يا من على حال المعاصي أقام

حتى متى أنت وذاك المقام

O you who persist in a state of sin,

how long will you remain in that state?

يا خائضا في لج بحر وقد

أغعرى به التسويف عاما فغام

O you who wade in a sea's depths, into which

procrastination has lured you for a year, and you have sunk;

يا خائضا عشواء في فدفد

مسترخم المرعى شديد الأوام

O you who stumble blindly across a barren plain,

finding its pasture pleasant, yet fiercely thirsty;

أبرم لا تلوي عنان السرى

عن مهمة ضنك كثير الهوام

you persist, never turning the reins of your night journey

away from a harsh wilderness teeming with vermin.

وكم كم سودت من أبيض

بقبح فعل ذمّة كل ذام

How many, how many white things have you blackened

with an ugly deed condemned by every censurer!

أما نهاك الشي في وعظه

لما أتى ينذر بالانصرام

Has gray hair not restrained you with its admonition,

when it came warning that your time was ending?

هشت لك الدنيا فقابلتها

بالبشر والإقبال والاستلام

The world smiled upon you, and you greeted it

with cheerfulness, eagerness, and an embrace.

واغتضت عن باق بهاز ومن

يقتص خسيسا عن نفيس يلام

You exchanged what endures for [unclear]; and whoever

exacts something base for something precious is blamed.

ما زخرف الدنيا ولذّتها

إلا كنيف الطيف عند المنام

The world's glitter and its pleasure are nothing

but a phantom's shelter in sleep.

وهل يرى مقدارها حاذق

إلا كقدر النقص حال التمام

Does a discerning person ever judge its worth

except as deficiency amid completeness?

دار متى ما نعمت عذبت

أو نولت جادت بنقض المرام

An abode that, whenever it gives ease, torments,

or grants a gift, lavishes the undoing of one's desire.

ما أضحكت من امرئ بالمنى

إلا وبكته الدموع الدوام

Never has it made a person laugh with hopes

without unceasing tears making him weep.

ولا سقت أو أطعمت جائعا

إلا وصغته بذاك الطعام

Nor has it given drink or fed a hungry person

without choking him on that food [uncertain reading].

كم سالت غدرا ودانت قلى

واستسنمت نفخا وصحت سقام

How often it flowed treacherously and drew near in hatred,

and rose high through swelling, its health a sickness!

تعسا لها من غادرا شأنها

خلف المواعيد وخفر الذمام

Perdition to it, a traitor whose way is

breaking promises and violating covenants.

فاجنح إلى الأخرى ودع ما ترى

ما هذه الأحلام إلا منام

So turn toward the life to come, and leave what you see;

these dreams are nothing but sleep.

ولا تقض العمر في غفلة

فليس للنوام حظ القيام

Do not spend your lifetime in heedlessness,

for sleepers have no share in standing vigil.

فبادر التوبة تمحو بها

ما سودته الموبقات العظام

Hasten to repentance, that through it you may erase

what grievous, ruinous sins have blackened.

واخلع إزار الغي والبس ثيا

ب الرشد واستصغر لأذنى الأنام

Cast off the wrap of error and put on the garments

of right guidance; humble yourself before the lowliest of humankind.

واستلزم التقوى وكن طائعا

فالفوز كل الفوز في الالتزام

Hold fast to piety, and be obedient,

for success—all success—lies in steadfast adherence.

ورتل القرآن وكن طائعا

فإن في القرآن نيل المرام

Recite the Qur'an with measured care, and be obedient,

for in the Qur'an lies the attainment of your desire.

وارفع يد التسآل وانصب قرى

الأقران واقنع بانخفاض المقام

Raise your hand in supplication, and set out food for

your peers; be content with a lowly station.

وارسل سحاب الدمع واصف الحشا

واقرع بأيدي الفقر باب السلام

Let loose the clouds of tears and purify your heart,

and knock with the hands of poverty upon the gate of peace.

والهج بمدح المصطفى المجتبى

تحظى بنيل النائل المستدام

Keep praising the Chosen One, the Elect,

and you will attain the enduring gift.

محمد الهادي الحبيب الفتى

شمس العلا المختار خير الأنام

Muhammad, the guide, the beloved, the noble youth,

the sun of glory, the chosen, the best of humankind;

الفاتح الخاتم حامي الهدى

الحاشر العاقب ماحي الظلام

the opener, the seal, the guardian of guidance,

the gatherer, the final successor, the effacer of darkness;

الأول الأخير مبدأ الورى

الظاهر الباطن مسك الختام

the first, the last, the origin of creation,

the manifest, the hidden, the musk of the close;

نجم السرى كهف القرى بحره

سر النهى وسطي عقود النظام

the star of night travel, the refuge of villages; his sea is

the secret of reason, the center of ordered necklaces;

غوث اليتامى غيث ضامي الحشا

بحر الندى الزاخر مأوي الأنام

the succor of orphans, rain for those parched within,

the overflowing sea of generosity, the refuge of humankind;

صبح العلا الوضاح شمس الضحى

نجم السرى الوقاد بدر التمام

the radiant dawn of glory, the sun of morning,

the blazing star of night travel, the moon at its fullness;

