الحمد لله مهذّب النفوسْ

إذا ردّها إليه من بعد الشموسْ

Praise be to God, Refiner of souls,

When He returns them to Himself after their restiveness,

منقادةً لأمره مختارهْ

من بعد ما قد كانت الأمارهْ

Yielding to His command and choosing it,

After the self had once been the imperious commander.

من فضله ألهمها تقواها

بذبحها أفلح من ذكّاها

By His grace He inspired it with its piety;

By slaying it, whoever purifies it prospers.

وذبحها بمدية المجاهدَهْ

فيها بما تكون فيه رائدَهْ

Its slaughter is with the blade of spiritual striving,

Against it wherever it would take the lead,

ممّا به قد حدّثت أو أمرت

فكلّها دسائسٌ قد خطرت

In whatever it whispers or commands;

For all such things are intrigues that arise,

موجبةً إلى الهلاك والتلفْ

والغمّ والخسران أيضاً والأسفْ

Bringing ruin and destruction,

Anguish, loss, and bitter regret,

موقعة بنار بعدٍ موصدَهْ

عن حضرة الرحمن باتت مبعدَهْ

Casting one into a fire of remoteness, sealed shut,

Banished from the presence of the All-Merciful.

وكلّ من أطاع نفسه هوى

مع الهوى في حرّ نيران الجوى

Whoever obeys his self out of caprice

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

لأنّها أعدى عدوٍّ عادي

قاطعةٌ عن منهج الرشاد

For it is the fiercest enemy, ever assailing,

Cutting one off from the path of right guidance.

بالخير لم تأمر ولا الهدايهْ

بل لسلوك طرق الغوايهْ

It commands neither goodness nor guidance,

But rather the following of the paths of error.

فمن يكن بأمرها مؤتمرا

فهو عديم العقل من غير مِرا

Whoever submits to its command

Is bereft of reason—without dispute.

فكم حديثٍ قد أتى محذّرا

من شرّها وصحّ عن خير الورى

How many a hadith has come as a warning

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

وبعد فالسلام من بعد الدعا

على محبٍّ للعهود قد رعى

Now then: greetings of peace, after prayer,

Upon a lover who has faithfully kept the covenant.

ثبّته الله لحفظ العهدِ

وصانه من الشقاء المردي

May God make him steadfast in keeping the covenant

And guard him from ruinous misery.

هذا وإنّي كنت قبلاً خائفا

عليك ممّا يجلب المتالفا

This said: before, I was afraid

For you, of what brings destruction,

حتّى بدا ما قد بدا من الّذي

قد كان لكن عهدنا لم يُنبَذِ

Until there appeared what appeared of that which

Had been; but our covenant was not cast aside.

وإن تكن أمسيت عنّي معرضا

إذ بتّ عن نفسك جهلاً في رضا

Though you have turned away from me,

Resting, in ignorance, content with your own self.

ولم تكن في صالحٍ تراني

وقمتَ بعد الجمع للفرقان

You did not see me as one righteous,

And after union you rose up for division.

غفلت عن غرسي لصالح العملْ

وصرت فرداً عنه بالنفس استقلْ

You neglected what I had planted for righteous work

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

والآن قد صحوت من سكر الهوى

وقدا أتاك الأمر منّا بالدوا

Now you have sobered from the drunkenness of caprice,

And our command has come to you with the remedy.

فارجع لنا مسلّماً مصالحا

مصافحاً كفّاً تراه صالحا

Return to us, surrendered and reconciled,

And clasp a hand you know to be righteous.

واسمع لما يأمره بالطاعهْ

موافقاً لسنّة الجماعهْ

Heed what it commands, obediently,

In accord with the Sunna of the community.

من كلّ ما قد شان نظّفِ الوعا

وكن فتىً وصيتي قد سمعا

Cleanse the vessel of everything that has stained it,

And be a noble youth who has heard my counsel.

وصفِّ منك القلبَ من أكدار

ما قد رمتهُ النفس من أقذار

Clear the heart within you of all its murk,

Of the filth the self has hurled into it.

إيّاك إيّاك الخلاف يا أخي

وكن لحرب النفس بالروح سخي

Beware, beware of dissent, my brother;

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

واخضع وتب لله باستغفارِ

وادخل لباب الذلّ بانكسارِ

Humble yourself and repent to God, seeking forgiveness;

Enter the gate of lowliness with a broken heart.

فهذه وصيّتي فاسمع لها

ولا تكن ممّن عن النصح لها

This is my counsel, so listen to it;

Do not be one who turns away from its advice.

والله أرجوه لك التوفيقا

إلى الهدى كي تسلك الطريقا

God is whom I ask to grant you success,

Toward guidance, that you may tread the path.

وخصّ منّي بالدعا إخوانكَ

من قد غدوا على التقى أعوانكَ

And favor your brothers with a prayer from me—

Those who have become your helpers in piety.