إِلَهي أَجرِني مِن شُرورِ بَني نَوعي

إِلَهي أَجرِني مِن شُرورِ بَني نَوعي

فَهُم كَالأَفاعي تَنفُثُ السُمِّ بِالطَبعِ

فَهُم كَالأَفاعي تَنفُثُ السُمِّ بِالطَبعِ

My God, protect me from the evils of my own kind.

My God, protect me from the evils of my own kind

For they are like vipers, spitting venom by nature.

For they are like snakes spewing venom by nature

فَكَم يَرقُبونَ الحُرَّ يَبغونَ وَصمَةً

فَكَم يَرقُبونَ الحُرَّ يَبغونَ وَصمَةً

وَكَم يَجلِبونَ الضَرَّ لِلبَيِّنِ النَفعِ

وَكَم يَجلِبونَ الضَرَّ لِلبَيِّنِ النَفعِ

How often they watch the noble man, seeking a stain!

How they lie in wait for the innocent, seeking to defame

And how often they bring harm to one whose benefit is evident!

And how they bring harm to the evidently beneficial

وَكَم يَقبَلونَ الصُبحَ في الفَضلِ ظُلمَةً

وَكَم يَقبَلونَ الصُبحَ في الفَضلِ ظُلمَةً

وَكَم يَنسِبونَ القُبحَ لِلحُسنِ الصُنعِ

وَكَم يَنسِبونَ القُبحَ لِلحُسنِ الصُنعِ

And how often they take the dawn of excellence for darkness!

How they see darkness in the dawn of virtue

And how often they attribute ugliness to one whose deeds are good!

And attribute ugliness to excellent character

أُطاوِعُهُم جُهدي فَيُهَوّونَ مُكرِهي

أُطاوِعُهُم جُهدي فَيُهَوّونَ مُكرِهي

وَأَوسَعُهُم رِفدي فَيَسعونَ في مَنعي

وَأَوسَعُهُم رِفدي فَيَسعونَ في مَنعي

I comply with them to my utmost, yet they crave what I abhor.

I yield to them despite myself, yet they insist on hating me

I lavish my bounty on them, yet they strive to deprive me.

I provide for them, yet they seek to deprive me

وَأَدنو إِلَيهِم لِلتَآلُفِ إِذ بِهِم

وَأَدنو إِلَيهِم لِلتَآلُفِ إِذ بِهِم

كَأَنجُرَةٍ خَضراءَ تَسبِقُ بِاللَذعِ

كَأَنجُرَةٍ خَضراءَ تَسبِقُ بِاللَذعِ

I draw near to them seeking fellowship, only to find them

I draw near them in friendship, though with them

like a green nettle that strikes first with its sting.

I'm like a green palm drawing blame

وَجدتُ لِأَلفَ الوَحشِ وَالطَيرِ حيلَةً

وَجدتُ لِأَلفَ الوَحشِ وَالطَيرِ حيلَةً

وَلا حيلَةٌ في أُلفَةٍ مِن بَني نَوعي

وَلا حيلَةٌ في أُلفَةٍ مِن بَني نَوعي

I found a means of befriending wild beasts and birds,

I've found a way to befriend beasts and birds

but no means of fellowship with my own kind.

Yet no way to befriend my own kind

فَيا رَبِّ أَنتَ المُستَغاثُ فَلا تَدَع

فَيا رَبِّ أَنتَ المُستَغاثُ فَلا تَدَع

لَهُم كَفَّ بَغيٍ أَو تُكافيهِ بَالقَطعِ

لَهُم كَفَّ بَغيٍ أَو تُكافيهِ بَالقَطعِ

O my Lord, You are the one implored for help; so do not leave

My Lord, You are the one I cry for help to—do not let

them any hand of oppression—or requite it by severing it.

