1. أَيا نَجلَ الأَماثِلِ آلِ بَكرٍ

    وَمَن نالَ الفَخارَ بِغَيرِ نُكرِ

    O scion of the noblest of the house of Bakr,

    and you who have attained glory without reproach,

  2. تَفَنَّنَ في العُلُومِ فكلُّ فَضلٍ

    حَواهُ العلمُ في بَرٍّ وَبحرِ

    Become versed in the sciences, for every excellence

    is embraced by learning, on land and sea.

  3. ولا تَسأم وَلا تطلُب سِواهُ

    وقابِلهُ بِتَقريرٍ وفِكرِ

    And do not grow weary, nor seek anything besides it;

    and engage with it through exposition and reflection.

  4. وجانِب جاهِلاً عنهُ تَلاهى

    بِأَنواعِ المَكاسِبِ خَوفَ فَقرِ

    And shun an ignorant man who turns away from it,

    to various ways of earning, for fear of poverty.

  5. فَإِنَّ الرِّزقَ قَدَّرَهُ إِلَهي

    فَللأسبابُ تَغطِيةٌ لِسِرِّ

    For my God has decreed sustenance;

    so the means are a veil over a mystery.

  6. فإِن نَنظُر لأسبابِ البَرايا

    لِجَلبِ مَعيشَةٍ أَو دَفعِ ضُرِّ

    For if we consider the means people use

    to gain a livelihood or avert harm,

  7. وَجَدنا العلمَ أَقواها لِدَفع

    وَأَحظاها بِمَكرُمَةٍ وَيُسرِ

    we find learning the strongest of them for averting it,

    and the richest in honor and ease.

  8. فَقَد سَجَدَ المَلائِكُ حينَ أَربَى

    عَليهِم آدمٌ بالعِلمِ فادرِ

    For the angels prostrated themselves when they were surpassed

    by Adam in knowledge—so understand.

  9. وَكَم بالعلمِ نالَ العِزَّ قَومٌ

    وَكَم بِالعِلمِ أَثرَى بَعدَ عُسرِ

    And how many a people has gained honor through learning!

    And how many have grown wealthy through learning after hardship!

  10. وَأَعنِي عِلمَ شَرعِ اللَّهِ فينا

    وَلا أَعنِي بهِ عِلماً لِعَصرِ

    And I mean knowledge of God's law among us,

    not, by it, the learning of the age.

  11. فإِنَّ تَعَلُّمَ العَصرِيِّ جَهلٌ

    يُوافِقُ كُلَّ مَفتُونٍ وَدَهرِي

    For acquiring modern learning is ignorance,

    befitting every deluded person and materialist.

  12. فَلا تَطلُب بِعِلمِ اللَّهِ دُنيا

    فَفِي هَذا الهَوانُ وكلُّ خُسرِ

    So do not seek worldly gain through knowledge of God,

    for in this lie humiliation and utter loss.

  13. وَدُنياكَ الَّتِي لا بُدَّ نُطها

    بِأمثَل مَن تَرى يَسعَى بأَجرِ

    And your worldly affairs, which are unavoidable—entrust them

    to the best person you see working for a wage.

  14. ولا تَحزَن عَلى ما فاتَ مِنها

    وَقَد عُوِّضتَ عَنها بِالأَبَرِّ

    And do not grieve over what you have missed of them,

    for you have been compensated for them with what is better.

  15. وَما قَد فاتَ لَم يَذهَب وَلَكن

    تَراهُ في الصَّحيفَةِ يَومَ نَشرِ

    And what has passed you by has not vanished; rather,

    you will see it in the record on the day it is unfolded.

  16. وَإِن تَعفُ فَإِنَّ العَفوَ خَيرٌ

    وَخَيرُ الناسِ ذُو عَفوٍ وَصَبرِ

    And if you pardon, then pardon is better;

    and the best of people are those who pardon and are patient.

  17. وَإِن تُضطَرَّ في حالٍ لِشَيء

    فَسَل أَقوَى وَأَرحَمَ كُلِّ بَرِّ

    And if, in any circumstance, you urgently need something,

    then ask the mightiest and most merciful of all benefactors.

  18. قَريبٌ مِنكَ إِن تَدعُوهُ يَسرِي

    لَهُ التَّصريفُ في خَلقٍ وَأَمرِ

    He is near you if you call upon Him; His sway extends

    over creation and command.

  19. وَحَسِّن بِالإِلَهِ البَرِّ ظَنّاً

    تَجِدهُ عِندَ ذاكَ لِكُلِّ برِّ

    And think well of God, the Beneficent;

    you will then find Him the source of every good.

  20. وَعظِّم أَمرَهُ في كُلِّ حالٍ

    تُعَظَّم في الأَنامِ بِكلِّ قَدرِ

    And revere His command in every circumstance;

    you will be honored among humankind with every mark of esteem.

  21. وَقَرِّب نَفسَكَ الدُّنيا إِلَيهِ

    بأَخلاقٍ يَراها كُلُّ حَبرِ

    And bring your lower self nearer to Him,

    through virtues recognized by every scholar.

  22. تَراها في الكِتابِ عَلَيكَ تُتلَى

    فَحَقِّقهَا وَراقِبها بِحَصرِ

    You see them in the Book, recited to you;

    so put them into practice and observe them without exception.

  23. وجاهِد نَفسَكَ الدُّنيا عَلَيها

    لِتَحظَى بِالكَمالِ وَطِيبِ ذِكرِ

    And strive against your lower self to uphold them,

    so that you may attain perfection and a good name.

  24. وَجانِب لِلفُضُولِ وَكُلِّ لَغوٍ

    فَفِي هَذا إِضاعَةُ كُلِّ حُرِّ

    And avoid superfluities and all idle talk,

    for in this lies the undoing of every free person.

  25. وَأَعطِ الجارَ وَالقُربَى حُقوقاً

    قَضاها اللَّه في آياتِ ذِكرِ

    And give your neighbor and kin the rights

    God decreed in verses of the Remembrance.

  26. وَصَفِّ النَّفسَ مِن حَسَدٍ وَبَغيٍ

    ولاقِ الناسَ في لُطف وَبِشرِ

    And purify the soul of envy and oppression,

    and meet people with gentleness and cheerfulness.

  27. وبِالمَعرُوفِ فأمُر لا تُبالِ

    وَقُم بِالنَّهيِ عَن فُحشٍ وَنُكرِ

    And enjoin what is right; do not worry.

    And undertake to forbid indecency and wrongdoing.

  28. وَتِلكَ نَصِيحَةٌ جاءَت إِلَيكُم

    دَعاها حُبُّكُم يا آلَ بَكرِ

    And that is counsel that has come to you,

    prompted by love for you, O house of Bakr.

  29. فأنتُم قُرَّةٌ لِلعَينِ دُمتُم

    عَلى نَهجِ الرَّشادِ بِكُلِّ عَصرِ

    For you are a delight to the eye; may you remain

    on the path of right guidance in every age.