تَرىyou see الكَثيرَmuch قَليلاًas little حينwhen تَسأَلُهُyou ask him
تَرى الكَثيرَ قَليلاً حين تَسأَلُهُ
وَلاnor مخالِجهُhis preoccupations المُخلوجَةُpulled in different directions الكُثُرُmany
وَلا مخالِجهُ المُخلوجَةُ الكُثُرُ
You see much as little when you ask him,
You see little when you ask him,
Nor do his many tangled cares [deter him].
And multitudes do not trouble his serenity.
ياO اِسمَAsm صَبراًbe patient عَلىwith ماwhatever كانَhas occurred مِنof حَدَثa misfortune
يا اِسمَ صَبراً عَلى ما كانَ مِن حَدَث
إنَّindeed الحَوادِثَmisfortunes مَلقىencountered ومُنتَظَرُand awaited
إنَّ الحَوادِثَ مَلقى ومُنتَظَرُ
O Asm, be patient with whatever misfortune has occurred.
O name of patience over what has happened -
For misfortunes are encountered, and others lie ahead.
Events are a testing ground and awaited.
صَبراًbe patient عَلىwith حَدَثانِthe vicissitudes الدَهرِof time وَاِنقَبِضيand draw back
صَبراً عَلى حَدَثانِ الدَهرِ وَاِنقَبِضي
عَنِfrom الدَناءَةِbaseness إِنَّindeed الحرَّthe noble person يَصطَبِرُbears patiently
عَنِ الدَناءَةِ إِنَّ الحرَّ يَصطَبِرُ
Be patient with time’s vicissitudes, and draw back
Patience over the vicissitudes of fate and withdraw
From baseness; the noble person endures.
From baseness - the free man endures heat.
وَلاand do not تَبيتَنَّever spend the night ذاpossessing هَمَّa worry تكابدهُyou struggle with it
وَلا تَبيتَنَّ ذا هَمَّ تكابدهُ
كَأَنَّماas though النارُfire فيin الأَحشاءِthe entrails تَستَعِرُblazes
كَأَنَّما النارُ في الأَحشاءِ تَستَعِرُ
And never pass the night burdened by a worry you wrestle with,
Do not spend the night anxious, suffering it,
As though fire were blazing in your entrails.
As if there were fire flaming in the entrails.
فَماso whatever رُزِقتyou are allotted فَإِنَّthen indeed اللَهَGod جالِبهُits bringer
فَما رُزِقت فَإِنَّ اللَهَ جالِبهُ
وَماand whatever حُرِمتyou are denied فَماthen not يَجريruns its course بِهِwith it القَدَرُfate
وَما حُرِمت فَما يَجري بِهِ القَدَرُ
Whatever you are allotted, God brings it to you;
What I was granted, God is its bringer.
And whatever you are denied, fate does not bring it.
What I was deprived of goes with fate's flow.
نَعلوهُمwe strike them from above كَلَّماwhenever يَنميgrows لَهُمon their side سَلَفٌan advance party
نَعلوهُم كَلَّما يَنمي لَهُم سَلَفٌ
بِالمَشرَفيwith the Mashrafi sword وَلَولاand were it not for ذاكَthat قَدindeed أَمرواthey grew numerous
بِالمَشرَفي وَلَولا ذاكَ قَد أَمروا
We strike them down whenever a band of theirs grows,
We raise them up whenever an outstanding debt grows for them
With the Mashrafi sword; but for that, they would have multiplied.
With splendor - without that they would have commanded.