تَصَبَّرْ فَإِنّ الصّبرَ أَجملُ بالحرِّ

تَصَبَّرْ فَإِنّ الصّبرَ أَجملُ بالحرِّ

وَأَليقُ بِالإِنسانِ في السرِّ وَالجهرِ

وَأَليقُ بِالإِنسانِ في السرِّ وَالجهرِ

Be steadfast, for patience is more becoming to a noble man,

Be patient, for patience is most beautiful in hardship

And more fitting for a person, in private and in public.

And most befitting for a person, publicly and privately

وَحَسبُ الفتى عِندَ المَصائِبِ صَبرهُ

وَحَسبُ الفتى عِندَ المَصائِبِ صَبرهُ

فَإِنّ اِصطِبارَ المَرءِ أَدعى إِلى الأجرِ

فَإِنّ اِصطِبارَ المَرءِ أَدعى إِلى الأجرِ

And a young man's patience suffices him amid calamities,

And for a young man, his patience at calamities suffices him

For a person's patient endurance is more conducive to reward.

For one's endurance leads more to reward

وَلَم يَكُ فيما يَرتَدي المَرء حلَّةً

وَلَم يَكُ فيما يَرتَدي المَرء حلَّةً

تُجَمِّلهُ أَسنى وَأَغلى مِنَ الصّبرِ

تُجَمِّلهُ أَسنى وَأَغلى مِنَ الصّبرِ

And among all a person wears, there has never been a robe

And there was never a garment that adorns a person

More splendid or more precious in adorning him than patience.

More beautifully and expensively than patience

وَسَلِّمْ إِلى حُكمِ القَضاءِ فَإِنَّهُ

وَسَلِّمْ إِلى حُكمِ القَضاءِ فَإِنَّهُ

عَلى وفقِ ما قَد شاءَ ربّ الوَرى يَجري

عَلى وفقِ ما قَد شاءَ ربّ الوَرى يَجري

And submit to the ruling of fate, for it

And surrender to the judgment of fate, for it surely

Unfolds according to what the Lord of creation has willed.

Flows according to what the Lord of all has willed

وَكُن راضِياً فيما بِهِ اللَّه قَد قَضى

وَكُن راضِياً فيما بِهِ اللَّه قَد قَضى

فَما لِسِوى مَولاكَ شَيءٌ مِنَ الأمرِ

فَما لِسِوى مَولاكَ شَيءٌ مِنَ الأمرِ

And be content with what God has decreed,

And be content with what Allah has decreed

For none but your Lord has any share in authority.

For nothing except your Master has any authority

لَهُ الحُكمُ وَالتّدبيرُ وَالأمرُ كلُّهُ

لَهُ الحُكمُ وَالتّدبيرُ وَالأمرُ كلُّهُ

وَما شاءَ مِن نَفعٍ وَما شاءَ مِن ضرِّ

وَما شاءَ مِن نَفعٍ وَما شاءَ مِن ضرِّ

His are judgment, governance, and all command,

To Him belongs all judgment, planning, and command

And whatever benefit He wills, and whatever harm He wills.

And whatever harm or benefit He wills

وَفي يَدِهِ الإِحياءُ وَالمَوتُ وَالفَنا

وَفي يَدِهِ الإِحياءُ وَالمَوتُ وَالفَنا

وَفي يَدِهِ التّقديرُ لِلخَيرِ والشرِّ

وَفي يَدِهِ التّقديرُ لِلخَيرِ والشرِّ

And in His hand are the giving of life, death, and extinction,

And in His hand lies life, death, and perishing

And in His hand is the ordaining of good and evil.

And in His hand lies ordaining of good and evil

هُوَ الفاعِلُ المُختارُ جَلَّ جَلالَهُ

هُوَ الفاعِلُ المُختارُ جَلَّ جَلالَهُ

وَما هُوَ بِالمَجبورِ يَفعلُ بالجبرِ

وَما هُوَ بِالمَجبورِ يَفعلُ بالجبرِ

He acts by His own choice—exalted is His majesty—

He is the Chosen Doer, Most High His Majesty

And is not compelled to act under constraint.

And He does not act out of compulsion

فَيا أَيّها المَولَى الّذي قَلَّ مِثلُهُ

فَيا أَيّها المَولَى الّذي قَلَّ مِثلُهُ

كَما لا بِشامٍ وَالعراقِ وفي مصرِ

كَما لا بِشامٍ وَالعراقِ وفي مصرِ

So, O lord whose equal is seldom found,

So O my Master, matchless in Syria, Iraq and Egypt

As there is none in al-Sham, Iraq, or Egypt,

Adorn yourself with excellent patience, for you are an example

تَجَمَّل بِحُسنِ الصّبرِ إِذ أَنتَ قُدوةٌ

تَجَمَّل بِحُسنِ الصّبرِ إِذ أَنتَ قُدوةٌ

بِها يَقتَدي مَن قَد يُصاب بِلا نكرِ

بِها يَقتَدي مَن قَد يُصاب بِلا نكرِ

Adorn yourself with the beauty of patience, for you are an example

Followed by whoever is struck with adversity

That anyone who may be stricken follows without objection.

