إذا حسنتَ ظنك بالرجالِ

إذا حسنتَ ظنك بالرجالِ

علوتَ به ورباتِ الحجالِ

علوتَ به ورباتِ الحجالِ

When you think well of men,

If you think well of men,

you rise thereby—I swear by the ladies of curtained chambers.

and of the ladies of curtained chambers, you rise thereby.

وإنْ ساءتْ ظنونك يا حبيبي

وإنْ ساءتْ ظنونك يا حبيبي

فأنت لسوء ظنك في سفالِ

فأنت لسوء ظنك في سفالِ

But if your thoughts turn ill, my dear,

And if your opinions turn ill, my beloved,

then through your ill opinion you sink into baseness.

then you are brought low by your ill opinion.

وميزانُ الشريعةِ لا تزنه

وميزانُ الشريعةِ لا تزنه

بميزانِ التفكر والخيالِ

بميزانِ التفكر والخيالِ

Do not weigh the balance of sacred law

And do not weigh the balance of sacred law

against the scales of reflection and imagination.

with the balance of reflection and imagination.

وإنك إن أصبحت به لوقتٍ

وإنك إن أصبحت به لوقتٍ

غلطتَ به فتلحقُ بالضلالِ

غلطتَ به فتلحقُ بالضلالِ

Even if, at some time, you happen to judge rightly by it,

And indeed, if you find yourself with it for a time,

you will go wrong through it and fall into delusion.

you err through it, and so fall into misguidance.

تميزتِ الخلائق في سناها

تميزتِ الخلائق في سناها

فأين الواجباتُ من المحال

فأين الواجباتُ من المحال

Created beings are distinguished by the fruits they bear;

Created beings are distinguished in their radiance;

how far the necessary lies from the impossible!

how far, then, are necessary things from the impossible!

إذا عاينت ما لا يرتضيه

إذا عاينت ما لا يرتضيه

إلهك قد حلالي عينُ حالي

إلهك قد حلالي عينُ حالي

If you behold something that does not please

If you behold what is not approved by

your God, the very essence of my state has become sweet to me

your God, my very state has grown sweet to me,

بمرآه الذي عاينت منه

بمرآه الذي عاينت منه

وفيه ما يذم من الفعال

وفيه ما يذم من الفعال

at the sight of the one in whom you beheld it,

at the sight of him, from whom you have witnessed,

though in him are deeds deserving blame.

and in whom, deeds that are condemned.

أتتك وصيتي تسمو اعتلاء

أتتك وصيتي تسمو اعتلاء

على ما كان من كرم الخلال

على ما كان من كرم الخلال

My counsel has come to you, soaring aloft

My counsel has come to you, soaring high,

above every nobility of character there ever was.

above whatever nobility of character there may be.

فسوء الظنِّ يحرم منك شرعا

فسوء الظنِّ يحرم منك شرعا

وحسنُ الظنِّ يلحق بالحلال

وحسنُ الظنِّ يلحق بالحلال

For ill opinion is forbidden you by sacred law,

Thus, ill opinion is forbidden to you by sacred law,

while good opinion is counted among the lawful.

and good opinion is classed as lawful.

وإنْ كنتَ الإمام تقيم حدّاً

وإنْ كنتَ الإمام تقيم حدّاً

أقمه كما أمرت ولا تبال

أقمه كما أمرت ولا تبال

And if you are the imam charged with carrying out a prescribed penalty,

And if you are the imam, enforcing a prescribed penalty,

carry it out as you were commanded, and do not concern yourself.

enforce it as you were commanded, and do not worry.

ولا تتبعه سوءَ الظنِّ فيه

ولا تتبعه سوءَ الظنِّ فيه

به تأمن عليك من السؤال

به تأمن عليك من السؤال

But do not follow it with ill opinion of him;

And do not follow it with a bad opinion of him;

thus you will keep yourself safe from being called to account.

thereby you are safe from being called to account.

فإنَّ الله سائلُ من أتاه

فإنَّ الله سائلُ من أتاه

به يومَ القطيعة و الوصالي

به يومَ القطيعة و الوصالي

For God will question whoever comes to Him

For God will question whoever comes to Him

bearing it, on the Day of Resurrection and the Meeting.

with it, on the day of separation and union.

وعبدُ الله ليس بحكم ماضٍ

وعبدُ الله ليس بحكم ماضٍ

ولا آتٍ ولكن حكم حال

ولا آتٍ ولكن حكم حال

A servant of God is not judged by a judgment already past,

And God's servant is judged neither by the past,

nor one still to come, but by the judgment of the present state.

nor by the future, but by the present state.