زينة العلم العباده والتواضع والزهاده

زينة العلم العباده والتواضع والزهاده

فاعملن بالعلم تمسي كل يوم في زياده

فاعملن بالعلم تمسي كل يوم في زياده

The adornment of knowledge is worship, humility, and renunciation.

The adornment of knowledge is worship, humility, and renunciation.

So act upon your knowledge, and each day you will grow.

So act upon knowledge, and you will grow each day.

واتق الله إذا شئت المسره والسعاده

واتق الله إذا شئت المسره والسعاده

واترك الناس وذرهم

واترك الناس وذرهم

Fear God, if you desire joy and happiness;

And fear God if you desire joy and happiness.

leave people and their censure—

And leave people; let them be.

إنهم أصحاب عاده

إنهم أصحاب عاده

صار كل يتبعها ولها ألقى قياده

صار كل يتبعها ولها ألقى قياده

they are creatures of habit.

They are creatures of habit.

Each has come to follow it, casting his reins into its hands.

Each has come to follow it, surrendering his reins to it.

همهم قال وقيل جلهم غوغا وقاده

همهم قال وقيل جلهم غوغا وقاده

فاعتزلهم واجتنبهم ثم جد في الإراده

فاعتزلهم واجتنبهم ثم جد في الإراده

Their concern is “he said” and “it was said”—most of them, rabble and leaders alike.

Their concern is 'he said' and 'it was said'; most are rabble and leaders.

So withdraw from them and shun them; then strive earnestly in your resolve.

So withdraw from them and avoid them, then be earnest in your resolve.

والزم الله جليسا وحده واترك عباده

والزم الله جليسا وحده واترك عباده

وافن عن غير الإله

وافن عن غير الإله

Keep God alone as your companion, and leave His servants be.

And keep God alone as your companion, and leave His servants.

Be annihilated to all but God,

And become oblivious to all but God.

واجعل الغيب شهاده

واجعل الغيب شهاده

وارض بالمقدور حقا

وارض بالمقدور حقا

and make the unseen a witnessed presence.

And make the unseen a witnessed reality.

Truly accept what has been decreed,

And truly accept what is decreed,

والذي المولى أراده

والذي المولى أراده

واحذر الدنيا ودعها

واحذر الدنيا ودعها

and whatever the Lord has willed.

And what the Lord has willed.

Beware the world and leave it;

And beware of this world, and leave it.

بئس من كانت مراده

بئس من كانت مراده

قد عمى قلبا ولبا

قد عمى قلبا ولبا

wretched is he who makes it his desire.

Wretched is the one whose desire it has become.

It has blinded heart and mind,

He has indeed grown blind in heart and mind,

ولقد أخطى رشاده

ولقد أخطى رشاده

وخسردنيا وأخرى

وخسردنيا وأخرى

and made him miss the path of guidance.

And he has indeed missed his right path.

He has lost this world and the next,

And lost this world and the next,

وحوى أعظم بلاده

وحوى أعظم بلاده

ولقد عز دواه

ولقد عز دواه

and gathered into himself the greatest folly.

And become utterly foolish.

How rare indeed is his cure,

His cure has indeed become hard to find,

والذي يصلح فساده

والذي يصلح فساده

فاز عبدماتهنا ليلة فيها رقاده

فاز عبدماتهنا ليلة فيها رقاده

and whatever might mend his corruption.

And so has what could remedy his corruption.

Blessed is the servant who takes no delight in a night of sleep there,

Triumphant is a servant whose sleep brings him no ease at night.

يتفكر في فناها وفنا جند وساده

يتفكر في فناها وفنا جند وساده

ثم ينهض للمعالي والتعلم والإفاده

ثم ينهض للمعالي والتعلم والإفاده

but reflects on its passing—and the passing of soldiers and lords;

He ponders this world's passing, and the passing of soldiers and lords,

then rises toward noble heights, learning, and benefiting others.

Then rises to lofty pursuits, learning, and imparting knowledge.

رب شخص في سرور أو حليف للوساده

رب شخص في سرور أو حليف للوساده

ماتقضى الليل حتى

ماتقضى الليل حتى

Many a person, amid joy or wedded to his pillow,

Many a person, rejoicing or keeping company with his pillow—

has scarcely seen the night pass before

The night had not passed before

جاءه الموت وصاده

جاءه الموت وصاده

كيف يهنا العيش فيها

كيف يهنا العيش فيها

death comes and catches him as its prey.

Death came to him and snared him.

How can life there be pleasant

How can life in it be sweet

من يرى هذا معاده

من يرى هذا معاده

عجبا لي ولمثلي

عجبا لي ولمثلي

to one who sees this as his final return?

To one who sees this as his final return?

How astonishing that I, and others like me,

I marvel at myself and at anyone like me,

يرتضي الدنيا مهاده

يرتضي الدنيا مهاده

وهو عن قريب وله بعد اعاده

وهو عن قريب وله بعد اعاده

should accept the world as a resting place,

Who accepts this world as his resting place,

though soon, after this, restoration awaits him,

Though soon he will depart, and afterward be brought back,

وعقاب وثواب بالإساءة والأجاده

وعقاب وثواب بالإساءة والأجاده

ما لجهلي كل يوم

ما لجهلي كل يوم

with punishment and reward for wrongdoing and right-doing.

With punishment and reward for wrongdoing and good deeds.

What ails my ignorance, that every day

Why does my ignorance, day after day,

يتفنن في الإشاده

يتفنن في الإشاده

حاوز الإفراط جهلا

حاوز الإفراط جهلا

it grows more ingenious in vaunting itself?

Find ever-new forms of praise?

In ignorance it has surpassed excess itself—

It has surpassed even excess in ignorance;

أوما آن اقتصاده

أوما آن اقتصاده

يالقومي ما لقلبي

يالقومي ما لقلبي

has the time for its restraint not yet come?

Is it not time for it to be moderate?

O my people, what ails my heart,

O my people, what ails my heart,

ترك الدهر جهاده

ترك الدهر جهاده

رب اصلح لي فؤادي

رب اصلح لي فؤادي

that it has forever abandoned its striving?

That it has forsaken its struggle all this time?

Lord, set my heart aright;

Lord, set my heart right for me,

ولمن يشكو فؤاده

ولمن يشكو فؤاده

واختم العمر بخير

واختم العمر بخير

for to whom else can one complain of his heart?

And the heart of whoever laments his own.

End my life in goodness

And bring my life to a good end,

عندما تدني حصاده

عندما تدني حصاده

وصلاة وسلام كلما غصن أماده

وصلاة وسلام كلما غصن أماده

when its harvest draws near.

When You bring its harvest near.

And may blessings and peace—whenever a branch is swayed

And may blessings and peace, whenever a branch is swayed

ريح أوحن غريب عندما ذكر وابلاده

ريح أوحن غريب عندما ذكر وابلاده

تتغشى المصطفى أحمد

تتغشى المصطفى أحمد

by wind, or an exile yearns when he remembers his homeland—

By a wind, or a stranger yearns when his homeland is mentioned,

enfold the Chosen One, Ahmad,

Envelop the Chosen One, Ahmad,

من حبي أعلى السياده

من حبي أعلى السياده

وعلى آل وصحب

وعلى آل وصحب

the one I love, supreme in nobility;

Who was granted the highest eminence,

and may they enfold his family and companions—

And fall upon his family and companions—

حبهم أعظم عباده

حبهم أعظم عباده

loving them is the greatest worship.

Love for them is the greatest worship.