تَنَزَّه عَن بَني الدُنيا وَعادِ

تَنَزَّه عَن بَني الدُنيا وَعادِ

أُناساً مِن بَقيّة قَوم عادِ

أُناساً مِن بَقيّة قَوم عادِ

Rise above the sons of this world, and oppose

Rise above the sons of the lowly world and return

People from the remnants of the folk of ʿĀd.

To be people from the remnant of the tribe of Aad

وَلا تَترك جَواد الحَزم يَغدو

وَلا تَترك جَواد الحَزم يَغدو

لِمضمار الفَضائل غَير عادي

لِمضمار الفَضائل غَير عادي

And do not let the steed of resolve go forth

And do not let the steed of wisdom wander

To the racecourse of virtues without galloping.

To the racetrack of virtues being unusual

وَإِن يَبغي الجهول عَليك فاِصبر

وَإِن يَبغي الجهول عَليك فاِصبر

فَإِنّ البَغيَ مَصرع كُلّ عادي

فَإِنّ البَغيَ مَصرع كُلّ عادي

And if the ignorant man wrongs you, be patient,

And if the ignorant want to oppress you, then be patient

For aggression is the downfall of every aggressor.

For oppression is the fate of each ordinary one

وَلا تك يا نَقيَّ العرض تصحب

وَلا تك يا نَقيَّ العرض تصحب

دنيّا دَاؤه لَكَ شَرّ عادي

دنيّا دَاؤه لَكَ شَرّ عادي

And do not, you of unstained honor, befriend

And do not be, O pure in honor, accompany

A base man, whose malady is the worst contagion for you.

A lowly world whose harm to you is most vile

فَإِنّ الغَدر بِالأَسفال طَبع

فَإِنّ الغَدر بِالأَسفال طَبع

وَإِنّ المَكر بِالأَسفاه عادي

وَإِنّ المَكر بِالأَسفاه عادي

For treachery is innate in the base,

For betrayal is the nature of the lowest

And guile is habitual among fools.

And deceit is the habit of the foolish

عَرَفت بَني الزَمان فَلا تُؤمّل

عَرَفت بَني الزَمان فَلا تُؤمّل

بِهم خَيراً تَضلّ عَن الرَشادِ

بِهم خَيراً تَضلّ عَن الرَشادِ

I have known the sons of this age; do not expect

You knew the sons of time so do not hope

Any good from them, lest you stray from the right path.

For goodness from them that misleads from guidance

إِلى كَم ذي الإِقامة بَينَ قَوم

إِلى كَم ذي الإِقامة بَينَ قَوم

أَرادوا خَيبَتي وَبَغوا عِنادي

أَرادوا خَيبَتي وَبَغوا عِنادي

How long this stay among people

To how long, O resident among a people

Who desired my failure and sought to oppose me?

Who wanted my disappointment and sought my defiance

وَحتّامَ أجمل غَرس وَدّي

وَحتّامَ أجمل غَرس وَدّي

وَهُم شَرٌّ عَلَيهِ مِن الجَرادِ

وَهُم شَرٌّ عَلَيهِ مِن الجَرادِ

And how long shall I beautify the planting of my love,

And they are worse for my most beautiful friendship

When they are worse for it than locusts?

Than locusts on it and grasshoppers

وَما عَيش الحليم بِأَرض حُمقٍ

وَما عَيش الحليم بِأَرض حُمقٍ

أَعدّو الجَهل زاداً لِلمَعادِ

أَعدّو الجَهل زاداً لِلمَعادِ

And what life has a forbearing man in a land of fools

And the life of the forbearing in a land of fools

Who have prepared ignorance as provisions for the hereafter?

Who prepared ignorance as provision for the return

وَما تَعليل نَفسي في أُناس

وَما تَعليل نَفسي في أُناس

أَضرّ عَلى العَليل مِن السُهادِ

أَضرّ عَلى العَليل مِن السُهادِ

And what solace for my soul is there among people

And why should I blame myself among people

More harmful to the sick than sleeplessness?

More harmful to the sick than vertigo

خبرت بَني الزَمان فَلَيسَ عِندي

خبرت بَني الزَمان فَلَيسَ عِندي

لَهُم ودٌّ فَأَمنحهم وِدادي

لَهُم ودٌّ فَأَمنحهم وِدادي

I have tested the sons of this age; I have no

I knew the sons of time so I have for them

Love for them that would lead me to offer them my affection.

No affection to give them my affection

فَلا مَكر لَهُم عَنّي بِخاف

فَلا مَكر لَهُم عَنّي بِخاف

وَلا سرٌّ لَهُم عِندي بِبادي

وَلا سرٌّ لَهُم عِندي بِبادي

So none of their guile is hidden from me,

So they have no deceit about me in secret

Nor is any secret of theirs laid bare in my keeping.

