أَلاAh مَنwho لِمَهمومِfor one troubled in الفُؤادِthe heart حَزينِهِsorrowful in it
أَلا مَن لِمَهمومِ الفُؤادِ حَزينِهِ
إِذاwhen ابتَزَّsnatches away مِنهُfrom him العَزمَresolve ضَعفُthe weakness of يَقينِهِhis certainty
إِذا ابتَزَّ مِنهُ العَزمَ ضَعفُ يَقينِهِ
Ah, who will aid one troubled and sorrowful at heart,
When the weakness of his certainty robs him of resolve,
وَإِذand when هُوَhe لاnot يَدريknows لَعَلَّperhaps كِتابَهُhis record
وَإِذ هُوَ لا يَدري لَعَلَّ كِتابَهُ
سَيُعطاهُhe will be given it مَنشوراًunrolled بِغَيرِin other than يَمينِهِhis right hand
سَيُعطاهُ مَنشوراً بِغَيرِ يَمينِهِ
And when he does not know—perhaps his record
Will be given him unrolled, in other than his right hand?
وَيَلتَمِسُand he seeks الإِحسانَgoodness بَعدَafter إِساءَةٍwrongdoing
وَيَلتَمِسُ الإِحسانَ بَعدَ إِساءَةٍ
فَلاso do not تَحسَبَنَّever suppose اللَهَGod غَيرَother than مُعينِهِhis helper
فَلا تَحسَبَنَّ اللَهَ غَيرَ مُعينِهِ
And he seeks goodness after wrongdoing;
So never suppose that God will not help him.
إِذاwhen ماfor emphasis اتَّقىfears اللَهُGod امرُؤٌa man فيin أُمورِهِhis affairs
إِذا ما اتَّقى اللَهُ امرُؤٌ في أُمورِهِ
وَكانَand is إِلىtoward الفِردَوسِParadise جُلُّthe greater part of حَنينِهِhis longing
وَكانَ إِلى الفِردَوسِ جُلُّ حَنينِهِ
When a man fears God in his affairs,
And his greatest longing is for Paradise,
سَعىhe strives يَبتَغيseeking عَوناًhelp عَلىin البِرِّrighteousness وَالتُقىand piety
سَعى يَبتَغي عَوناً عَلى البِرِّ وَالتُقى
لِيَبتاعَهُto buy it مِنfrom مالِهِhis wealth بِثَمينِهِwith its precious part
لِيَبتاعَهُ مِن مالِهِ بِثَمينِهِ
He strives, seeking help in righteousness and piety,
To buy it with what is precious in his wealth.
فَصَفَّso cleanse الخَدينَthe close companion ماas much as استَطَعتَyou can مِنَof القَذىimpurities
فَصَفَّ الخَدينَ ما استَطَعتَ مِنَ القَذى
أَلاindeed إِنَّماonly كُلُّevery امرِئٍperson بِخَدينِهِby his close companion
أَلا إِنَّما كُلُّ امرِئٍ بِخَدينِهِ
So cleanse your companion of impurities as best you can;
Indeed, every man is known by his companion.
وَخَيرُand the best قَرينٍcompanion أَنتَyou مُقتَرِنٌjoined بِهِwith him
وَخَيرُ قَرينٍ أَنتَ مُقتَرِنٌ بِهِ
قَرينٌa companion نَصيحٌsincere in counsel مُنصِفٌfair لِقَرينِهِto his companion
قَرينٌ نَصيحٌ مُنصِفٌ لِقَرينِهِ
And the best companion with whom you are joined
Is one sincere in counsel and fair to his companion.
وَكُلُّand every امرِئٍperson فيهِin him وَفيهِand in him فَدارِهِso be tactful with him
وَكُلُّ امرِئٍ فيهِ وَفيهِ فَدارِهِ
عَلىdespite ذاكَthat وَاحمِلand bear غَثَّهُhis lean (bad qualities) لِسَمينِهِfor his fat (good qualities)
عَلى ذاكَ وَاحمِل غَثَّهُ لِسَمينِهِ
And every man has good and bad in him; so be tactful with him
As he is, and bear his lean for the sake of his fat.
لِكُلِّfor each مَقامٌa station قائِمٌfixed لاnot يَجوزُهُhe passes beyond it
لِكُلِّ مَقامٌ قائِمٌ لا يَجوزُهُ
فَدَعso forsake غَيَّthe folly of قَلبٍa heart خائِضٍimmersed فيin فُتونِهِits temptations
فَدَع غَيَّ قَلبٍ خائِضٍ في فُتونِهِ
Each has a fixed station he cannot overstep;
So forsake the folly of a heart immersed in its temptations.
وَأَفضَلُand the best هَديٍguidance هَديَthe guidance of سَمتِthe conduct of مُحَمَّدٍMuhammad
وَأَفضَلُ هَديٍ هَديَ سَمتِ مُحَمَّدٍ
نَبِيٍّa prophet تَنَقّاهُchose him الإِلَهُGod لِدينِهِfor His religion
نَبِيٍّ تَنَقّاهُ الإِلَهُ لِدينِهِ
And the best guidance is the exemplary conduct of Muhammad,
A prophet whom God chose for His religion.
عَلَيهِupon him السَلامُpeace كانَhe was فيin النُصحِsincere counsel رَحمَةًa mercy
عَلَيهِ السَلامُ كانَ في النُصحِ رَحمَةً
وَفيand in بِرِّهِhis kindness بِالعالَمينَto all creation وَلينِهِand his gentleness
وَفي بِرِّهِ بِالعالَمينَ وَلينِهِ
Peace be upon him—he was a mercy in counsel,
And in his kindness to all creation and his gentleness.
إِمامُa leader هُداًof guidance يَنجابُlifts عَنaway from وَجهِهِhis face الدُجىthe darkness
إِمامُ هُداً يَنجابُ عَن وَجهِهِ الدُجى
كَأَنَّas though الثُرَيّاthe Pleiades عُلِّقَتwere hung بِجَبينِهِupon his brow
كَأَنَّ الثُرَيّا عُلِّقَت بِجَبينِهِ
A guiding leader, from whose face the darkness lifts,
As though the Pleiades were hung upon his brow.
بِحَبلِwith the rope of رَسولِthe Messenger of اللَهِGod أَوثَقتُI secured عِصمَتيmy protection
بِحَبلِ رَسولِ اللَهِ أَوثَقتُ عِصمَتي
وَخيرَتِهِand His chosen one فيamong خَلقِهِHis creatures وَأَمينِهِand His trusted one
وَخيرَتِهِ في خَلقِهِ وَأَمينِهِ
With the rope of God's Messenger I have secured my safety—
His chosen one among His creatures, and His trusted one.