بحمد الله يفتتح الكلامُ

بحمد الله يفتتح الكلامُ

ويظفر من يروم بما يرامُ

ويظفر من يروم بما يرامُ

With praise of God, speech begins,

In the name of God, let speech commence

and whoever seeks attains what is sought.

And let he who intends attain what he desires

ومن أولى بذاك الحمد منه

ومن أولى بذاك الحمد منه

وأنعمه مضاعفةٌ جسامُ

وأنعمه مضاعفةٌ جسامُ

And who is worthier of that praise than He,

And who more deserving of that praise than Him

whose blessings are multiplied and immense?

Whose bounties are formidable in amount

تنامُ وأنت من غرض المنايا

تنامُ وأنت من غرض المنايا

وربُّك حافظ لك لا ينام

وربُّك حافظ لك لا ينام

You sleep, though you are a target of death,

You sleep while death is the aim of fates

while your Lord guards you and never sleeps.

Yet your Lord watches over you, never sleeping

كفاك البؤس والبأساءَ مولى

كفاك البؤس والبأساءَ مولى

لكفك في مواهبه احتكام

لكفك في مواهبه احتكام

A Master has spared you misery and hardship;

Your Master suffices you against misery and sorrow

your hand has free choice among His gifts.

In His gifts, you have the judge of your capacity

ولو جازاك بالأعمال عدلاً

ولو جازاك بالأعمال عدلاً

مكان الفضل عاجلك انتقام

مكان الفضل عاجلك انتقام

Had He repaid you justly for your deeds,

If He rewarded you justly for your deeds

retribution would have struck you swiftly instead of grace.

Retribution would have come in place of favor

عليه ضمانُ رزقِكَ كُلَّ يومٍ

عليه ضمانُ رزقِكَ كُلَّ يومٍ

وتأبى أن يفارقك اتّهام

وتأبى أن يفارقك اتّهام

He guarantees your sustenance every day,

He guarantees your sustenance every day

yet you refuse to let suspicion leave you.

Yet you refuse to cease accusation

وتطمع في الأنام فليت شعري

وتطمع في الأنام فليت شعري

مَنِ الرزَّاقُ إن بخل الأنام

مَنِ الرزَّاقُ إن بخل الأنام

You place your hopes in humankind—would that I knew:

You desire from people - if only I knew

who is the Provider, if humankind withholds?

Who is the Sustainer if people are miserly?

فمن يحي البسيَطة بعد موتٍ

فمن يحي البسيَطة بعد موتٍ

ومن يهمي بقدرته الغمام

ومن يهمي بقدرته الغمام

Who, then, revives the earth after death?

So who gives life to the worthless after death?

And who, by His power, makes the clouds pour down?

And who makes the clouds rain with His power?

لقد أعمَت بصيرتَك الخطايا

لقد أعمَت بصيرتَك الخطايا

وغرَّكَ ظامياً هذا الجهام

وغرَّكَ ظامياً هذا الجهام

Your sins have indeed blinded your inner sight,

Indeed your sins have blinded your vision

and this rainless cloud has deceived you in your thirst.

And this ignorant self has fooled you

شَغَلتَ الطرفَ عن معنى بحسّ

شَغَلتَ الطرفَ عن معنى بحسّ

وبين يديك أهوال عظام

وبين يديك أهوال عظام

You have turned your gaze from meaning to sensation,

You busy your eyes from comprehending wakefulness

while tremendous terrors lie before you.

While before you lie formidable horrors

وكنت بطبِّ جسمك مستقلاً

وكنت بطبِّ جسمك مستقلاً

وتحت ضلوعك الداءُ العقام

وتحت ضلوعك الداءُ العقام

You have been self-reliant in treating your body,

You were independent in caring for your body

while beneath your ribs lies an incurable disease.

While beneath your ribs lies chronic disease

تُلامُ على انهماكك في المعاصي

تُلامُ على انهماكك في المعاصي

ولا قلبٌ فيوجعه الملام

ولا قلبٌ فيوجعه الملام

You are reproached for your immersion in sins,

You are blamed for your absorption in disobedience

yet have no heart for reproach to wound.

Yet no heart aches from blame

يلمُّ بك الظلامُ ولا قيامٌ

يلمُّ بك الظلامُ ولا قيامٌ

ويطرقُكَ الهجيرُ ولا صيام

ويطرقُكَ الهجيرُ ولا صيام

Darkness settles upon you, yet there is no night prayer,

Darkness surrounds you, neither rising nor prayers

and midday heat visits you, yet there is no fasting.

