أَرى عِزّةً مِن بَين أثناء ذلّةٍ

أَرى عِزّةً مِن بَين أثناء ذلّةٍ

وعجزاً أراناهُ الزّمان لقدرةِ

وعجزاً أراناهُ الزّمان لقدرةِ

I see honor amid the folds of humiliation,

I see dignity amidst abasement

and power's helplessness, which time has shown us.

And powerlessness which time has shown to be powerful

وَكَم ذا رَأينا والعَجائب جمّةٌ

وَكَم ذا رَأينا والعَجائب جمّةٌ

زجاجةَ سعدٍ صَدّعتْ نحسَ صخرةِ

زجاجةَ سعدٍ صَدّعتْ نحسَ صخرةِ

And how often we have seen this—wonders are many—

How much have we seen and wonders are plentiful

a glass of good fortune that shattered a rock's ill fortune.

The cup of joy shattered by ill-fortune's rock

خُذوها وَإنْ لَم تَعلموا كيفَ أَخذها

خُذوها وَإنْ لَم تَعلموا كيفَ أَخذها

ولا كَيفَ جاءت نَحوكمْ إذ ألمّتِ

ولا كَيفَ جاءت نَحوكمْ إذ ألمّتِ

Take it, even if you do not know how it was obtained,

Take it even if you don't know how it was taken

nor how it came to you when it arrived.

Nor how it came to you when it gave pain

وَلا تَحسبوها في قَنيص اِحتِيالِكمْ

وَلا تَحسبوها في قَنيص اِحتِيالِكمْ

فَقد خَرجتْ عن أن تُنال بحيلةِ

فَقد خَرجتْ عن أن تُنال بحيلةِ

And do not count it among the quarry of your cunning,

Don't think it's in the shirt of your treachery

for it lies beyond being won by a stratagem.

For it has gone beyond being attained by guile

وَعنّتْ لَكمْ والمطلُ عنها بنَجْوَةٍ

وَعنّتْ لَكمْ والمطلُ عنها بنَجْوَةٍ

ولم تأتكمْ كُرهاً ولا هي عنّتٍ

ولم تأتكمْ كُرهاً ولا هي عنّتٍ

And it presented itself to you, with delay far removed from it,

It turned to you while fleeing from it brings salvation

and it came to you neither by force nor with hardship.

Nor did it come to you reluctantly or cunningly

وَلَم تكُ إلّا مِثلَ نُغْبَةِ طائرٍ

وَلَم تكُ إلّا مِثلَ نُغْبَةِ طائرٍ

وقبْسةِ عجلانٍ ولمحةِ نظرِةِ

وقبْسةِ عجلانٍ ولمحةِ نظرِةِ

And it was no more than a bird's sip,

It was but like the swoop of a bird

and a hurried man's snatch of fire, and a fleeting glance.

The gallop of fawns and the glance of a look

فَلا تغمصوها نعمةً إنْ تؤُمِّلَتْ

فَلا تغمصوها نعمةً إنْ تؤُمِّلَتْ

بِعينِ الحِجى أوفتْ على كلّ نعمةِ

بِعينِ الحِجى أوفتْ على كلّ نعمةِ

So do not belittle it—a blessing that, if contemplated

So do not diminish it as a blessing if

with reason's eye, surpasses every blessing.

With the eye of wisdom it fulfilled every blessing

وَأَعطوا الّذي أعطاكُمُ فوقَ سَومكمْ

وَأَعطوا الّذي أعطاكُمُ فوقَ سَومكمْ

رِضاهُ وَلا تُدانوا له دارَ سَخْطَةِ

رِضاهُ وَلا تُدانوا له دارَ سَخْطَةِ

And give the one who gave you more than you asked

And give to the Giver over your allotted share

what pleases him, and do not approach his abode of wrath.

His pleasure, and do not incur for Him a home of wrath

فَإِنّ الّذي يكسو على العُرْيِ قادرٌ

فَإِنّ الّذي يكسو على العُرْيِ قادرٌ

وَلا منيةٌ في الدّهر إلّا كخيبةِ

وَلا منيةٌ في الدّهر إلّا كخيبةِ

For the one who clothes the naked is capable,

For He who clothes the naked is able

and every wish in life is akin to disappointment.

And there is no death in fate but like disappointment

وَقولوا لِمَن حاباكُمُ وأراكُمُ

وَقولوا لِمَن حاباكُمُ وأراكُمُ

بأنّكُمُ نِلْتُمْ مُناها بمُنيَةِ

بأنّكُمُ نِلْتُمْ مُناها بمُنيَةِ

And tell whoever favored you and made you believe

And say to those who tried and showed you

that you attained its hopes through a wish:

That you attained it with effort

أَلا هنّ صُنعٌ من عزيزٍ مُقدِّرٍ

أَلا هنّ صُنعٌ من عزيزٍ مُقدِّرٍ

أَخوذٍ على أيدِي الرّجالِ موقِّتِ

أَخوذٍ على أيدِي الرّجالِ موقِّتِ

Behold, they are the work of a mighty ordainer,

Verily, it is the work of a Mighty Ordainer

who firmly restrains men's hands and appoints the times.

Taken by the hands of men, timing

وَلا تَأمَنوا أَمراً بغير رَوِيَّةٍ

وَلا تَأمَنوا أَمراً بغير رَوِيَّةٍ

لديهِ ولا رأيٍ عليهِ مُبَيَّتِ

لديهِ ولا رأيٍ عليهِ مُبَيَّتِ

And trust no affair without deliberation

Do not feel safe about something without carefulness

on his part, or a judgment on it settled beforehand.

For Him, nor an opinion about it made clear

وَما هيَ إلّا زلّةٌ مِن زَمانِكمْ

وَما هيَ إلّا زلّةٌ مِن زَمانِكمْ

فحتّى متى يأتي الزّمانُ بزلّةِ

فحتّى متى يأتي الزّمانُ بزلّةِ

And it is only a slip on the part of your time;

It is but a stumble from your time

so how long will time keep making slips?

So for how long will time bring a stumble?

وَما كانَ قَد كانَ عَن سببٍ له

وَما كانَ قَد كانَ عَن سببٍ له

علمناهُ لكنَّ المقادير جُنّتِ

علمناهُ لكنَّ المقادير جُنّتِ

And what happened did happen for a reason of its own,

What has happened had a cause for it

which we knew; yet fate's decrees went mad.

We knew it but fate beguiled us

فَإنْ وَفَتِ الأقدارُ عابثةً لكمْ

فَإنْ وَفَتِ الأقدارُ عابثةً لكمْ

فَكمْ مِن وفاءٍ بَعده شرُّ غدرةِ

فَكمْ مِن وفاءٍ بَعده شرُّ غدرةِ

For if fate's decrees have kept faith with you in jest,

So if fortunes come to you meaningless

how often good faith is followed by the worst betrayal!

How much loyalty comes after the worst betrayal?