If you, our Master, suffered the loss of a young son

لَئِن كُنتَ مَولانا أُصِبتَ مُصيبةً

لَئِن كُنتَ مَولانا أُصِبتَ مُصيبةً

بِنَجلٍ صَغيرٍ فَاتَهُ فَسحَةُ العمرِ

بِنَجلٍ صَغيرٍ فَاتَهُ فَسحَةُ العمرِ

If you, our lord, have suffered a calamity

Whose prime of life passed him by

Over a young son whom a long life eluded,

Then in Allah, its Giver, there is solace, and for us

فَفي اللَّهِ مُعطيهِ اِعتِياضٌ وَحَسبُنا

فَفي اللَّهِ مُعطيهِ اِعتِياضٌ وَحَسبُنا

بِهِ عِوضاً عَن كلِّ شَيءٍ مَدى الدّهرِ

بِهِ عِوضاً عَن كلِّ شَيءٍ مَدى الدّهرِ

Then in God, who gave him, is recompense; and He suffices us

He suffices as compensation for all things forever

As compensation for everything, throughout all time.

To Allah belongs what He gives and what He takes

وَللَّهِ ما أَعطى وَما هُوَ آخِذٌ

وَللَّهِ ما أَعطى وَما هُوَ آخِذٌ

وَحقٌّ لَهُ التّسليمُ في العُسْرِ وَاليُسْرِ

وَحقٌّ لَهُ التّسليمُ في العُسْرِ وَاليُسْرِ

And to God belongs what He has given and what He takes,

And the right to submit in ease and hardship belongs to Him

And submission is His due, in hardship and ease.

And He only took him to make him

وَما أَخذُهُ إِيّاه إِلّا لِجَعلِهِ

وَما أَخذُهُ إِيّاه إِلّا لِجَعلِهِ

لَكُم فَرطاً يجدي وَمِن أَنفَعِ الذّخرِ

لَكُم فَرطاً يجدي وَمِن أَنفَعِ الذّخرِ

And His taking him is only to make him

A forerunner who benefits and stores riches for you

A beneficial forerunner for you, and one of the most useful treasures.

So my Lord has consoled you for him

فَأَحسَنَ رَبّي فيهِ عنهُ عَزاءَكُم

فَأَحسَنَ رَبّي فيهِ عنهُ عَزاءَكُم

وَعَوَّضَكم خَيراً وَعظَّم لِلأَجرِ

وَعَوَّضَكم خَيراً وَعظَّم لِلأَجرِ

So may my Lord grant you good consolation for his loss,

And compensated you with better and multiplied the reward

And recompense you with something better, and magnify the reward,

And instilled patience from within your heart

وَأَفرَغَ منهُ الصّبرَ داخِلَ قَلبِكم

وَأَفرَغَ منهُ الصّبرَ داخِلَ قَلبِكم

وَأَلبَسَكُم بِالصّبرِ مِن رِفعَةِ القدرِ

وَأَلبَسَكُم بِالصّبرِ مِن رِفعَةِ القدرِ

And pour patience from Himself into your heart,

And clothed you with the stature of high destiny

And clothe you, through patience, in loftiness of rank.

And Allah has blessed us with your long life

وَمَنَّ عَلَينا اللَّهُ في طولِ عُمرِكُم

وَمَنَّ عَلَينا اللَّهُ في طولِ عُمرِكُم

بِخَيرٍ وَتَوفيقٍ عَلى السرِّ والجهرِ

بِخَيرٍ وَتَوفيقٍ عَلى السرِّ والجهرِ

And may God favor us, throughout your long life,

With goodness and success openly and privately

With goodness and success, in private and in public.

And you remain protected by God in the cave of His keeping

وَدُمتَ بِعَينِ اللَّهِ في كَهفِ حِفظِهِ

وَدُمتَ بِعَينِ اللَّهِ في كَهفِ حِفظِهِ

تَجَمَّلُ بِالتّقوى وَتكنفُ بِالسّترِ

تَجَمَّلُ بِالتّقوى وَتكنفُ بِالسّترِ

And may you remain under God's eye, in the cave of His protection,

Adorned with piety and cloaked in cover

Adorned with piety and enfolded in a protective veil,

Safe from evils in self, spirit, wealth and children

مَصوناً مِنَ الأَسواءِ نَفساً وَمُهجَةً

مَصوناً مِنَ الأَسواءِ نَفساً وَمُهجَةً

وَمالاً وَأَولاداً في راحَةِ السرِّ

وَمالاً وَأَولاداً في راحَةِ السرِّ

Safeguarded from ills in self and lifeblood,

At ease in privacy throughout the ages

And in wealth and children, with inward peace,

As long as stars shine or fade

مَدى الدّهر ما قَد لاحَ أَو غابَ كَوكَبٌ

مَدى الدّهر ما قَد لاحَ أَو غابَ كَوكَبٌ

وَما إِن بِأَمرِ اللَّهِ ريحُ الصَّبا تجري

وَما إِن بِأَمرِ اللَّهِ ريحُ الصَّبا تجري

Throughout time, as long as a star shines or vanishes,

And the winds blow as Allah wills

And as long as, by God's command, the east wind blows,

And the sign of the brilliant night has vanished

وَما آيةُ اللّيلِ البهيمِ قَدِ اِنمَحَت

وَما آيةُ اللّيلِ البهيمِ قَدِ اِنمَحَت

لَدى شِدّةِ الظّلماءِ مِن آيةِ الفَجرِ

لَدى شِدّةِ الظّلماءِ مِن آيةِ الفَجرِ

And as long as the sign of pitch-black night is effaced

At the intensity of pitch darkness before dawn

At darkness's height, by the sign of dawn.