The night falls and neither fasting nor recitation

أطَلتَ رضاعةَ الدًُّنيا سِفاهاً

أطَلتَ رضاعةَ الدًُّنيا سِفاهاً

وكلُّ رضاعة فلها فطام

وكلُّ رضاعة فلها فطام

Foolishly, you have prolonged your suckling at the world,

You prolonged suckling worldly delusions foolishly

but every suckling has its weaning.

And every suckling must eventually be weaned

فَشَعِّر للمنية إنّ شيباً

فَشَعِّر للمنية إنّ شيباً

بفودك من حبائلها خطام

بفودك من حبائلها خطام

So take heed of death: gray hair

So be warned of death - gray hair

at your temple is a halter from her snares.

Have entangled you in its fetters

بكى الناسُ الذنوبَ وليس إلاَّ

بكى الناسُ الذنوبَ وليس إلاَّ

سلوُ عن ذنوبك وابتسام

سلوُ عن ذنوبك وابتسام

People have wept over sins, but you have only

People cry over sins - nothing but

forgetfulness of your sins, and smiles.

Ask about your sins and smile

ومِلتَ إلى حطام تقتنيه

ومِلتَ إلى حطام تقتنيه

فلا تكثر فيحطمك الحطام

فلا تكثر فيحطمك الحطام

You have turned toward worldly chaff to acquire it;

You are weary of acquiring ruins

do not amass too much, lest that chaff crush you.

So do not acquire much lest the ruins destroy you

بخلتَ بما جمعت وهل صوابٌ

بخلتَ بما جمعت وهل صوابٌ

لمثلك طول بخلك والحرام

لمثلك طول بخلك والحرام

You have begrudged what you amassed; and is it right

You were miserly with what you collected - is it right

for one like you to persist in miserliness and wrongdoing?

For the likes of you to prolong miserliness and the forbidden?

فيا شيبَ الذُّنوبِ غلاَّ حياءٌ

فيا شيبَ الذُّنوبِ غلاَّ حياءٌ

تبدّى الصبح وانقشع الظَّلام

تبدّى الصبح وانقشع الظَّلام

O graybeard of sins—[have you no] shame?

So gray hair of sins, shyness has become costly

Dawn has appeared, and darkness has dispersed.

The dawn broke and the darkness dispersed

إلى الله المصيرُ ولا مقام

إلى الله المصيرُ ولا مقام

إذا حُثَّ المسيرُ ولا مقام

إذا حُثَّ المسيرُ ولا مقام

To God is the return, and there is no abiding,

To God is the destination - no stay

when the journey is hastened; there is no abiding.

When the journey is hurried - no stay

أفِق فالشيبُ قد ملأ النواصي

أفِق فالشيبُ قد ملأ النواصي

وليس ورائَهُ إلاَّ الحمام

وليس ورائَهُ إلاَّ الحمام

Awake! Gray hair has already filled the forelocks,

Wake for gray hair has filled the temples

and beyond it lies nothing but death.

And after it, there is nothing left but the tomb

فقد حتم الفناء عليك ربٌ

فقد حتم الفناء عليك ربٌ

له وجب التفرُّد والدوام

له وجب التفرُّد والدوام

For a Lord has decreed your extinction,

Your Lord has made annihilation incumbent upon you

to whom alone belong uniqueness and everlastingness.

To Him belongs absolute oneness and permanence

تأمل صنع ربِّك تَلقَ فيه

تأمل صنع ربِّك تَلقَ فيه

عجائبَ دون رؤيتها لثام

عجائبَ دون رؤيتها لثام

Contemplate your Lord's handiwork; in it you will find

Contemplate the making of your Lord and you will find

wonders concealed from sight by a veil.

Wondrous things beyond count or limit

لَهُ نِعَمٌ تفوتُ القولَ شكراً

لَهُ نِعَمٌ تفوتُ القولَ شكراً

لها من فوق أرؤسها زحام

لها من فوق أرؤسها زحام

His blessings surpass all words of thanks;

He has blessings that elude thankfulness in speech

they throng above one another's heads.

With a press atop their heads

وإن المنّة العظمى إمام

وإن المنّة العظمى إمام

لملك الأرض في يده زعام

لملك الأرض في يده زعام

And truly the greatest blessing is an imam,

And the greatest blessing is the imam

in whose hand are [the reins] of the earth's dominion.

The ruler of the land - in his hand the reins

تلوذ بملكه عرب وعجم

تلوذ بملكه عرب وعجم

ويرقب ملكه يَمَنٌ وشام

ويرقب ملكه يَمَنٌ وشام

Arabs and non-Arabs seek refuge in his kingdom,

To his kingdom cling Arab and non-Arab

and Yemen and al-Sham watch his reign.

