الحمد لله مهذّب النفوسْ

الحمد لله مهذّب النفوسْ

إذا ردّها إليه من بعد الشموسْ

إذا ردّها إليه من بعد الشموسْ

Praise be to God, Refiner of souls,

Praise be to God, the Refiner of souls,

When He returns them to Himself after their restiveness,

When He brings them back to Him after their unruliness,

منقادةً لأمره مختارهْ

منقادةً لأمره مختارهْ

من بعد ما قد كانت الأمارهْ

من بعد ما قد كانت الأمارهْ

Yielding to His command and choosing it,

Obedient to His command, of their own accord,

After the self had once been the imperious commander.

After they had been commanding evil.

من فضله ألهمها تقواها

من فضله ألهمها تقواها

بذبحها أفلح من ذكّاها

بذبحها أفلح من ذكّاها

By His grace He inspired it with its piety;

By His grace, He inspired them with their piety.

By slaying it, whoever purifies it prospers.

By slaying them, he who slaughters them prospers.

وذبحها بمدية المجاهدَهْ

وذبحها بمدية المجاهدَهْ

فيها بما تكون فيه رائدَهْ

فيها بما تكون فيه رائدَهْ

Its slaughter is with the blade of spiritual striving,

And they are slain with the knife of spiritual striving,

Against it wherever it would take the lead,

Against them in whatever they take the lead in,

ممّا به قد حدّثت أو أمرت

ممّا به قد حدّثت أو أمرت

فكلّها دسائسٌ قد خطرت

فكلّها دسائسٌ قد خطرت

In whatever it whispers or commands;

Of what they have spoken of or commanded;

For all such things are intrigues that arise,

For all of these are hidden plots that have crossed the mind,

موجبةً إلى الهلاك والتلفْ

موجبةً إلى الهلاك والتلفْ

والغمّ والخسران أيضاً والأسفْ

والغمّ والخسران أيضاً والأسفْ

Bringing ruin and destruction,

Leading to destruction and ruin,

Anguish, loss, and bitter regret,

And anguish and loss, and regret as well,

موقعة بنار بعدٍ موصدَهْ

موقعة بنار بعدٍ موصدَهْ

عن حضرة الرحمن باتت مبعدَهْ

عن حضرة الرحمن باتت مبعدَهْ

Casting one into a fire of remoteness, sealed shut,

Casting them into the sealed fire of estrangement.

Banished from the presence of the All-Merciful.

They have become banished from the presence of the All-Merciful.

وكلّ من أطاع نفسه هوى

وكلّ من أطاع نفسه هوى

مع الهوى في حرّ نيران الجوى

مع الهوى في حرّ نيران الجوى

Whoever obeys his self out of caprice

And everyone who obeys his soul falls

Is, with caprice, amid the blazing fires of passion.

With desire into the heat of the fires of anguish.

لأنّها أعدى عدوٍّ عادي

لأنّها أعدى عدوٍّ عادي

قاطعةٌ عن منهج الرشاد

قاطعةٌ عن منهج الرشاد

For it is the fiercest enemy, ever assailing,

For it is the fiercest of assailing foes,

Cutting one off from the path of right guidance.

Cutting one off from the path of right guidance.

بالخير لم تأمر ولا الهدايهْ

بالخير لم تأمر ولا الهدايهْ

بل لسلوك طرق الغوايهْ

بل لسلوك طرق الغوايهْ

It commands neither goodness nor guidance,

It has commanded neither goodness nor guidance,

But rather the following of the paths of error.

But rather to follow the paths of error.

فمن يكن بأمرها مؤتمرا

فمن يكن بأمرها مؤتمرا

فهو عديم العقل من غير مِرا

فهو عديم العقل من غير مِرا

Whoever submits to its command

So whoever acts at its command

Is bereft of reason—without dispute.

Is devoid of reason, beyond dispute.

فكم حديثٍ قد أتى محذّرا

فكم حديثٍ قد أتى محذّرا

من شرّها وصحّ عن خير الورى

من شرّها وصحّ عن خير الورى

How many a hadith has come as a warning

For many a tradition has come as a warning

Of its evil, soundly related from the best of humankind.

Against its evil, authentically transmitted from the best of humankind.

وبعد فالسلام من بعد الدعا

وبعد فالسلام من بعد الدعا

على محبٍّ للعهود قد رعى

على محبٍّ للعهود قد رعى

Now then: greetings of peace, after prayer,

And now, after supplication, peace

Upon a lover who has faithfully kept the covenant.

Upon a devotee who has kept the covenants.

ثبّته الله لحفظ العهدِ

ثبّته الله لحفظ العهدِ

وصانه من الشقاء المردي

وصانه من الشقاء المردي

May God make him steadfast in keeping the covenant

May God make him steadfast in keeping the covenant,

And guard him from ruinous misery.

And protect him from ruinous misery.

