شهر نسْكٍ قرينُهُ يوم لَهْوٍ

شهر نسْكٍ قرينُهُ يوم لَهْوٍ

صار بعد البعاد مثلَ أخيهِ

صار بعد البعاد مثلَ أخيهِ

A month of devotion has a day of revelry as its companion;

A month of fasting paired with a day of frivolity,

After estrangement, it became like its brother.

After separation it became like its brother.

ومن المنكر العجيب وفاقُ ال

ومن المنكر العجيب وفاقُ ال

ضدِّ ضداً مُنافراً يَنفيه

ضدِّ ضداً مُنافراً يَنفيه

And among strange absurdities is the concord of an

Among the oddities and wonders, opposites

Opposite with a hostile opposite that rejects it.

Repel each other though they may be paired.

غير أن الأمير أصلح بين ال

غير أن الأمير أصلح بين ال

ضِدِّ لا زال ضدُّه يَفديهِ

ضِدِّ لا زال ضدُّه يَفديهِ

Yet the prince reconciled the

Yet the prince made peace between the foes -

Opposites—may his foe never cease to ransom him!

Though his foe remains, his own pays his ransom.

لم تزلْ تُرشِدُ الغَوِيَّ من الأي

لم تزلْ تُرشِدُ الغَوِيَّ من الأي

يامِ أفعالُه الرشيدةُ فيه

يامِ أفعالُه الرشيدةُ فيه

Ever guiding the wayward one among the

Your righteous deeds have always guided

Days were his righteous deeds performed on it:

the misguided throughout time.

مِنْ صلاةٍ ومن صيام ومن بذْ

مِنْ صلاةٍ ومن صيام ومن بذْ

لِ نوال ومن سَدىً يُسديه

لِ نوال ومن سَدىً يُسديه

Prayer, fasting, and the bestowal

With prayers, fasting, almsgiving,

Of bounty, and favors he bestows,

and voluntary charity you provide.

وسوى ذاك من تُقى اللَّهِ حتى

وسوى ذاك من تُقى اللَّهِ حتى

صار شهرَ الصيامِ لا يجتويه

صار شهرَ الصيامِ لا يجتويه

And other acts of reverence for God, until

And through reverence of God

It no longer loathed the month of fasting.

the month of fasting cannot unsettle you.

ولقد كان قبلَ ذلك يَنْفي

ولقد كان قبلَ ذلك يَنْفي

هِ فأضحى لرُشْدِهِ يجتبيه

هِ فأضحى لرُشْدِهِ يجتبيه

Indeed, before that, it used to reject

Before this, it did unsettle you,

It; but now, rightly guided, it chooses it.

but now, thanks to your righteousness, you endure it.

وعسى قائلٌ يقول بجهلٍ

وعسى قائلٌ يقول بجهلٍ

قولَ حيرانَ في ضلالٍ وتيه

قولَ حيرانَ في ضلالٍ وتيه

And perhaps a speaker will say in ignorance

An ignorant man may ignorantly say,

The words of one bewildered in error and wandering:

lost in misguidance and confusion:

أي صُلْحٍ رأيتَهُ واتفاقٍ

أي صُلْحٍ رأيتَهُ واتفاقٍ

بين هذين يا أخا التمويه

بين هذين يا أخا التمويه

“What reconciliation and concord have you seen

“What peace or accord do you see

Between these two, O brother of deception?

between these two, O pretender?”

حاشَ للَّهِ بل هما في عناد

حاشَ للَّهِ بل هما في عناد

غيرِ مُسْتَبْهمٍ على مُبْصِريه

غيرِ مُسْتَبْهمٍ على مُبْصِريه

God forbid! They are instead at odds,

God forbid! No, they are stubborn

In a conflict not obscure to those who see it.

with no confusion for the discerning.

شَنَّ هذا على الجلود من الما

شَنَّ هذا على الجلود من الما

ءِ وهذا حَماه من شاربيه

ءِ وهذا حَماه من شاربيه

This one splashed the skin with

This one poured water on skins

Water; that one withheld it from its drinkers.

while the other protected its drinkers.

إن هذين ما علمتَ لَضِدَّا

إن هذين ما علمتَ لَضِدَّا

ن بعيدان عند ذي التشبيه

ن بعيدان عند ذي التشبيه

Indeed, these two, as you know, are opposites,

Do you not know these two opposites

Far apart in the eyes of anyone who compares them.”

are far apart in likeness?

