1. أَفْنَيْتُ في السَّعْيِ عُمْرِي غَيْرَ مُرْتَفِقِ

    وَالصَّبْرُ زَادُ الْمُنَى.. وَالنَّفْسُ في الرَّمَقِ

    I have spent my life in striving, without finding ease.

    And patience is hope's provision, while the soul is at its last breath.

  2. أَسْعَى إِلَيْكَ وَخَيْلِي في الدُّرُوبِ كَبَتْ

    مِنْ زَحْمَةِ الْهَمِّ لا مِنْ زَحْمَةِ الطُّرُقِ

    I strive toward you, and my horses have stumbled on the paths,

    From the crush of worry, not the crowding of roads.

  3. شَوْقِي يَحُثُّ وَآثامي تَكِيدُ لَهَا

    وَالدَّرْبُ أَطْوَلُ مِنْ  أنْفاسِ مُسْتَبِقِ

    My longing urges them on, while my sins plot against them,

    And the path is longer than a racer's breath.

  4. وَبَيْنَ مَدِّ الْخُطَى وَالْجَزْرِ قَافِيَةٌ

    تَغْدُو بِمَدْحِكَ بَيْنَ الْغَوْصِ والغَرَقِ

    And between the flow of footsteps and their ebb, a rhyme

    Goes forth in your praise, between diving and drowning.

  5. آنَسْتُ نُورًا.. وَقَوْمِي يَصْطَلُونَ هَوىً

    في ظُلْمَةِ الْجَهْلِ في مُسْتَنْقَعِ النَّزَقِ

    I discerned a light, while my people basked in passion,

    In the darkness of ignorance, in the mire of recklessness.

  6. ظلمٌ وجَهْلٌ وتضليلٌ ومَفْسَدَةٌ

    والحقُّ أَشْرَدُ مِنْ نوْمٍ لِذِي أَرَقِ

    Injustice, ignorance, deception, and corruption,

    And truth is more elusive than sleep to one with insomnia.

  7. آنسْتُ نُورَكَ والنيرانُ مُحْرِقَةٌ

    مَنْ يَصْطَلِي بِهَوَى الأَحْزَابِ والفِرَقِ

    I discerned your light, while the fires were scorching

    Whoever basks in the passions of parties and sects.

  8. كلٌّ يَرَى رَأْيَهُ دِينًا وَيُعْجِزُهُ

    أَنْ يُبْصِرَ الْحَقَّ دِينًا وَهْوَ في الأُفُقِ

    Each sees his opinion as religion, yet cannot

    See truth as religion, though it is on the horizon.

  9. مُذْ كانتِ الأرضُ والنيرانُ مُوقَدَةٌ

    ومَنْ يَلُذْ بِسِوَى الرَّحْمَنِ يَحْتَرِقِ

    Since the earth came to be, the fires have been alight,

    And whoever seeks refuge in any but the Most Merciful burns.

  10. آنستُ نوركَ في جُنْحِ الظلامِ صُوىً

    لِلْحَائرينَ وَمَنْجَاةً لذِي فَرَقِ

    I discerned your light under cover of darkness: waymarks

    For the bewildered, and a refuge for the fearful.

  11. فَجِئْتُ مُقْتَبِسًا للناسِ مِنْكَ هُدىً

    مِنْ آخرِ "الشَّرْحِ" أَوْ مِنْ أَوَّلِ "العَلَقِ"

    So I came, drawing guidance from you for the people,

    From the close of al-Sharh or the opening of al-‘Alaq.

  12. يَا سَيِّدَ الخَلْقِ يَا رُوحَ الْحَيَاةِ وَيَا

    غَيْثَ القُلُوبِ وَطِبَّ الحَائِرِ القَلِقِ

    O master of creation, O spirit of life, and O

    Rain for hearts, and remedy for the bewildered and anxious.

  13. يا جَنَّةَ اللهِ في أرضِ الشَّقَاءِ، وَيَا

    شمسَ الدُّنَا، وسَنَا المِشْكَاةِ في النَّفَقِ

    O God's paradise in the land of misery, and O

    Sun of the worlds, and radiance of the lamp-niche in the tunnel.