Their hands commit evil or repay it in kind

وَلا تَبقَ مِنهُم مُنكَراً لَفَضيلَةٍ

وَلا تَبقَ مِنهُم مُنكَراً لَفَضيلَةٍ

وَلا حاسِداً يَرمي الأَكابِرَ بِالوَضعِ

وَلا حاسِداً يَرمي الأَكابِرَ بِالوَضعِ

Nor spare among them anyone who denies virtue,

Let not one remain who denies merit

nor an envious man who assails the eminent with belittlement,

Or envies greatness and degrades it

وَلا ذا رِياءٍ يُنصُبُ الدينَ مَجمَعاً

وَلا ذا رِياءٍ يُنصُبُ الدينَ مَجمَعاً

لِيَأكُلَ لَحمَ الأَتقِياءِ عَلى الشَبَعِ

لِيَأكُلَ لَحمَ الأَتقِياءِ عَلى الشَبَعِ

nor a hypocrite who sets up religion as a gathering place,

Nor hypocrites who use religion as a lure

to eat the flesh of the god-fearing even when sated,

To feast on the flesh of the devout 'til replete

وَلا مُغرِياً بِالسوءِ يَصغي تَحَسُّباً

وَلا مُغرِياً بِالسوءِ يَصغي تَحَسُّباً

وَلا مُطرِياً في السولِ يَبيغيهِ بِالخِدَعِ

وَلا مُطرِياً في السولِ يَبيغيهِ بِالخِدَعِ

nor an inciter to evil who listens warily,

Nor those who entice others to evil, pretending piety

nor a flatterer pursuing a wish through deceit.

Nor rainers of corruption seeking it through deceit

دَعَوتُكَ يا رِحمَنَ في بَعضَ مَكرِهِم

دَعَوتُكَ يا رِحمَنَ في بَعضَ مَكرِهِم

وَعِلمُكَ فيهِم فَوقَ ما نالَهُ وَسَعي

وَعِلمُكَ فيهِم فَوقَ ما نالَهُ وَسَعي

I called upon You, O Merciful One, concerning some of their plots;

I called on You, O Merciful, regarding some of their schemes

and Your knowledge of them exceeds what my capacity has grasped.

And Your knowledge of them surpasses my ken

فَشَرِّدهُم عَنّي بِكَيدِكَ إِنَّهُم

فَشَرِّدهُم عَنّي بِكَيدِكَ إِنَّهُم

قَد اِنخَلَعوا مِن رَبقَةِ العَقلِ وَالشَرعِ

قَد اِنخَلَعوا مِن رَبقَةِ العَقلِ وَالشَرعِ

So drive them away from me through Your stratagem, for they

So banish them from me by Your cunning—they have slipped

have broken free of the tether of reason and sacred law.

From reason's tether and law's right hand

وَفي المَلَأِ الأَعلى فَحَقَّقَ تَأَلُّفي

وَفي المَلَأِ الأَعلى فَحَقَّقَ تَأَلُّفي

بِخَيرِ رَفيقٍ وَلِلجَمعِ

بِخَيرِ رَفيقٍ وَلِلجَمعِ

And in the highest assembly, bring my fellowship to fruition

And in the highest gathering, fulfill my bond

with the best companion, and for the gathering...

To the best companion and community

مُقيماً بِضاحي رُبعِ قُدسِكَ عاكِفاً

مُقيماً بِضاحي رُبعِ قُدسِكَ عاكِفاً

عُكوفَ تَجافٍ عَن سِوى ذَلِكَ الرَبعِ

عُكوفَ تَجافٍ عَن سِوى ذَلِكَ الرَبعِ

dwelling in the open expanse of Your holy abode, abiding in devotion,

Residing in the outskirts of Your holy precincts

in a devotion that turns away from all but that abode.

Turned away from all else, to those precincts attending

أُراقِبُ مِن آفاقِ جودِكَ نَفحَةً

أُراقِبُ مِن آفاقِ جودِكَ نَفحَةً

تُثبِتُ ما يُلقي عَلى القَلبِ وَالسَمعِ

تُثبِتُ ما يُلقي عَلى القَلبِ وَالسَمعِ

I watch for a breath from the horizons of Your bounty,

I watch from the horizons of Your bounty for a breath

that makes firm what is cast upon the heart and hearing.

That will steady what falls upon heart and hearing