أقدم نفسي حشوها الخوف والرجا

أقدم نفسي حشوها الخوف والرجا

إليك فقدم يا مقدم قربتي

إليك فقدم يا مقدم قربتي

I present myself, filled with fear and hope

I present my soul, filled with fear and hope,

To You; so bring my offering near, O Advancer.

to You; so bring my offering forward, O Bringer-Forward.

ومن لي بتقديمي ومن بتقدمي

ومن لي بتقديمي ومن بتقدمي

إذا لم تقدم يا مقدم وقفتي

إذا لم تقدم يا مقدم وقفتي

Who else can bring me forward, and who can grant my advancement,

And who can bring me forward, and who can grant me advancement,

if You do not advance my station, O Advancer?

if You do not advance my station, O Bringer-Forward?

وما نهضتي بالذكر عن حول قوة

وما نهضتي بالذكر عن حول قوة

ولكن بتقديم المقدم نهضتي

ولكن بتقديم المقدم نهضتي

My rising in remembrance is not by any might or power,

Nor does my rising through remembrance come from strength's might;

but through the Advancer’s bringing me forward do I rise.

rather, my rising comes through being advanced by the Bringer-Forward.

ولولا امتنان للمقدم لم تزل

ولولا امتنان للمقدم لم تزل

نفوس على التأخير عن كل رتبة

نفوس على التأخير عن كل رتبة

Were it not for the Advancer’s gracious favor, there would still be

And but for the Bringer-Forward's favor, there would always remain

souls held back from every rank.

souls held back from every rank.

وسابقة الحسنى مقام لأنفس

وسابقة الحسنى مقام لأنفس

بتقديم مولاها عليه استقرت

بتقديم مولاها عليه استقرت

The fair foreordainment is a station for souls;

And foreordained blessedness is a station for souls;

through their Master’s advancing them, they came to rest upon it.

through their Lord's bringing them forward, they settled upon it.

وما نال من قدمت شيئاً بحوله

وما نال من قدمت شيئاً بحوله

ولكنها زلفى من الأزلية

ولكنها زلفى من الأزلية

Whoever You advanced attained nothing by their own power;

And no one You brought forward attained anything by his own might;

rather, it is a nearness bestowed from pre-eternity.

rather, it is nearness from beginningless eternity.

وفي درجات القرب أسرار حكمة

وفي درجات القرب أسرار حكمة

تشير لفعل الاسم في الرتبية

تشير لفعل الاسم في الرتبية

Within the degrees of nearness are mysteries of wisdom

And in the degrees of nearness are secrets of wisdom

that point to the Name’s action in the ordering of ranks.

that point to the Name's action in the ordering of ranks.

فما عرجت تلك المعارج وقفة

فما عرجت تلك المعارج وقفة

إذا لم تقدمها بحول وقوة

إذا لم تقدمها بحول وقوة

No station ascended those stairways

So no station has climbed those ascents

unless You advanced it by might and power.

unless You advance it with might and strength.

فثبتني اللهم في كل طاعة

فثبتني اللهم في كل طاعة

وفي كل احسان على الأقدمية

وفي كل احسان على الأقدمية

So make me steadfast, O God, in every act of obedience,

So make me steadfast, O God, in every act of obedience,

and in every good deed, upon primordial precedence.

and in every good deed, in the foremost place.

وقدمني اللهم حيث رضيتني

وقدمني اللهم حيث رضيتني

وحسبي مقاماً ما ارتضيت لخيرتي

وحسبي مقاماً ما ارتضيت لخيرتي

Advance me, O God, wherever You are pleased with me.

And bring me forward, O God, where You are pleased with me;

Enough for me as a station is what You have chosen for my good.

and whatever You have chosen for my good suffices as my station.

فما أرتضيه يا مقدم ما به

فما أرتضيه يا مقدم ما به

غناء لنفسي بل رضاؤك غنيتي

غناء لنفسي بل رضاؤك غنيتي

For whatever I choose, O Advancer, contains no

For what I choose, O Bringer-Forward, is of no

sufficiency for my soul; rather, Your pleasure is my sufficiency.

avail to my soul; rather, Your approval is all I need.