are two reliefs, make it easy on yourself
Neither will worrying avail, nor despair
٣. مَعَ الهَمِّ يُسْرَانِ هَوِّنْ عَلَيْكَ
فَلاَ الْهَمُّ يُجْدِي، وَلاَ الاكْتِئَابُ
4. How often you were distressed by what befell you
Yet none of that was considered dreadful
٤. فَكَمْ ضِقْتَ ذَرْعاً بِمَا هِبْتَهُ
فَلَمْ يُرَ مِنْ ذَاكَ قَدْرٌ يُهَابُ
5. And how much cold you feared from a cloud
But you were kept safe, and the clouds shielded you
٥. وَكَمْ بَرَدٍ خِفْتَهُ مِنْ سَحَابٍ
فَعُوفِيت، وَانْجَابَ عَنْكَ السَّحَابُ
6. And sustenance that came to you though you did not seek it
Nor did seeking it keep the eye awake
٦. وَرِزْقٍ أَتَاكَ وَلَمْ تَأْتِهِ
وَلاَ أَرَّقَ العَيْنَ مِنْهُ الطِّلابُ
7. And attaining the family's closeness after
The billowing, high waves had come between you
٧. وَنَاءٍ عَنٍ الأَهْلِ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا
عَلاهُ مِنَ المَوْجِ طَامٍ عُبَابُ
8. When people withhold from a questioner
There is no veil between me and my Lord's questioner
٨. إِذَا احْتَجَبَ النَّاسُ عَنْ سَائِلٍ
فَمَا دُونَ سَائِلِ رَبِّي حِجَابُ
9. He returns with grace to the one who hoped in Him
And His hopers are answered at all times
٩. يَعُودُ بِفَضْلٍ عَلَى مَنْ رَجَاهُ
وَرَاجِيهِ فِي كُلِّ حِينٍ يُجَابُ
10. So do not despair over something missed
While being content with it and resigned is with you
١٠. فَلاَ تَأْسَ يَوْماً عَلَى فَائِتٍ
وَعِنْدَكَ مِنْهُ رِضَىّ وَاحْتِسَابُ
11. What is decreed in your book must come to pass
Whether you are rewarded or stricken by it
١١. فَلاَ بُدَّ مِنْ كَوْنِ مَا خُطَّ فِي
كِتَابِكَ، تُحْبَى بِهِ أَوْ تُصَابُ
12. Who can prevent what is in the Book?
And who can send what the Book has refused?
١٢. فَمَنْ حَائِلٌ دُونَ مَا فِي الكِتَابِ
وَمَنْ مُرْسِلٌ مَا أَبَاهُ الكِتَابُ؟
13. If you do not leave off an adornment
When a man comes with it, he is suspected
١٣. إِذَا لَمْ تَكُنْ تَارِكَاً زِينَةٌ
إِذَا الْمَرْءُ جَاءَ بِهَا يُسْتَرابُ
14. You will fall into positions that degrade you
And arrows of blame will descend upon you
١٤. تَقَعْ فِي مَوَاقِع تردى بِهَا
وَتَهْوَى إِلَيْكَ السِّهَامُ الصّيَابُ
15. Discern your time, which is suffering, and be moderate
For your time now is torment
١٥. تَبَيَّنْ زَمَانَكَ ذَا واقْتَصِدْ
فَإِنَّ زَمَانَكَ هَذَا عَذَابُ
16. And minimize reproaching, for there is no one
To reproach when reproach is deserved
١٦. وَأَقْلِلْ عِتَابَاً فَمَا فِيهِ مَنْ
يُعَاتِبُ حِينَ يَحِقُّ العِتَابُ
17. The people passed frivolously and perished but for
The riffraff, from whom dogs recoil
١٧. مَضَى النَّاسُ طُرّاً وَبَادُوا سِوَى
أَرَاذِل عَنْهُمْ تُجَلُّ الكِلاَبُ
18. They will meet you with their ignorance
And the surrender of those made docile by beating
١٨. يُلاَقِيكَ بِالبِشْرِ دَهْمَاؤُهُمْ
وَتَسْلِيمُ مَنْ رَقَّ مِنْهُمْ سِبَابُ
19. So do good, and the noble one is doing good
Shielding himself from them and avoiding
١٩. فَأَحْسِنْ، وَمَا الحُرُّ مُسْتَحْسِنٌ
صِيَانٌ لَهُمْ عَنْهُمُ وَاجْتِنَابُ
20. If God enriches him beyond need of them, he will rejoice
Otherwise, that is among the rights and wrongs
٢٠. فَإِنْ يُغْنِهِ اللّه عَنْهُمْ يَفرْ
وَإِلاَّ فَذَاكَ فِيْمَا الخَطَا وَالصَّوابُ
21. Leave what your passion desires, for desire
Leads souls to what would be blamed
٢١. فَدَعْ مَا هَوَيتَ، فَإِنَّ الهَوَى
يَقُودُ النُّفَوسَ إِلَى مَا يُعَابُ
22. And distinguish your words before speaking
For every word has an answer
٢٢. وَمَيِّزْ كَلاَمَكَ قَبْلَ الكَلاَمِ
فَإِنَّ لِكُلِّ كَلاَمٍ جَوَابُ
23. For there is much speech that is entertaining
And yet contains what would be found distasteful
٢٣. فَرُبَّ كَلامٍ يَمُضُّ الحَشَا
وَفِيهِ مِنَ المَزْحِ مَا يُسُتَطَابُ