الأوصل الأوفى الشفيع الرضا

الأصول الحامي الشجاع الهمام

the best at maintaining ties, the most faithful, the intercessor, the well-pleasing,

the fiercest in attack, the protector, the brave, the valiant;

الأكرم الأسنى النبي التقي

الأعظم الأعلى الرسول الإمام

the most generous, the most splendid, the pious prophet,

the greatest, the loftiest, the messenger, the imam;

من أم بالأملاك والرسل إذ

كانوا له صفا وكان الإمام

he who led the angels and messengers in prayer, when

they formed a row for him, and he was the imam;

من قد رقى المعراج حتى ارتقى

لسدرة العليا لأعلى مقام

he who climbed the ascent until he rose

to the lofty Lote Tree, to the highest station;

من شاهد المولى ونال المنى

وامتاز بالإكرام والاحترام

he who beheld the Lord and attained his wishes,

and was distinguished by honor and reverence;

من خصه الله باشياء لم

يخصص بها إلاه يوم القيام

he whom God singled out for things that

He has reserved for him alone on the Day of Resurrection;

من أنبع السلسال بكفه

وسبح الصلد بها والطعام

he who made sweet water spring forth from his palm,

and hard stone and food glorified God through it;

والعود والجدول بها أصبحا

هذاك مخضر وهذا حسام

and through it the branch and the rivulet became—

that one green, and this one a sharp sword.

وشق بدر الأفق من أجله

والضب قد نجاه بعد السلام

The full moon on the horizon was split for his sake,

and the desert lizard spoke privately to him after its greeting;

والشمس ردت بعد غيب له

وقد وقاه الحر ظل الغمام

the sun was brought back for him after setting,

and the clouds' shade shielded him from the heat;

والنخل لما إن دعاها أتت

طوعا لما قد شاء منها ورام

when he called the palm trees, they came

willingly to fulfill what he desired and sought of them;

والفحل ما إن بكى واشتكى

من مؤلم النحر كفاه الحمام

when the male camel wept and complained

of the pain of slaughter, he spared it death;

ودرت الحائل إذ مسها

واشبع الألف بصاع طعام

the barren female gave milk when he touched her,

and he fed a thousand to fullness with a sa' of food;

والعين بعد القلع قد ردّها

وامتاحها واقتداها بالزمام

he restored the eye after it had been torn out,

and drew it forth and led it by the rein [unclear wording].

وهكذا كف ابن عفرا الفتى

أعادها من بعد قطع الحسام

Likewise, the hand of the young Ibn Afra

he restored after a sharp sword had severed it;

وكم كفى بالنفث من عاهة

وكم شفى بالتفل ضر السقام

how many an affliction he warded off by blowing,

and how often he cured the harm of illness with spittle;

وكم وكم أبرأ من علة

وكم وكم كفى أمورا عظام

how many, how many ailments he healed,

and how many, how many grave matters he averted;

وكم وكم أظهر من معجز

أعجز والله جميع الأنام

how many, how many miracles he displayed

that rendered, by God, all humankind powerless!

فهو الحبيب المتجبى المرتضى

وهو الشفيع الذخر يوم القيام

Thus he is the beloved, the elect, the well-pleasing,

and he is the intercessor, the treasure for the Day of Resurrection.

وهو الذي أرجو به صحة

تمنع جسمي من ضنى واهتضام

And he is the one through whom I hope for health

that shields my body from wasting sickness and oppression;

وهو الذي ارجو به العود عن

قرب إلى البيت العتيق الحرام

and he is the one through whom I hope to return

soon to the ancient, sacred House;

وهو الذي أرجوه إن حل بي

داعي المنايا واعتراني الحمام

and he is the one I hope in when there comes to me

death's herald, and death overtakes me;

وهو الذي أرجو به الفوز في

قبري وفي الألد الخصام

and he is the one through whom I hope for salvation in

my grave and in the bitterest contention;

وهو الذي أرجو به الخير للمولى

ابي عمر والإمام الهمام

and he is the one through whom I hope for good for the master,

Abu Umar and the valiant imam;

وهو الذي أرجو به النجح للمولى

الرضا المسعود مأوى الأيام

and he is the one through whom I hope for success for the master,

the well-pleasing, fortunate one, the refuge of the days;

وهو الذي به العفو عن

آبائي والأشياخ يوم الزحام

and he is the one through whom comes pardon for

my forefathers and the elders on the day of thronging;

وهو الذي أرجو به الصفح عن

آبائي والأشياخ يوم الزحام

and he is the one through whom I hope for forgiveness for

my forefathers and the elders on the day of thronging;

وهو الذي أرجو بمدحي له

أن يعقب البدء بحسن الختام

and he is the one through praising whom I hope

that the beginning may be followed by a good ending.

صلى عليه الله ما مزقت

أيدي الصبا في الأفق مسح الظلام

May God bless him as long as

the hands of the east wind rend the sackcloth of darkness on the horizon,

والآل والأصحاب ما لاح في

أعلى بروج السعد بدر التمام

and his family and companions, as long as there shines in

the highest constellations of good fortune the full moon.