يا مَن تَرَفَّعَ لِلدُنيا وَزينَتِها

يا مَن تَرَفَّعَ لِلدُنيا وَزينَتِها

لَيسَ التَرَفُّعُ رَفعَ الطينِ بِالطينِ

لَيسَ التَرَفُّعُ رَفعَ الطينِ بِالطينِ

O you who rise above this world and all its adornment,

O you who exalt yourself for the world and its adornment,

True elevation is not clay raising clay.

Exaltation is not raising clay with clay.

إِذا أَرَدتَ شَريفَ القَومِ كُلّهم

إِذا أَرَدتَ شَريفَ القَومِ كُلّهم

فَاِنظُر إِلى ملكٍ في زِيِّ مِسكينِ

فَاِنظُر إِلى ملكٍ في زِيِّ مِسكينِ

If you wish to see the noblest of all the people,

If you seek the noblest of all the people,

Then look upon a king dressed in a pauper’s garb.

then look at a king in a poor man's garb.

لا تَخضَعَنَّ لِمَخلوقٍ عَلى طَمَع

لا تَخضَعَنَّ لِمَخلوقٍ عَلى طَمَع

فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ وَهنٌ مِنكَ في الدينِ

فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ وَهنٌ مِنكَ في الدينِ

Never abase yourself before a created being in hope of gain,

Never bow to a created being in hope of gain,

For that is a weakness in you, a weakness in faith.

for that is weakness on your part in faith.

وَاِسترزق اللَه مِمّا في خَزائِنِه

وَاِسترزق اللَه مِمّا في خَزائِنِه

فَإِنَّ ذاكَ بَينَ الكافِ وَالنونِ

فَإِنَّ ذاكَ بَينَ الكافِ وَالنونِ

Ask God for provision from the treasures He possesses,

And ask God for sustenance from what is in His treasuries,

For it lies between the kāf and the nūn.

for that lies between the letters kāf and nūn.

أَلا تَرى كُلَّ مَن تَرجو وَتَأملُه

أَلا تَرى كُلَّ مَن تَرجو وَتَأملُه

مِنَ البَرِيَّةِ مسكينَ اِبنَ مِسكينِ

مِنَ البَرِيَّةِ مسكينَ اِبنَ مِسكينِ

Do you not see that everyone you hope in and look to,

Do you not see that everyone you look to and place your hopes in

Among all creation, is a pauper, the son of a pauper?

among creation is a poor man, the son of a poor man?

أَرى أُناساً بِأَدنى الدينِ قَد قَنِعوا

أَرى أُناساً بِأَدنى الدينِ قَد قَنِعوا

وَلا أَراهُمُ رَضوا في العَيشِ بِالدونِ

وَلا أَراهُمُ رَضوا في العَيشِ بِالدونِ

I see people content with the barest measure of religion,

I see people content with the barest minimum of faith,

Yet I do not see them content with anything lowly in worldly life.

yet I do not see them content with little in their livelihood.

فَاِستَغنِ بِالدينِ عَن دُنيا المُلوكِ كَما

فَاِستَغنِ بِالدينِ عَن دُنيا المُلوكِ كَما

اِستَغنى المُلوكُ بِدُنياهُم عَن الدينِ

اِستَغنى المُلوكُ بِدُنياهُم عَن الدينِ

So let faith free you from the worldly realm of kings, just as

So let faith suffice you without the worldly wealth of kings, just as

Kings let their worldly realm free them from religion.

kings have let their worldly wealth suffice them without faith.

لَولا شَماتَةُ أَعداءٍ ذَوي حَسَدٍ

لَولا شَماتَةُ أَعداءٍ ذَوي حَسَدٍ

وَإِن أَتاكَ بِنَقص مَن يُرَجّيني

وَإِن أَتاكَ بِنَقص مَن يُرَجّيني

Were it not for the gloating of enemies possessed by envy,

Were it not for the gloating of envious enemies,

And for one who hopes in me coming to you in need,

and if one who gives me hope comes to you with a shortcoming,

فَما خَطَبتُ إِلى الدُنيا مَطالِبَها

فَما خَطَبتُ إِلى الدُنيا مَطالِبَها

وَلا بَذَلتُ لَها عِرضي وَلا ديني

وَلا بَذَلتُ لَها عِرضي وَلا ديني

I would never have courted the world for the prizes it offers,

I would not have courted the world for its coveted gains,

Nor spent my honor upon it, nor my faith.

nor offered it my honor or my faith.

لَكِن مُنافَسَة الأَكفاءِ تَحمِلُني

لَكِن مُنافَسَة الأَكفاءِ تَحمِلُني

عَلى أُمور أَراها سَوفَ تُرديني

عَلى أُمور أَراها سَوفَ تُرديني

But rivalry with my peers drives me

But rivalry with my peers drives me

Toward undertakings that I can see will destroy me.

to things I see will bring me to ruin.

وَقَد حَسِبتُ بِأَن أَبقى بِمَنزِلَةٍ

وَقَد حَسِبتُ بِأَن أَبقى بِمَنزِلَةٍ

لا دينَ عِندي وَلا دُنيا تُواتيني

لا دينَ عِندي وَلا دُنيا تُواتيني

And I had thought I might remain in a state

And I have reckoned that I shall remain in a state

Where I have neither religion nor a worldly fortune that favors me.

where I have no faith, nor worldly fortune that favors me.