مَهْمَاhowever much تَقِلَّdwindles ثُمَالَةُthe dregs of المَوْجُودِwhat you possess
مَهْمَا تَقِلَّ ثُمَالَةُ المَوْجُودِ
لاَdo not تَحْرِمِdeprive المِسْكيِنَthe needy person قَطْرَةَa drop of جُودِgenerosity
لاَ تَحْرِمِ المِسْكيِنَ قَطْرَةَ جُودِ
However scant the dregs of what you possess,
However little your means may be
Do not deny the needy a drop of generosity.
Never deprive the destitute of your generosity
فَإِذَاfor if حَبَاكَhas granted you اللهُGod فَضْلاًbounty وَاسِعاًabundant
فَإِذَا حَبَاكَ اللهُ فَضْلاً وَاسِعاً
فَالْبُخْلُthen miserliness خُسْرَانٌloss وَشِبْهُand akin to جُحُودِingratitude
فَالْبُخْلُ خُسْرَانٌ وَشِبْهُ جُحُودِ
For if God has granted you abundant bounty,
For when Allah grants you ample bounty
Then miserliness is loss and akin to ingratitude.
Stinginess is loss, and akin to blasphemy
بِيضُwhite الأَيَادِيhands (acts of kindness) خَيْرُthe best مَاwhat أَسْلَفْتَهُyou have sent it ahead
بِيضُ الأَيَادِي خَيْرُ مَا أَسْلَفْتَهُ
دَفْعاًas a defense لاِفَاتِagainst the afflictions of اللَّيَالِيthe nights السُّودِblack
دَفْعاً لاِفَاتِ اللَّيَالِي السُّودِ
White hands of kindness are the best you have sent ahead,
The whitest hands are those you have forwarded
To ward off the afflictions of black nights.
To ward off the blows of dark nights
وَالمَالُand wealth أَعوَدُهُits most fruitful وَأَجزَلُهُand its richest رِباًin returns
وَالمَالُ أَعوَدُهُ وَأَجزَلُهُ رِباً
مَاthat which كانَis فَرضَthe duty of العَبدِthe servant لِلمَعبُودِto the Worshipped One
مَا كانَ فَرضَ العَبدِ لِلمَعبُودِ
And the wealth most fruitful and richest in returns
And wealth - the most fecund and abundant -
Is the servant's obligatory due to the Worshipped One.
Is what the servant allocates for the worshipped
يَاO مُحْسِنونَbenefactors جَزَاكُمُmay He reward you المَوْلىthe Lord بَمَاwith what
يَا مُحْسِنونَ جَزَاكُمُ المَوْلى بَمَا
يَرْبُوgrows greater عَلىthan مَسْعَاكُمُyour striving المَحْمُودِpraiseworthy
يَرْبُو عَلى مَسْعَاكُمُ المَحْمُودِ
O benefactors, may the Lord reward you with what
O you beneficent! May your Master reward you
Surpasses your praiseworthy striving.
With overflowing blessings and glorious grace!
كمْhow often رَدَّrestored فضْلُكُمُyour generosity الْحَيَاةَlife لِمَائِتٍto one dying
كمْ رَدَّ فضْلُكُمُ الْحَيَاةَ لِمَائِتٍ
جُوعاًof hunger وَكَمْand how often أَبْقىkept alive عَلَىupon مَوْلودِa newborn
جُوعاً وَكَمْ أَبْقى عَلَى مَوْلودِ
How often your generosity has restored life to one dying
How often has your bounty given life to the dying
Of hunger, and how often kept a newborn alive.
Of hunger, and sustained the newborn babe!
كَمْhow often يَسَّرَmade easy النوْمَsleep الْهَنِيءَpeaceful لِسَاهِدٍfor one kept awake
كَمْ يَسَّرَ النوْمَ الْهَنِيءَ لِسَاهِدٍ
شَاكٍsuffering وَلَطَّفand eased مِنْof أَسَىthe sorrow of مَكْمُوُدِone grief-stricken
شَاكٍ وَلَطَّف مِنْ أَسَى مَكْمُوُدِ
How often it has brought peaceful sleep to one kept awake,
How often has it brought sweet sleep to the vigilant
Suffering, and eased a grief-stricken person's sorrow.
The suffering, and comforted the depressed!
كَمْhow often صَانَguarded عِرْضاًhonor طَاهِراًunsullied مِنْfrom رِيبَةٍsuspicion
كَمْ صَانَ عِرْضاً طَاهِراً مِنْ رِيبَةٍ
وَنَفَىand drove away أَذىharm عَنْfrom عَاثِرٍone who has stumbled مَنكودِill-fated
وَنَفَى أَذى عَنْ عَاثِرٍ مَنكودِ
How often it has guarded unsullied honor from suspicion,
How often has it protected a pure honor from suspicion
And driven harm away from a stumbling, ill-fated person.
And spared a stumbling man further disgrace!
دَامَتْmay endure لَكُمْfor you نَعْمَاؤُكُمْyour blessings مَحْفُوظَةًsafeguarded
دَامَتْ لَكُمْ نَعْمَاؤُكُمْ مَحْفُوظَةً
مِنْfrom كَيدِthe plotting of ذِيone bearing حِقْدٍrancor وَعَيْنِand the eye of حَسُودِan envious person
مِنْ كَيدِ ذِي حِقْدٍ وَعَيْنِ حَسُودِ
May your blessings endure for you, safeguarded
May your blessings remain guarded
From a spiteful person's plots and an envious eye.
From the guile of grudging souls and envious eyes
وَتحَقَّقتْand may be fulfilled عِنْدَbefore المُثِيبِthe Rewarder المرْتجَىin whom hope rests
وَتحَقَّقتْ عِنْدَ المُثِيبِ المرْتجَى
آمَالكُمْyour hopes بِثَوَابِهِthrough His reward المَوْعُودِpromised
آمَالكُمْ بِثَوَابِهِ المَوْعُودِ
And may there be fulfilled, before the Rewarder in whom hope rests,
And may your hopes be fulfilled
Your hopes, through His promised reward.
With His promised and longed-for reward!
Sol 6.1