1. إني بلا مُهلةٍ أقول في مَهَلٍ

    ما لي وما للهوى عني بلا شُغُلِ

    Indeed, without delay, I speak unhurriedly.

    What have I to do with passion, which has nothing to distract it from me?

  2. إن قلت عنه أفرُّ جاء من أَمَمٍ

    أو قلت صدَّ صُدوداً كرَّ عن عجلِ

    If I say, 'I flee it,' it comes from close at hand.

    Or if I say, 'It has turned utterly away,' it returns in haste.

  3. أو سُلَّماً في السما ابتغيتُ أو نَفَقاً

    في الأرض إن لم يجىءْ ضحىً مع الطَّفَلِ

    Or if I seek a ladder into heaven, or a tunnel

    in the earth—if it comes not at forenoon, then at dusk.

  4. نعمْ ولا يسلونَّ القلبَ إن عَدا

    إذ يسمعنَّ كلام الفصل لا الهزلِ

    Yes; and the heart shall not forget, should it stray,

    when it hears decisive speech, not jest.

  5. وذاك حقٌّ به سَلْوانُ أجمع ما

    ذوي الهوى عن هوى كالبدر معتدلِ

    And that is truth, in which there is solace for all

    lovers, from love for one as well-proportioned as the full moon.

  6. ذاك الكلام الذي الكِلام يبرئها

    والفتق يرتقه وحلية العطل

    That is the speech that heals wounds,

    and mends the rent—an adornment for the unadorned.

  7. ذاك الكلام الذي الأحلام حاسرةٌ

    والحُلم والحِلمُ عنه جلَّ عن خطلِ

    That is the speech before which minds fall short,

    as do dreams and forbearance; it is exalted beyond folly.

  8. ذاك الكلام الذي باقٍ له القِدم

    شافي الظهور وباطن بلا مثل

    That is the enduring speech, eternal without beginning,

    healing what is outward and inward, without equal.

  9. هو الذي زان من يتلو وقرَّبه

    وقُربُهُ أبداً لله والرّسُلِ

    It is what adorns whoever recites it and draws him near,

    and his nearness is forever to God and the messengers.

  10. هو الذي شانئُهُ شان بُعدُهُمُ

    في المُرْه والوُطْفِ عند الأعين النُّجلِ

    It is that whose haters are marred by their estrangement,

    among the bleary-eyed and the long-lashed, beside wide eyes.

  11. هو الدليل هو البرهان عُرْوَتُهُ

    وُثقى فمستمسك به بمتصل

    It is the guide, it is the proof; its handhold

    is firmest; whoever holds fast to it is connected.

  12. ذكرٌ حكيمٌ صراطٌ مستقيمُ هدىً

    وغيره من هدى هداه في ضللِ

    A wise reminder, a straight path of guidance,

    while all other guidance leads into error.

  13. يرنو لقارئه بعين رحمته

    يدنو به أبداً بغير منفصلِ

    It gazes upon its reciter with the eye of its mercy;

    through it he draws ever near, without separation.

  14. يدنيه للحضرة العُليا ويكرمه

    بمقعد الصِّدق عند مالك الأملِ

    It draws him to the highest Presence and honors him

    with a seat of truth beside the Master of hope.

  15. يُضيئه بالهدى قلباً وقالبه

    والنور في قبره مصباح محتفلِ

    It illumines his heart and bodily form with guidance,

    and the light in his grave is a splendid lamp.

  16. وفيه أنباء ما من قبلنا وبه

    أنباءُ ما بعدنا وبيننا وَجَلِ

    In it are tidings of what was before us, and in it

    are tidings of what comes after us, and awe among us.

  17. لا منه يشبع عالمٌ ولا خَلَقٌ

    مع كثرة الرَّدِّ عُجْبٌ منه لم يزلِ

    No scholar has his fill of it, nor does it grow worn

    with much repetition; its wonder never ceases.

  18. ولا تزيغ به الأهوا ولا لُسُنٌ

    يَرى التباساً به أو داعي المللِ

    Passions do not stray through it, nor do tongues

    find confusion in it, or cause for weariness.

  19. ومن يقل صادقاً به ومن عملا

    يُؤْجَرْ ويُنصرْ لدى قولٍ وفي عملِ

    Whoever speaks truthfully by it, and whoever acts,

    is rewarded and aided, in speech and in deed.

  20. فيه البلاغُ لقومٍ كان هَمُّهُمُ

    عبادةُ الله من حافٍ ومُنْتَعلِ

    In it is sufficiency for people whose concern

    is worship of God, whether barefoot or shod.

  21. ليس الغِنى دونه والفَقْرُ لا مَعَهُ

    وشافعٌ قائدٌ لجنَّتين علِ

    There is no wealth without it, and no poverty with it;

    and an intercessor, a guide to two gardens on high.

  22. هذا ولو كان ألسن الخلائق لي

    وعلمها والعقولُ الدَّهرَ ذا نَفَلِِ

    This—even if the tongues of all creatures were mine,

    and their knowledge and minds, for all time, as a bounty,

  23. في مدحه لم يكن معشاره بلغا

    كُلي وأحرى ببعض البعض في كَلَلِ

    in praising it, not even a tenth would be attained

    by my whole self—still less by a weary fraction of a fraction.

  24. أنَّى وقد قيل ما فرَّطت فيه ولا

    بمثله يأتِيَ الورى ذوو الخَولِ

    How could I, when it is said, 'I neglected nothing in it,' and none

    of humankind, even those with servants, can produce its like?

  25. وكيف منه الحيا إلا الحياة به

    إنزال غيثٍٍ به إكثار ذا الوشل

    And how is rain from it anything but life through it?

    Rain sent down through it makes this trickle abundant.

  26. وكيف وهو كلام الله جلَّ علا

    ومن أضيف إلى الكمال ينكملِ

    And how, when it is God's speech—exalted and sublime is He?

    And whatever is ascribed to perfection becomes perfect.

  27. إني عبيد إله الخلق أجمعهِِ

    وهو الوسيلة لي والحبل ذو الجدلِ

    I am a humble servant of the God of all creation,

    and it is my means of approach, and the braided cord.

  28. قنعت فيه ولا قنعت ذا كبدٍ

    حَرَّا ولا أقنَعَنْ بغير ما الرَّتَلِ

    I found contentment in it, yet was not sated, with a liver

    burning; nor shall I be content with anything but measured recitation.

  29. وإنني لغمار المجد أطلبه

    والنصر والعز بازدياد مُنكَمِلِ

    And indeed I seek it for the depths of glory,

    and victory and honor, with increase brought to fullness.

  30. وزد بأكمل ما الصلاة مستلماً

    على الذي مُنْزَلٌ عليه في النّزلِ

    And add the fullest blessing, offering salutation,

    upon the one to whom it was sent down in revelation.