فجوابي هناكَ للْمجتديهِ

فجوابي هناكَ للْمجتديهِ

كجواب امرئٍ أخي تفويه

كجواب امرئٍ أخي تفويه

So my answer there to the one seeking it

So my answer here to the perplexed

Is like the answer of an eloquent man:

is like the answer of a wise teacher -

لم يعانِدْ أخٌ أخاه بأن خفْ

لم يعانِدْ أخٌ أخاه بأن خفْ

فَفَ من ثِقْل مِحْنَةٍ عن بنيه

فَفَ من ثِقْل مِحْنَةٍ عن بنيه

A brother does not oppose his brother by easing

No brother opposed his brother

The burden of an ordeal for his sons.

by easing the heavy burden of his children.

شنَّ فيه على الجلود بروداً

شنَّ فيه على الجلود بروداً

فأباخَ الحَروَر عن صائميه

فأباخَ الحَروَر عن صائميه

It sprinkled cool water over their skin during that month,

He poured on them coolness,

And so abated the scorching heat for its fasters.

permitting the warm to relax their fasting,

وأماتَ الغليل منهم فأضحَوْا

وأماتَ الغليل منهم فأضحَوْا

في نعيم به وفي ترفيه

في نعيم به وفي ترفيه

And killed their burning thirst, so they came to be

and he removed their thirst, so they found

In bliss and comfort through it.

in his gift luxury and comfort.

بل طَهوراً نَفَى به درن الآ

بل طَهوراً نَفَى به درن الآ

ثام والسيئات عن مذنبيه

ثام والسيئات عن مذنبيه

Rather, purifying water with which it washed away the grime of

But he purified them of the stains

Sins and evil deeds from its sinners.

of sins and misdeeds afflicting the sinners.

وكذاك الذي حَمَى الماء لمَّا

وكذاك الذي حَمَى الماء لمَّا

يذهبُ المذهبَ الذي يعنيه

يذهبُ المذهبَ الذي يعنيه

Likewise, the one that barred water has not

Likewise, he who protected the water,

Followed the course he means,

removing the disagreements that concerned him,

من خلافٍ على أخيه ولكن

من خلافٍ على أخيه ولكن

رائضٌ راض مَنْ يلي ويليه

رائضٌ راض مَنْ يلي ويليه

Of opposition to its brother; rather,

did not oppose his brother, but pleased

A trainer, it disciplined those it rules and those who rule it.

those who came before and after him.

منع الماءَ والطعام ليحْظَوْا

منع الماءَ والطعام ليحْظَوْا

بهما في ظلالِ عيشٍ رَفيه

بهما في ظلالِ عيشٍ رَفيه

It barred water and food so they might enjoy

He deprived them of water and food

Both in the shade of a life of ease.

so they could enjoy them in good living.

وحماهم من المعاصي فأضحَوْا

وحماهم من المعاصي فأضحَوْا

في عفاف به وفي تنزيه

في عفاف به وفي تنزيه

And shielded them from sins, so they came to be

And he protected them from disobedience,

In chastity and purity through it.

leaving them in chastity and purity.

وبيُمْنِ الأمير أسعدهُ اللَّ

وبيُمْنِ الأمير أسعدهُ اللَّ

هُ وأبقاهُ مُرْغِماً حاسديه

هُ وأبقاهُ مُرْغِماً حاسديه

And through the prince’s auspiciousness—may God prosper him

By the grace of the prince he made him prosperous,

And preserve him, humbling his enviers—

subduing those who envied him.

وفَّقَ اللَّه بين هذين حتى

وفَّقَ اللَّه بين هذين حتى

عاينا بالصلاح مَنْ يَعنيه

عاينا بالصلاح مَنْ يَعنيه

God brought these two into accord, until

May God make peace between the two

Both beheld in righteousness the one who mattered to each.

so we see the righteous prosper!

وَلعاً للأمير من عثرة الشَّكْ

وَلعاً للأمير من عثرة الشَّكْ

وِ ونفسي وكلُّ نفسٍ تَقيه

وِ ونفسي وكلُّ نفسٍ تَقيه

And may the prince recover from the stumble of

Woe to the prince - but for the pitfalls of doubt,

Illness! May my soul and every soul protect him.

my soul and all souls would fear him.

محنةٌ ضاعَفتْ له الأجرَ في الصو

محنةٌ ضاعَفتْ له الأجرَ في الصو

م ويا رُبَّ خِيرةٍ في كريه

م ويا رُبَّ خِيرةٍ في كريه

An ordeal that multiplied his reward in

A trial has doubled his reward

Fasting—and oh, many a blessing lies in what is unwelcome!

in fasting - O Lord of that which is good in the hateful!