أَلَيسَ عَيشُ الزُّهدِ عَيشاً هني

أَلَيسَ عَيشُ الزُّهدِ عَيشاً هني

وَأَنّ في الزُّهدِ المَقامَ السّني

وَأَنّ في الزُّهدِ المَقامَ السّني

Is not the life of renunciation a pleasant life?

Is not the life of asceticism a happy life

And in renunciation lies the exalted station,

And that in asceticism lies honorable dwelling

وَأَنّ في الزُّهدِ اِرتِياحُ الحَشا

وَأَنّ في الزُّهدِ اِرتِياحُ الحَشا

فَعَنهُ خِدنُ العَقلِ لا يَنثَني

فَعَنهُ خِدنُ العَقلِ لا يَنثَني

And in renunciation lies the heart's repose;

And that in asceticism lies the comfort of companionship

So the companion of reason does not turn away from it.

So by it the mind is embraced and does not bend

وَالزُّهدُ في دُنياكَ مُستَحسَنٌ

وَالزُّهدُ في دُنياكَ مُستَحسَنٌ

وَإِن ضدَّ الزُّهدِ لَم يحسنِ

وَإِن ضدَّ الزُّهدِ لَم يحسنِ

And renunciation is commendable in your worldly life,

And asceticism in your world is commendable

And indeed, the opposite of renunciation is not good.

While the opposite of asceticism is not good

مَن زَهِدَ الدُّنيا فَذا الفَتى

مَن زَهِدَ الدُّنيا فَذا الفَتى

وَالعاقِلُ الآخِذُ بِالأَحسَنِ

وَالعاقِلُ الآخِذُ بِالأَحسَنِ

Whoever renounces the world is the noble youth,

Whoever renounces the world, that is the young man

And the wise one who chooses what is best.

And the reasonable one who takes the best

فَاِزهَد وَلا تبدُ عبدَ الغِنى

فَاِزهَد وَلا تبدُ عبدَ الغِنى

بَل كُن كَهَذا الشَّهمِ عبدِ الغني

بَل كُن كَهَذا الشَّهمِ عبدِ الغني

So renounce the world, and do not appear a slave to wealth;

So renounce and do not replace the free man as the slave of wealth

Rather, be like this noble man, Abd al-Ghani,

Rather be like this proud slave of wealth

الكَامل الزّاهِد خدن الوفا

الكَامل الزّاهِد خدن الوفا

مَن عاشَ في دُنياهُ لَم يفتنِ

مَن عاشَ في دُنياهُ لَم يفتنِ

The perfected ascetic, companion of fidelity,

The perfect ascetic embraced faithfulness

Who lived his worldly life without being beguiled.

Whoever lived in his world was not tempted

في جَمعِهِ لِلفَرقِ نالَ الفَنا

في جَمعِهِ لِلفَرقِ نالَ الفَنا

فَعَن سِوى اللَّهِ تَراه فني

فَعَن سِوى اللَّهِ تَراه فني

By bringing separation into unity, he attained self-annihilation;

By gathering for separation he attained annihilation

Thus you see him effaced from all but God.

So besides God he seems annihilated

العارِف الصوفيّ ربّ الحِجى

العارِف الصوفيّ ربّ الحِجى

مَن بِسوى العِرفانِ لَم يَعتَني

مَن بِسوى العِرفانِ لَم يَعتَني

The Sufi knower, master of reason,

The Gnostic Sufi lord of pilgrimage

Who cared for nothing but spiritual knowledge.

Whoever busied himself with other than gnosis

صوفِي إِذ صافى فَنالَ الصّفا

صوفِي إِذ صافى فَنالَ الصّفا

وَسمِّيَ الصوفي بِعَيشٍ هَني

وَسمِّيَ الصوفي بِعَيشٍ هَني

A Sufi, for he was sincere and thus attained purity,

The Sufi when he purified attained purity

And he was called a Sufi, with a pleasant life.

And was named Sufi for a happy life

بِحُسنِ أَخلاقٍ وَصَفوِ الحَشا

بِحُسنِ أَخلاقٍ وَصَفوِ الحَشا

لا شَكَّ قَد نالَ الكَمالَ السَّنِي

لا شَكَّ قَد نالَ الكَمالَ السَّنِي

Through good character and purity of heart,

With good morals and clear companionship

He has undoubtedly attained exalted perfection.

No doubt he attained complete honor

تَصوّف الإِنسانِ أَخلاقهُ

تَصوّف الإِنسانِ أَخلاقهُ

لا لِبسُهُ لِلصوفِ وَالأخشنِ

لا لِبسُهُ لِلصوفِ وَالأخشنِ

A person's Sufism is his character,

The Sufism of man is his morals

Not his wearing of wool and coarser cloth.

Not his clothes and roughness

الناسِك العابِد صنو التُّقى

الناسِك العابِد صنو التُّقى

مَن صارَ في التّمكينِ بِالأَمكنِ

مَن صارَ في التّمكينِ بِالأَمكنِ

The devotee, the worshipper, twin of piety,

The worshipping ascetic knower of piety

Who became most firmly established in spiritual steadfastness.

Whoever was enabled in the dwellings

السّيّد الماجِد بَدر العُلى

السّيّد الماجِد بَدر العُلى

وَمِن سِوى العَلياءِ لَم يَسكنِ

وَمِن سِوى العَلياءِ لَم يَسكنِ

The illustrious master, full moon of eminence,

The masterful glorious full moon

And he has dwelt nowhere but the heights.

And besides the most high he did not settle

وَالشّرف الأَعلى لَهُ مَسكَنٌ

وَالشّرف الأَعلى لَهُ مَسكَنٌ

يا حُسنَهُ في الدّهرِ مِن مَسكَنِ

يا حُسنَهُ في الدّهرِ مِن مَسكَنِ

And the highest honor is his dwelling;

And the highest honor for him is dwelling

Oh, how splendid a dwelling it is through the ages!

Oh goodness in the world is dwelling

لا زالَ في ذا الدَّهرِ حصنَ العُلى

لا زالَ في ذا الدَّهرِ حصنَ العُلى

مَشيدَة الأَركانِ لَم توهنِ

مَشيدَة الأَركانِ لَم توهنِ

May he ever remain in this age a fortress of eminence,

The fortress of the most high remains

Its pillars firmly built, never weakened.

With pillars not weakened

وَذِكرهُ بِالحَمدِ ثمَّ الثّنا

وَذِكرهُ بِالحَمدِ ثمَّ الثّنا

يَجري عَلى مَدى الدَّهرِ عَلى الأَلسُنِ

يَجري عَلى مَدى الدَّهرِ عَلى الأَلسُنِ

And mention of him, with praise and then acclaim,

And his mention in praise then gratitude

Flows upon tongues throughout the ages,

Flows throughout the ages on tongues

ما اِخضَرَّ غُصنٌ ما بَدا مائِساً

ما اِخضَرَّ غُصنٌ ما بَدا مائِساً

ما قَد شَدا الوُرقُ عَلى الأَغصُنِ

ما قَد شَدا الوُرقُ عَلى الأَغصُنِ

As long as a branch grows green and is seen to sway,

No branch stayed green no water was lacking

As long as the gray doves sing upon the branches,

The leaves did not wither on branches

ما قالَ مَن طابَ لَهُ زُهدهُ

ما قالَ مَن طابَ لَهُ زُهدهُ

أَلَيسَ عَيش الزّهدِ عَيشاً هني

أَلَيسَ عَيش الزّهدِ عَيشاً هني

As long as one who delights in his renunciation says:

None who purified himself said

Is not the life of renunciation a pleasant life?

Is not the life of asceticism a happy life