سَاعَةٌ أَولَى مِنَ اللَّيْلِ انْقَضَتْ

شَرَعَتْ شَرْعَ الرِّضَى وَافْتَرَضَتْ

The first hour of night has passed,

It began well and was fully accepted,

نَقَضَتْ مِنْ سُبْحَةِ الَّليْلِ يَدٌ

نَظَمتْ مِنْ سَبَجٍ مَا نَقَضَتْ

A hand unraveled the beads of night,

And strung together what it unraveled.

وَمَضَتْ مِنْ بَعْدِ أنْسٍ وَكَذَا

سَاعةُ الْأُنْسِ إِذَا سَرَّتْ مَضَتْ

It left after intimacy and so,

The hour of intimacy when it was good, it left.

فَاجْلُ عَنْ نَفْسِكَ لاَ تَحْفِلْ بِهَا

حُجُبَ الْوَهمِ إِذَا مَا اعْتَرَضَتْ

Disregard your soul, pay it no heed,

When the veils of illusion interpose.

وَبُرُوقُ الْحَقِّ فَاصْرِفْ نَحْوَهَا

خَاطِرَ الهمَّةِ مَهْمَا أَوْمَضَتْ

And the flashes of truth, so turn toward them

The thoughts of resolve whenever they shine.

يَا ابْنَ نَصْر يَاسَمِيَّ المُصْطَفَى

حِكْمَةُ اللهِ لَكَ الْعِزَّ اقْتَضَتْ

O son of Nasr, O namesake of Mustafa,

The wisdom of God ordained you honor.

فَإذَا اسْتَنْهَضْتَ فِي مُعْتَرَكٍ

نُصْرَةَ اللهِ تَعَالَى نَهَضَتْ

So when you join in the fray,

The victory of God Most High will rise up.

وَهِيَ النَّفْسُ إِذَا الْحَقُّ اجتلَتْ

جَرَّدَتْ كُلَّ حِجَابٍ وَنَضَتْ

It is the soul when the truth ignites,

It sheds every veil and stirs.

وَإِذَا تُقْرضُ قَرْضاً حَسَناً

ضَاعَفَ اللهُ لَهَا مَا أَقْرَضَتْ

And when you give a goodly loan,

God will multiply for it what it loaned.

وَالرِّضَى بِاللهِ وَالشُّكْرُ لَهُ

يَبْسُطُ الآمَالَ مَهْمَا انْقَبَضَتْ

Acceptance of God and gratitude to Him

Expand hopes however constricted.