إذاwhen ضاقَgrew tight صدريmy chest
إذا ضاقَ صدري
شكوتُI complained إلىto اللَهGod
شكوتُ إلى اللَه
When my breast grows tight,
When my chest grows tight,
I make my complaint to God,
I complain to God,
ونرجعand I return لصبريto my patience
ونرجع لصبري
ونستغفرُand I seek forgiveness from اللَهGod
ونستغفرُ اللَه
return to patience,
and I return to my patience,
and ask God’s forgiveness.
and I ask God for forgiveness.
وإنand if حارbecame perplexing أمريmy affairs
وإن حار أمري
فيماconcerning what قدَّرordained اللَهGod
فيما قدَّر اللَه
And when my affairs leave me bewildered
And if my affairs perplex me
by what God has decreed,
over what God has ordained,
شكوتُI complained بدائيof my ailment أنthat يرحمHe may pity بُكائيmy weeping
شكوتُ بدائي أن يرحم بُكائي
وحاشاand far be it وكلّاand certainly not تُخيبYou disappoint رجائيmy hope
وحاشا وكلّا تُخيب رجائي
I lament my affliction, that He may have mercy on my weeping.
I complain of my ailment, that He may pity my weeping.
Far be it—never would You disappoint my hope.
And far be it—never would You dash my hope.
إذاwhen يقبلُapproaches الليلthe night
إذا يقبلُ الليل
نفتكرI recall عُيوبيmy faults
نفتكر عُيوبي
When night draws near,
When night approaches,
I ponder my faults;
I recall my faults.
جرىflowed دمعيmy tears كالسيلlike a torrent
جرى دمعي كالسيل
يمرغdrenches شيوبيmy gray hairs
يمرغ شيوبي
my tears flow like a torrent,
My tears flow like a torrent,
drenching my gray hairs.
drenching my gray hairs.
وأناديand I cry out بالويلin woe
وأنادي بالويل
آهah ياO ذنوبيmy sins
آه يا ذنوبي
And I cry out in woe:
And I cry out in woe:
“Alas, O my sins!”
Ah, O my sins!
مرّpassed العمرlife وولىand departed وأناwhile I فيin عمائيmy blindness
مرّ العمر وولى وأنا في عمائي
وحاشاand far be it وكلّاand certainly not تخيبYou disappoint رجائيmy hope
وحاشا وكلّا تخيب رجائي
My life has passed and gone, while I remain in blindness.
Life has passed and gone, while I am in my blindness.
Far be it—never would You disappoint my hope.
And far be it—never would You dash my hope.
أناI ياO حبيبيmy beloved
أنا يا حبيبي
فيin فعليmy deeds مقصّرremiss
في فعلي مقصّر
I, O my Beloved,
I, O my beloved,
fall short in my deeds.
am remiss in my deeds.
قهَرنيoverpowered me طبيبيmy physician
قهَرني طبيبي
وفيّand in me ماwhat ينكرis disapproved of
وفيّ ما ينكر
My Physician has overpowered me,
My physician has overpowered me,
and within me is what he disapproves.
and within me is what deserves reproach.
ولكنbut حبيبيmy beloved
ولكن حبيبي
عليّover me سيستُرwill cover
عليّ سيستُر
Yet my Beloved
But my beloved
will draw his veil over me;
will cover me.
علىover كلevery زلةlapse رخيتُI let down ردائيmy cloak
على كل زلة رخيتُ ردائي
وحاشاand far be it وكلّاand certainly not تخيبYou disappoint رجائيmy hope
وحاشا وكلّا تخيب رجائي
over every lapse, I have let my cloak fall.
Over every lapse I have let down my cloak.
Far be it—never would You disappoint my hope.
And far be it—never would You dash my hope.
حياتيmy life ماnot نطمَعI long for
حياتي ما نطمَع
وموتيand my death ماnot نختارI choose
وموتي ما نختار
I do not desire life,
I do not long for my life,
nor do I choose death.
nor do I choose my death.
ماnot ندريI know مانصنعwhat I should do
ما ندري مانصنع
باشso that ننالI attain ذيكthat الدارthe abode
باش ننال ذيك الدار
I do not know what to do
I do not know what I should do
to attain that Abode.
to attain that abode.
ولكنيbut I نطمعI hope
ولكني نطمع
فيin عالمknower الأسرارthe secrets
في عالم الأسرار
Yet I place my hope
Yet I place my hope
in the Knower of secrets,
in the Knower of secrets.
منthe one who للخيرfor goodness أهلاworthy جعلتُI made حمائيmy refuge
من للخير أهلا جعلتُ حمائي
وحاشاand far be it وكلّاand certainly not تخيبYou disappoint رجائيmy hope
وحاشا وكلّا تخيب رجائي
He who is worthy of all goodness—I have made Him my refuge.
I have made the One worthy of goodness my refuge.
Far be it—never would You disappoint my hope.
And far be it—never would You dash my hope.
حبيبيmy beloved محمّدMuhammad
حبيبي محمّد
ياO خيرَbest البريّهcreation
يا خيرَ البريّه
My beloved is Muhammad,
My beloved Muhammad,
O best of all creation,
O best of creation,
موردَbringer to drink العبيدthe servants
موردَ العبيد
شراباa drink زكياpure
شرابا زكيا
the servants’ watering-place,
you who bring the servants
a pure draught.
to a pure drink.
منfrom الحوضthe pool نوردI come to drink
من الحوض نورد
نداويI heal ماwhat ياO
نداوي ما يا
From the Pool I shall drink;
I come to drink from the pool,
I heal what—O...
I heal what ... O ... [wording unclear].
منthan الشهدhoney أحلاsweeter وفيهاand in it شفائيmy healing
من الشهد أحلا وفيها شفائي
وحاشاand far be it وكلّاand certainly not تخيبYou disappoint رجائيmy hope
وحاشا وكلّا تخيب رجائي
sweeter than honey, and in it is my cure.
Sweeter than honey, and in it is my healing.
Far be it—never would You disappoint my hope.
And far be it—never would You dash my hope.
ياO حنّاشHannash أجهدstrive
يا حنّاش أجهد
وزِدand increase فيin امتداحِكyour praise
وزِد في امتداحِك
O Hannāsh, strive,
O Hannash, strive,
and add to your praise
and increase your praise.
بالهاديthrough the Guide المُمَجّدthe glorified
بالهادي المُمَجّد
يطيبbecomes sweet انشاؤُكyour composition
يطيب انشاؤُك
of the glorified Guide.
Through the glorified Guide,
Your verse will grow sweet,
your composition grows sweet,
كيso that تربحyou profit وتسعَدand you are happy
كي تربح وتسعَد
ليلكyour night معwith صباحكyour morning
ليلك مع صباحك
that you may prosper and rejoice,
so that you may profit and be happy,
through your night and your morning.
in your night and your morning.
آهah ياO منone who تجلىbecame manifest اقبلaccept دعائيmy prayer
آه يا من تجلى اقبل دعائي
وحاشاand far be it وكلّاand certainly not تُخيبYou disappoint رجائيmy hope
وحاشا وكلّا تُخيب رجائي
Ah, O You who manifested Yourself, accept my prayer.
Ah, O You who have become manifest, accept my prayer.
Far be it—never would You disappoint my hope.
And far be it—never would You dash my hope.