أَبلغ إِمام الهُدى أَن لستَ مُصطَنِعاً

أَبلغ إِمام الهُدى أَن لستَ مُصطَنِعاً

لِلنَّائباتِ كَيعقوب بِن داودِ

لِلنَّائباتِ كَيعقوب بِن داودِ

Tell the Imam of Right Guidance: you have appointed no one

Tell the imam of guidance: no one you take into your service

Inform the Imam of guidance that you are not pretending

for times of calamity like Ya‘qub ibn Dawud.

For adversity is like Yaʿqub ibn Dawud.

To be like Ya'qub ibn Dawood in difficulties

أَمسى يَقيكَ بِنَفسِ قَد حباك بها

أَمسى يَقيكَ بِنَفسِ قَد حباك بها

والجودُ بالنَفسِ أَقصى غايةِ الجودِ

والجودُ بالنَفسِ أَقصى غايةِ الجودِ

He now shields you with a life he has bestowed upon you;

He has come to shield you with his own life, which he has bestowed on you,

He protects you with his soul that gave you generously

and giving one’s life is the utmost reach of generosity.

And giving one's life is the highest degree of generosity.

And giving one's soul is the epitome of generosity

نَصَبت لِلنّاس يَعقوباً فَقَوَّمَهُم

نَصَبت لِلنّاس يَعقوباً فَقَوَّمَهُم

كَما الثَقافِ مُقيمٌ كلّ تأويدِ

كَما الثَقافِ مُقيمٌ كلّ تأويدِ

You set Ya‘qub over the people, and he straightened them

You appointed Yaʿqub for the people, and he set them straight,

You have made Ya'qub a role model for people

as the spear-straightener corrects every crooked bend.

Just as the spear-straightener corrects every bend.

As a straightener for every crookedness

لَو تَبتَغي مِثله في النَاسِ كلُّهم

لَو تَبتَغي مِثله في النَاسِ كلُّهم

طَلبتَ ما ليسَ في الدُنيا بِموجودِ

طَلبتَ ما ليسَ في الدُنيا بِموجودِ

Were you to seek his equal among all mankind,

Were you to seek his like among all people,

If you seek his equal among all people

you would seek what does not exist in this world.

You would seek what is not to be found in this world.

You would look for what is not present in this world