اللَهُ كافٍ فَمالي دونَهُ كافِ

اللَهُ كافٍ فَمالي دونَهُ كافِ

عَلى اِعتِدائي عَلى نَفسي وَإِسرافي

عَلى اِعتِدائي عَلى نَفسي وَإِسرافي

God is sufficient—who besides Him could suffice me

God suffices; none besides Him suffices for me,

against my transgression toward myself and my excess?

despite my transgressions against myself and my excesses.

تَشَرَّفَ الناسُ بِالدُنيا وَقَد غَرِقوا

تَشَرَّفَ الناسُ بِالدُنيا وَقَد غَرِقوا

فيها فَكُلُّ عَلى أَمواجِها طافِ

فيها فَكُلُّ عَلى أَمواجِها طافِ

People sought distinction through this world, yet they drowned

People have taken pride in this world, though they have drowned

within it, each one drifting upon its waves.

in it; so each floats upon its waves.

هُمُ العَبيدُ لِدارٍ قَلبُ صاحِبِها

هُمُ العَبيدُ لِدارٍ قَلبُ صاحِبِها

ما عاشَ مِنها عَلى خَوفٍ وَإيجافِ

ما عاشَ مِنها عَلى خَوفٍ وَإيجافِ

They are slaves to a dwelling whose occupant’s heart,

They are slaves to an abode whose owner's heart

as long as he lives there, is beset by fear and anxious haste.

is fearful of it and agitated as long as he lives.

حَسبُ الفَتى بِتُقى الرَحمَنِ مِن شَرَفٍ

حَسبُ الفَتى بِتُقى الرَحمَنِ مِن شَرَفٍ

وَما عَبيدُكَ يا دُنيا بِأَشرافِ

وَما عَبيدُكَ يا دُنيا بِأَشرافِ

Reverence for the All-Merciful is honor enough for a young man;

Piety toward the All-Merciful is honor enough for a young man;

your slaves, O world, are no true nobles.

and your slaves, O world, are not noble.

يا دارُ كَم قَد رَأَينا فيكِ مِن أَثَرٍ

يا دارُ كَم قَد رَأَينا فيكِ مِن أَثَرٍ

يَنعى المُلوكَ إِلَينا دارِسٍ عافِ

يَنعى المُلوكَ إِلَينا دارِسٍ عافِ

O dwelling, how many traces have we seen in you—

O abode, how many a trace we have seen within you,

weathered and effaced, they announce the deaths of kings to us.

faded and effaced, announcing to us the deaths of kings.

أَودى الزَمانُ بِأَسلافي وَخَلَّفَني

أَودى الزَمانُ بِأَسلافي وَخَلَّفَني

وَسَوفَ يُلحِقُني يَوماً بِأَسلافي

وَسَوفَ يُلحِقُني يَوماً بِأَسلافي

Time carried off my forebears and left me behind,

Time has carried off my forebears and left me behind,

and one day it will join me to my forebears.

and one day it will unite me with my forebears.

كَأَنَّنا قَد تَوافَينا بِأَجمَعِنا

كَأَنَّنا قَد تَوافَينا بِأَجمَعِنا

في بَطنِ ظَهرٍ عَلَيهِ مَدرَجُ السافي

في بَطنِ ظَهرٍ عَلَيهِ مَدرَجُ السافي

It is as though we had already gathered, every one of us,

As though we had already gathered, all of us,

in the belly of a back over which drifting sand passes.

in the belly of a ridge, over which the dust-bearing wind passes.

أُخَيَّ عِندي مِنَ الأَيّامِ تَجرِبَةٌ

أُخَيَّ عِندي مِنَ الأَيّامِ تَجرِبَةٌ

فيما أَظُنُّ وَعِلمٌ بارِعٌ شافِ

فيما أَظُنُّ وَعِلمٌ بارِعٌ شافِ

Little brother, I possess experience of the days

My dear brother, I have experience gained from the days,

and, as I believe, knowledge both excellent and healing.

so I believe—and excellent, healing knowledge.

لا تَمشِ في الناسِ إِلّا رَحمَةً لَهُمُ

لا تَمشِ في الناسِ إِلّا رَحمَةً لَهُمُ

وَلا تُعامِلهُمُ إِلّا بِإِنصافِ

وَلا تُعامِلهُمُ إِلّا بِإِنصافِ

Walk among people only as a mercy to them,

Do not walk among people except as a mercy to them,

and deal with them only in fairness.

and do not deal with them except with fairness.

وَاِقطَع قُوى كُلِّ حِقدٍ أَنتَ مُضمِرَهُ

وَاِقطَع قُوى كُلِّ حِقدٍ أَنتَ مُضمِرَهُ

إِن زَلَّ ذو زَلَّةٍ أَو إِن هَفا هافِ

إِن زَلَّ ذو زَلَّةٍ أَو إِن هَفا هافِ

Sever the sinews of every grudge you harbor

And sever the strands of every grudge you harbor,

when one prone to stumbling slips, or an erring person errs.

if someone makes a slip, or if someone falls into error.

وَاِرغَب بِنَفسِكَ عَمّا لا صَلاحَ لَهُ

وَاِرغَب بِنَفسِكَ عَمّا لا صَلاحَ لَهُ

وَأَوسَعِ الناسِ مِن بِرٍّ وَإِلطافِ

وَأَوسَعِ الناسِ مِن بِرٍّ وَإِلطافِ

Rise above whatever holds no good,

And hold yourself above whatever has no good in it,

and be the most generous of people in goodness and kindness.

and lavish goodness and kindness on people.

وَإِن يَكُن أَحَدٌ أَولاكَ صالِحَةً

وَإِن يَكُن أَحَدٌ أَولاكَ صالِحَةً

فَكافِهِ فَوقَ ما أَولى بِأَضعافِ

فَكافِهِ فَوقَ ما أَولى بِأَضعافِ

If anyone has done you a good turn,

And if someone has done you a kindness,

repay him many times beyond what he gave.

then repay him many times more than he bestowed.

وَلا تُكَشِّف مُسيئاً عَن إِساءَتِهِ

وَلا تُكَشِّف مُسيئاً عَن إِساءَتِهِ

وَصِل حِبالَ أَخيكَ القاطِعِ الجافي

وَصِل حِبالَ أَخيكَ القاطِعِ الجافي

Do not expose an offender because of his offense,

And do not question a wrongdoer closely about his wrongdoing,

and keep hold of your harsh brother’s bonds when he cuts you off.

and join the cords of your brother who severs ties and is aloof.

فَتَستَحِقَّ مِنَ الدُنيا سَلامَتَها

فَتَستَحِقَّ مِنَ الدُنيا سَلامَتَها

وَتَستَقِلَّ بِعِرضٍ وافِرٍ وافِ

وَتَستَقِلَّ بِعِرضٍ وافِرٍ وافِ

Then you will earn deliverance from this world

Thus you may earn safety from the world,

and stand apart with honor abundant and unimpaired.

and depart with honor abundant and intact.

ما أَحسَنَ الشُغلَ في تَدبيرِ مَنفَعَةٍ

ما أَحسَنَ الشُغلَ في تَدبيرِ مَنفَعَةٍ

أَهلُ الفَراغِ ذَوُو خَوضٍ وَإِرجافِ

أَهلُ الفَراغِ ذَوُو خَوضٍ وَإِرجافِ

How fine is labor devoted to securing some benefit;

How fine it is to be busy planning something useful!

the idle are given to vain disputes and rumor-mongering.

Idle people are given to empty talk and rumor-mongering.