هَبْ أَنَّ قَلْبَكَ عَبْدُ رِقَّتهِ

هَبْ أَنَّ قَلْبَكَ عَبْدُ رِقَّتهِ

فَارْخَمْ وَأَعتِقْهُ مِنَ الرِّقِ

فَارْخَمْ وَأَعتِقْهُ مِنَ الرِّقِ

Suppose your heart is a slave to its tenderness;

Grant that your heart be slave to tenderness

then have compassion and free it from bondage.

Then pity and set it free from slavery

ولِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ بَاديءٍ أَجَلٌ

ولِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ بَاديءٍ أَجَلٌ

حَتَّى النَّدَى وَاللُّطْفِ وَالرِّفْقِ

حَتَّى النَّدَى وَاللُّطْفِ وَالرِّفْقِ

And everything that begins has an appointed end,

For all things seeded have appointed terms

even generosity, kindness, and gentleness.

Even gentleness, charm, and courtesy

وَاعلَمْ حَمَاكَ الله أَنَّك لمْ

وَاعلَمْ حَمَاكَ الله أَنَّك لمْ

تُرْسَلْ كَفِيلَ مَصَالِحِ الخَلْقِ

تُرْسَلْ كَفِيلَ مَصَالِحِ الخَلْقِ

And know—may God protect you—that you were not

Know that God shields you since you weren’t made

sent as guarantor of humankind's welfare.

Guardian of benefits for humanity

تُغْنِي وَيُفْقِرُكَ الجَمِيلُ فَكَمْ

تُغْنِي وَيُفْقِرُكَ الجَمِيلُ فَكَمْ

تَجْنِي عَلَيْكَ مَكَارِمُ الخُلْقِ

تَجْنِي عَلَيْكَ مَكَارِمُ الخُلْقِ

You enrich others, yet kindness impoverishes you; for how often

Though bounty enriches and beauty makes poor

do the virtues of character bring you harm!

So reap humanity’s virtues abundantly