هذا وإنّي كنت قبلاً خائفا

هذا وإنّي كنت قبلاً خائفا

عليك ممّا يجلب المتالفا

عليك ممّا يجلب المتالفا

This said: before, I was afraid

This said, I had previously been afraid

For you, of what brings destruction,

For you, because of what brings ruin,

حتّى بدا ما قد بدا من الّذي

حتّى بدا ما قد بدا من الّذي

قد كان لكن عهدنا لم يُنبَذِ

قد كان لكن عهدنا لم يُنبَذِ

Until there appeared what appeared of that which

Until there came to light what came to light of what

Had been; but our covenant was not cast aside.

Had happened; yet our covenant was not cast aside,

وإن تكن أمسيت عنّي معرضا

وإن تكن أمسيت عنّي معرضا

إذ بتّ عن نفسك جهلاً في رضا

إذ بتّ عن نفسك جهلاً في رضا

Though you have turned away from me,

Even though you had come to turn away from me,

Resting, in ignorance, content with your own self.

Since, in ignorance, you had grown content with yourself,

ولم تكن في صالحٍ تراني

ولم تكن في صالحٍ تراني

وقمتَ بعد الجمع للفرقان

وقمتَ بعد الجمع للفرقان

You did not see me as one righteous,

And you did not see me in a favorable light,

And after union you rose up for division.

And after union you set out for separation.

غفلت عن غرسي لصالح العملْ

غفلت عن غرسي لصالح العملْ

وصرت فرداً عنه بالنفس استقلْ

وصرت فرداً عنه بالنفس استقلْ

You neglected what I had planted for righteous work

You neglected my planting for good works,

And went off alone, severed from it by the self.

And became solitary, apart from it, self-reliant.

والآن قد صحوت من سكر الهوى

والآن قد صحوت من سكر الهوى

وقدا أتاك الأمر منّا بالدوا

وقدا أتاك الأمر منّا بالدوا

Now you have sobered from the drunkenness of caprice,

And now you have sobered up from desire's intoxication,

And our command has come to you with the remedy.

And the command has come to you from us with the remedy.

فارجع لنا مسلّماً مصالحا

فارجع لنا مسلّماً مصالحا

مصافحاً كفّاً تراه صالحا

مصافحاً كفّاً تراه صالحا

Return to us, surrendered and reconciled,

So return to us in submission and reconciliation,

And clasp a hand you know to be righteous.

Clasping a hand you deem righteous,

واسمع لما يأمره بالطاعهْ

واسمع لما يأمره بالطاعهْ

موافقاً لسنّة الجماعهْ

موافقاً لسنّة الجماعهْ

Heed what it commands, obediently,

And heed obediently what he commands,

In accord with the Sunna of the community.

In accord with the community's tradition.

من كلّ ما قد شان نظّفِ الوعا

من كلّ ما قد شان نظّفِ الوعا

وكن فتىً وصيتي قد سمعا

وكن فتىً وصيتي قد سمعا

Cleanse the vessel of everything that has stained it,

Cleanse the vessel of all that has marred it,

And be a noble youth who has heard my counsel.

And be a young man who has heeded my counsel.

وصفِّ منك القلبَ من أكدار

وصفِّ منك القلبَ من أكدار

ما قد رمتهُ النفس من أقذار

ما قد رمتهُ النفس من أقذار

Clear the heart within you of all its murk,

And purify the heart within you of the impurities

Of the filth the self has hurled into it.

Of the filth the soul has cast into it.

إيّاك إيّاك الخلاف يا أخي

إيّاك إيّاك الخلاف يا أخي

وكن لحرب النفس بالروح سخي

وكن لحرب النفس بالروح سخي

Beware, beware of dissent, my brother;

Beware, beware of discord, my brother,

Be lavish with your spirit in the war against the self.

And be generous with your spirit in the battle against the soul.

واخضع وتب لله باستغفارِ

واخضع وتب لله باستغفارِ

وادخل لباب الذلّ بانكسارِ

وادخل لباب الذلّ بانكسارِ

Humble yourself and repent to God, seeking forgiveness;

And humble yourself and repent to God, seeking forgiveness,

Enter the gate of lowliness with a broken heart.

And enter humility's gate with a broken spirit.

فهذه وصيّتي فاسمع لها

فهذه وصيّتي فاسمع لها

ولا تكن ممّن عن النصح لها

ولا تكن ممّن عن النصح لها

This is my counsel, so listen to it;

This, then, is my counsel, so heed it,

Do not be one who turns away from its advice.

And do not be among those heedless of counsel.

والله أرجوه لك التوفيقا

والله أرجوه لك التوفيقا

إلى الهدى كي تسلك الطريقا

إلى الهدى كي تسلك الطريقا

God is whom I ask to grant you success,

And I ask God to grant you success

Toward guidance, that you may tread the path.

In guidance, so that you may walk the path.

وخصّ منّي بالدعا إخوانكَ

وخصّ منّي بالدعا إخوانكَ

من قد غدوا على التقى أعوانكَ

من قد غدوا على التقى أعوانكَ

And favor your brothers with a prayer from me—

And offer a special prayer from me for your brethren,

Those who have become your helpers in piety.

Who have become your helpers in piety.