  14. يا نسْمَةَ الْحُبِّ، يا بُشْرَى الوُجودِ، وَيَا

    ماءَ الحياةِ ونَبْعَ العَرْفِ والعَبَقِ

    O breeze of love, O glad tidings of existence, and O

    Water of life, and spring of sweet scent and fragrance.

  15. لَـمْ يَنْأَ قَوْمٌ عنِ الإسلامِ فَاجَتَمَعُوا

    إلاَّ تَمَزَّقَ ثَوْبٌ خِيطَ مِنْ مِزَقِ

    No people have turned away from Islam and then united

    Without a garment sewn from shreds being torn apart.

  16. ولاَ أضَاعَ هُدَاكَ النَّاسُ واصْطَنَعُوا

    هَدْيًا فَأَفْلَحَ مَنْ بالدِّينِ لَـمْ يَثِقِ

    Nor have people squandered your guidance and devised

    Guidance by which anyone who did not trust in religion prospered.

  17. يَا طِبَّ كُلِّ عَلِيلٍ بِالقُرَانِ شَفَى

    أَهْلَ الْهُمُومِ ودَاوَى كُلَّ ذِي حُرَقِ

    O remedy for every sufferer, who through the Qur'an healed

    Those burdened with cares, and treated everyone in burning anguish.

  18. يَا رَحْمةَ اللهِ هُبِّي.. وابْعَثِي سَبَبًا

    يَنْجُو بأُمَّتِنَا مِنْ لُجَّةِ الْغَرَقِ

    O mercy of God, arise, and send forth a means

    That brings our community safely out of the depths of drowning.

  19. إنْ جِئْتُ في هَرَمِ الدُّنْيَا فَلِي أَمَلٌ

    أَرَاهُ بَعْدَ غُرُوبِ الشَّمْسِ في الشّفَقِ

    If I have come in the world's old age, I have a hope:

    I see it after sunset, in the afterglow.

  20. يَا سَيِّدَ الرُّسْلِ لي في المدْحِ مَفْخَرَةٌ

    وإنْ تَقَاصَرَ شِعْرِي عَنْ ذُرَى الوَمَقِ

    O master of messengers, I take pride in praise,

    Even if my poetry falls short of love's heights.

  21. هَذِي قَوافٍ كَنَبْضِ القَلْبِ مُتْعَبَةٌ

    شَوْقًا إِلَيْكَ تُنَاجِي النُّورَ في الغَسَقِ

    These rhymes are weary, like the beating of the heart,

    With longing for you, whispering to the light at dusk.

  22. ظَمْأَى لِوِرْدِكَ.. إنْ مَا خِفْتُ كَبْوَتَهَا

    أَعَذْتُهُنَّ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ وَالفَلَقِ

    Thirsty for your waters—if ever I feared their stumbling,

    I sought protection for them with the Lord of humankind and daybreak.

  23. أَرْسَلْتُهَا رَائِدًا لي في الطَّرِيقِ إِلَى

    لُقْيَاكَ يَا بَلْسَمًا يَشْفِي فُؤَادَ  شَقِي

    I sent them as my scout on the road to

    Meeting you, O balm that heals a sufferer's heart.

  24. صَلَّى عَلَيْكَ إِلَهُ الكَوْنِ مَا رُفِعَتْ

    كَفٌّ إلَيْهِ وَمَا بُلَّ الثَّرَى وَسُقِي

    May the God of the universe bless you as long as there is raised

    A palm to Him, and as long as the earth is moistened and watered;

  25. مَا قِيلَ شِعْرٌ، وَمَا أَوْعَتْهُ مِنْ أُذُنٍ

    أَوْ أَثَّرَتْ قُبْلَةُ الأَقْلاَمِ في الوَرَقِ

    As long as poetry is spoken, and any ear retains it,

    Or the kiss of pens leaves its mark on paper.