أعدد لضيفك أهبة الإِكرامِ
وتحية موصولة بسلام
Prepare for your guest all the trappings of honor,
Prepare for your guest the means of honoring him,
And a greeting joined with peace.
And a greeting joined with peace.
وتلقَ أياماً له وليالياً
بصيام راعي ذمّة وقيام
Meet his days and nights
And welcome its days and nights
With fasting that honors his claim, and with prayer.
With fasting, observing your covenant, and night prayer.
واعكف على الأذكار في آنائه
ما بين مبتدإِ له وختام
Devote yourself throughout his hours to remembrance,
And devote yourself to remembrance throughout its hours,
From his beginning to his end.
Between its beginning and its end.
رمضان شهر الصَّوم فاغنم قربَهُ
تغنم أجلّ دعائم الإِسلام
Ramadan is the month of fasting—seize the blessing of his nearness,
Ramadan is the month of fasting, so profit from its nearness;
And you will gain the noblest pillar of Islam.
You will gain the noblest of Islam's pillars.
إكليلُ مفرق دهره بل تاجُهُ
والدَّرةُ الوسطى لسلك العام
He is the diadem upon the brow of time—indeed, its crown,
A wreath upon its age's head—nay, its crown,
And the central pearl upon the year’s necklace;
And the central pearl upon the year's strand.
ومُقامُ بذل رغائب ومواهب
لو أنه يحتل دار مقام
A season for bestowing precious gifts and favors—
And a place for bestowing choice gifts and favors,
If only he could dwell forever in our abode!
If only it would dwell in an enduring abode.
فاشدد له عقد الوفاءِ فإنما
أيامُهُ غُرَرٌ من الأيام
Bind fast with him the covenant of fidelity, for
So tighten the knot of fidelity to it, for
His days are the radiant choice of all days.
Its days are the brightest among days.
وإذا ظفرت بظلمةٍ من ليلهِ
فالنّور باطن ذلك الأظلام
And when you attain a dark hour of his night,
And when you come upon darkness in its night,
Light lies within that darkness.
Then light lies within that darkness.
لو أن مقدمه يباع ويشتري
بُذلت له الأرواح في الأسوام
If his coming could be bought and sold,
If its arrival could be bought and sold,
Souls would be offered as its price.
Souls would be offered for it in the bidding.
إن الرّجال على لاحقيقة زمرةٌ
قطعته نائمة على الأقدام
Truly, men are but a company
Indeed, men in the truest sense are a band
That traversed it asleep upon their feet.
Who spent it asleep upon their feet.
علمت وشيك زواله فسمت لهُ
منقادةً منه بخير زمام
I knew how swiftly he would depart, so I aspired to him,
They knew its passing was near, so they rose toward it,
Docile beneath the finest rein he gave.
Obediently led by it with the finest rein.
والجسمُ لا يأوي للذة راحةٍ
والجفنُ ليس يذوق طيب منام
The body takes no refuge in pleasurable rest,
And the body takes no refuge in the pleasure of rest,
Nor does the eyelid taste the sweetness of sleep.
And the eyelid does not taste the sweetness of sleep.
طوبى لمن وافاه واجب حقه
من حرمةٍ فُرضت له وذمام
Blessed is the one who renders him his rightful due—
Blessed is whoever renders it its rightful due,
The inviolable honor and protection ordained for him.
Of reverence prescribed for it and covenantal duty.
طوبى لمن غضَّ الجفون بشهره
عن لحظ مكروه له وحرام
Blessed is the one who, during his month, lowers his eyes
Blessed is whoever lowers his eyelids during its month,
From every hateful and forbidden glance.
From gazing at what is disapproved or forbidden to him.
طوبى لمن خطم اللسان عن الخنا
واللّغو والتّقوى أكفَّ خطام
Blessed is the one who bridles his tongue against obscenity
Blessed is whoever bridles his tongue against obscenity
And idle talk—for piety is the surest bridle.
And idle talk—and piety is the surest bridle.
يا صائمين وقائمين بشارة
بسلامة فيه ودار سلام
O you who fast and stand in prayer, glad tidings
O you who fast and stand in prayer: glad tidings
Of safety within it and an abode of peace!
Of safety within it and an abode of peace.
في شهركم هذا مواسم رحمةٍ
كُتبت لصائمه على الإِلزام
In this month of yours are seasons of mercy,
In this month of yours are seasons of mercy,
Assured by decree to the one who fasts it.
Decreed for those who fast in it as a binding obligation.
شتَّان بين لاقائمين بليله
للخوف أو للشوق والنّوام
How vast the difference between those who stand through its night
How far apart are those who stand in prayer during its night
In fear or longing, and those who sleep!
Out of fear or longing, and those who sleep!
صبروا قليلاً فاستعاضوا راحةً
في دار خلد ناعم ودوام
They endured a little, and received in exchange repose
They were patient a little while, and gained rest in return,
In an abode of blissful, everlasting life.
In an abode of blissful eternity and permanence.
عجباً لمن وجد الشّفاء لذنبه
وأقام مرتبكاً مع الآثام
How strange that one should find the cure for his sin
How strange that one should find the cure for his sin,
Yet remain entangled among transgressions!
Yet remain entangled in sins!
طبعُ بهيمي وأكثر من ترى
يعتدده العقلاء في الأنعام
His nature is beastly; and most whom you see
A bestial nature! And most of those you see
The wise would number among the cattle.
Are counted by the wise among livestock.
من لم يعظهُ الموتُ وهو معاين
لم ينتفع أبداً بنقل كلام
Whoever is not admonished by death, though seeing it before him,
Whoever is not admonished by death, though it is before his eyes,
Will never profit from words passed down.
Will never benefit from words conveyed.
وإذا انقضى شهرُ الصّيام ولم تَتُب
فمن البعيد متاب باقي العام
If the month of fasting ends and you have not repented,
And if the month of fasting ends and you have not repented,
How remote is repentance during the rest of the year!
Then repentance during the rest of the year is unlikely.
وإذا تعدّيت الطبيب لغيره
فات الطبيبُ وفزت بالآلام
If you pass the physician by for someone else,
And if you bypass the physician for someone else,
The physician is lost to you, and pain is all you win.
The physician is lost to you, and you win pain.
خذها نصيحة قائل بحقيقةٍ
لو وافقت عوناً من الإفهام
Take this as the counsel of one who speaks a truth—
Take it as counsel from one who speaks the truth,
If only it should find support from understanding.
If only it found help in making itself understood.
Sol 6.1