Nor any confidentiality with me in the wilderness

فَيا نَفس اِقطَعي صِلة التَداني

فَيا نَفس اِقطَعي صِلة التَداني

فَحَسبك لا تكيد وَلا تكادي

فَحَسبك لا تكيد وَلا تكادي

So, my soul, sever the bond of closeness;

So O self, sever the tie of intimacy

It is enough for you neither to scheme nor be schemed against.

For it suffices you neither to plot nor to scheme

لَو اِنتَقَد الزَمان بَنيه خبراً

لَو اِنتَقَد الزَمان بَنيه خبراً

لَما أَربى عَلى حُسن اِنتِقادي

لَما أَربى عَلى حُسن اِنتِقادي

If Time scrutinized its sons through experience,

If time criticized its sons for their actions

It would not surpass the soundness of my judgment.

It would not cultivate the excellence of my criticism

وَلي نَفس مَقام الذُلّ تَأبى

وَلي نَفس مَقام الذُلّ تَأبى

وَلو رفعت عَلى السَبع الشِدادِ

وَلو رفعت عَلى السَبع الشِدادِ

And I have a soul that rejects a place of humiliation,

And my soul has the stance of humiliation it refuses

Even if it were raised above the seven firm heavens.

And if it was raised over the ferocious predators

تَرى رَفضَ اللئيم أَجلّ فَرضٍ

تَرى رَفضَ اللئيم أَجلّ فَرضٍ

وَخَفر ذِمامِهِ خَير اِعتِقادِ

وَخَفر ذِمامِهِ خَير اِعتِقادِ

It sees rejecting the base man as the noblest duty,

You see the despicable refuses the greatest obligation

And breaking his covenant as the soundest principle.

And his mounting of the bridle is the best conviction

عَلامَ تَضيق بي أَعطان قَومي

عَلامَ تَضيق بي أَعطان قَومي

وَأرض اللَه واسعة المَهادِ

وَأرض اللَه واسعة المَهادِ

Why should my people's watering grounds hem me in,

Why do the narrow valleys of my people constrict me

When God's earth is a spacious resting place?

While God's earth is vast with resting places

سَأُقصي عَن مَنازلهم دِياري

سَأُقصي عَن مَنازلهم دِياري

وَأبعد عَن بِلادهم بِلادي

وَأبعد عَن بِلادهم بِلادي

I shall set my dwellings far from their homes,

I will move my home away from their dwellings

And distance my lands from their lands.

And take my lands away from their lands

وَأسري في الفَلاة بِلا أَنيس

وَأسري في الفَلاة بِلا أَنيس

سِوى وَحش السَباسب وَالوهادِ

سِوى وَحش السَباسب وَالوهادِ

And journey by night through the desert without a companion,

And I roam the wilderness without a companion

Save the wild beasts of the desert plains and lowlands.

Except the beasts of the deer and ibex

وَأَفري بِالمطهّم كُلّ حزنٍ

وَأَفري بِالمطهّم كُلّ حزنٍ

أَجوب بِهِ بِلا ماءٍ وَزادِ

أَجوب بِهِ بِلا ماءٍ وَزادِ

And cleave every rugged tract on the well-built steed;

And I relieve with the wanderer every sorrow

I shall roam upon it without water or provisions.

As I wander without water and provision

لِعلمي أنّ عِندَ اللَه رِزقي

لِعلمي أنّ عِندَ اللَه رِزقي

وَباب اللَه منهلُ كُلّ صادي

وَباب اللَه منهلُ كُلّ صادي

For I know that my sustenance is with God,

Knowing that with God is my provision

And God's door is a watering place for all who thirst.

And God's door is the watering place of every seeker

وَمَن طَلَب المَفاخر وَالمَعالي

وَمَن طَلَب المَفاخر وَالمَعالي

يَهيم بِحُبِّها في كُلّ وادي

يَهيم بِحُبِّها في كُلّ وادي

And whoever seeks glory and lofty honors

And whoever seeks glories and sublimities

Wanders in love with them through every valley.

Will passionately love them in every valley

فَإِن يَرَ وَصلَها سَهر اللَيالي

فَإِن يَرَ وَصلَها سَهر اللَيالي

وَجافى جفنه سنةَ الرقادِ

وَجافى جفنه سنةَ الرقادِ

If he envisages attaining them, he keeps vigil through the nights,

So if he spends the nights awake for reaching them

And his eyelid shuns the drowsiness of sleep.

And his eyelids forego the years of sleep

فَلا ماضي الزَمان بِمستعادٍ

فَلا ماضي الزَمان بِمستعادٍ

وَلا ما فات مِنهُ بِمُستَفادِ

وَلا ما فات مِنهُ بِمُستَفادِ

For time gone by cannot be brought back,

Then the past time is not regained

Nor can what has passed of it be put to use.

And what is gone from it is not attained