أَلَيسَ عَيشُ الزُّهدِ عَيشاً هني

وَأَنّ في الزُّهدِ المَقامَ السّني

Is not the life of asceticism a happy life

And that in asceticism lies honorable dwelling

وَأَنّ في الزُّهدِ اِرتِياحُ الحَشا

فَعَنهُ خِدنُ العَقلِ لا يَنثَني

And that in asceticism lies the comfort of companionship

So by it the mind is embraced and does not bend

وَالزُّهدُ في دُنياكَ مُستَحسَنٌ

وَإِن ضدَّ الزُّهدِ لَم يحسنِ

And asceticism in your world is commendable

While the opposite of asceticism is not good

مَن زَهِدَ الدُّنيا فَذا الفَتى

وَالعاقِلُ الآخِذُ بِالأَحسَنِ

Whoever renounces the world, that is the young man

And the reasonable one who takes the best

فَاِزهَد وَلا تبدُ عبدَ الغِنى

بَل كُن كَهَذا الشَّهمِ عبدِ الغني

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

Rather be like this proud slave of wealth

الكَامل الزّاهِد خدن الوفا

مَن عاشَ في دُنياهُ لَم يفتنِ

The perfect ascetic embraced faithfulness

Whoever lived in his world was not tempted

في جَمعِهِ لِلفَرقِ نالَ الفَنا

فَعَن سِوى اللَّهِ تَراه فني

By gathering for separation he attained annihilation

So besides God he seems annihilated

العارِف الصوفيّ ربّ الحِجى

مَن بِسوى العِرفانِ لَم يَعتَني

The Gnostic Sufi lord of pilgrimage

Whoever busied himself with other than gnosis

صوفِي إِذ صافى فَنالَ الصّفا

وَسمِّيَ الصوفي بِعَيشٍ هَني

The Sufi when he purified attained purity

And was named Sufi for a happy life

بِحُسنِ أَخلاقٍ وَصَفوِ الحَشا

لا شَكَّ قَد نالَ الكَمالَ السَّنِي

With good morals and clear companionship

No doubt he attained complete honor

تَصوّف الإِنسانِ أَخلاقهُ

لا لِبسُهُ لِلصوفِ وَالأخشنِ

The Sufism of man is his morals

Not his clothes and roughness

الناسِك العابِد صنو التُّقى

مَن صارَ في التّمكينِ بِالأَمكنِ

The worshipping ascetic knower of piety

Whoever was enabled in the dwellings

السّيّد الماجِد بَدر العُلى

وَمِن سِوى العَلياءِ لَم يَسكنِ

The masterful glorious full moon

And besides the most high he did not settle

وَالشّرف الأَعلى لَهُ مَسكَنٌ

يا حُسنَهُ في الدّهرِ مِن مَسكَنِ

And the highest honor for him is dwelling

Oh goodness in the world is dwelling

لا زالَ في ذا الدَّهرِ حصنَ العُلى

مَشيدَة الأَركانِ لَم توهنِ

The fortress of the most high remains

With pillars not weakened

وَذِكرهُ بِالحَمدِ ثمَّ الثّنا

يَجري عَلى مَدى الدَّهرِ عَلى الأَلسُنِ

And his mention in praise then gratitude

Flows throughout the ages on tongues

ما اِخضَرَّ غُصنٌ ما بَدا مائِساً

ما قَد شَدا الوُرقُ عَلى الأَغصُنِ

No branch stayed green no water was lacking

The leaves did not wither on branches

ما قالَ مَن طابَ لَهُ زُهدهُ

أَلَيسَ عَيش الزّهدِ عَيشاً هني

None who purified himself said

Is not the life of asceticism a happy life