And Yemen and Syria await his rule

غَمَامٌ ليس يعقبه انقشاعٌ

غَمَامٌ ليس يعقبه انقشاعٌ

وبدر لا يفارقه تمام

وبدر لا يفارقه تمام

A rain cloud followed by no dispersal,

An unending cloud, an undeparting full moon

and a full moon whose fullness never leaves it.

With his open hand comes desirable rain

بجود يمينه مَطَرٌ يرجى

بجود يمينه مَطَرٌ يرجى

ونور جبينه برق يشام

ونور جبينه برق يشام

From the bounty of his right hand, rain is hoped for,

And the light of his forehead is a pervading light

and his brow's radiance is lightning watched for.

Behind his state comes supplication

يدبَّ وراء دولته دعاءٌ

يدبَّ وراء دولته دعاءٌ

هو البيض المواضي والسِّهام

هو البيض المواضي والسِّهام

A prayer moves quietly behind his reign—

He who aims arrows and guides steeds

it is keen white swords and arrows.

What sound mind can deny his grace?

أيَجحَدُ فَضلَهُ عقلٌ سليمٌ

أيَجحَدُ فَضلَهُ عقلٌ سليمٌ

وقد نطقت بسؤدده الحمام

وقد نطقت بسؤدده الحمام

Can a sound mind deny his merit,

Doves have spoken of his happiness

when even the doves have proclaimed his eminence?

So say to his enemy - shorten, shorten!

فَقُل لعدوِّهِ أقصِر وأقصر

فَقُل لعدوِّهِ أقصِر وأقصر

أو استبصر فقد سُلَّ الحسام

أو استبصر فقد سُلَّ الحسام

So tell his enemy: Desist, and desist,

Or gain insight, for swords have been loosened

or see clearly, for the sword has been drawn.

He has filled the lands with fear of you

وقد ملأ البلاد عليك رُعباً

وقد ملأ البلاد عليك رُعباً

إمامٌ خلفه الجيش اللهام

إمامٌ خلفه الجيش اللهام

He has already filled the lands with terror to daunt you—

A brave imam - behind him an intrepid army

an imam with a vast army behind him,

With every sharp sword they entered fray

بكل معوَّد خوضَ المنايا

بكل معوَّد خوضَ المنايا

إذا ما الحرب شبَّ لها ضرام

إذا ما الحرب شبَّ لها ضرام

with every man accustomed to plunging into death,

When battle sparked intensely for them

whenever war's blaze is kindled,

He listened to incitement secretly

وأجردَ يسمع التحريض سراً

وأجردَ يسمع التحريض سراً

ويفهم ما يريد به اللجام

ويفهم ما يريد به اللجام

and every sleek steed that hears the whispered urging,

And understood the jerk of reins

and understands what the bridle asks of it.

So seek refuge in his side - you will gain safety

فَلُذ بجنابه تَغنَم أمانا

فَلُذ بجنابه تَغنَم أمانا

إذا ما صح منك له اغتنام

إذا ما صح منك له اغتنام

So seek refuge at his side, and gain safety,

If loyalty to him comes sincerely from you

if you sincerely seize your chance with him.

Do not let arrogance take you - and know

ولا تذهب بك الخُيَلاَءُ واعلم

ولا تذهب بك الخُيَلاَءُ واعلم

بأن المهر يطغيه الجمام

بأن المهر يطغيه الجمام

Do not let conceit carry you away, and know

That the skilled horseman rides the unruly steed

that rest makes a colt unruly.

Take the initiative, again take initiative, take initiative

وبادر ثُمَّ بادر ثم بادر

وبادر ثُمَّ بادر ثم بادر

إلى ملك زيارته دمام

إلى ملك زيارته دمام

And hasten, then hasten, then hasten,

To visit the king's sanctuary

to a king: visiting him is [a pledge of protection].

And do not confront the lion of august state

ولا تقدم على أسد هصور

ولا تقدم على أسد هصور

وأنت العير يتبعه النَّعام

وأنت العير يتبعه النَّعام

Do not advance against a rending lion,

While you are the prey, followed by ostriches

while you are an ass followed by ostriches.

Ignorance wishes from you what it wishes

تمنيك السفاهة ما تمنى

تمنيك السفاهة ما تمنى

ويأبى الله ذلك والإمام

ويأبى الله ذلك والإمام

Folly promises you what you desire,

But God refuses, as does the imam

but God and the imam refuse it.

You suffer utter exhaustion, then misery

لك الكدَّ المبرح ثم تشقى

لك الكدَّ المبرح ثم تشقى

به وله السَّلامةُ والسَّلام

به وله السَّلامةُ والسَّلام

Yours is the agonizing toil, and then you suffer

While he has safety and peace

through it, while his are safety and peace.