فَإن كُنتَ فِي هَدي الأَئِمَّةِ رَاغِباً

فَإن كُنتَ فِي هَدي الأَئِمَّةِ رَاغِباً

فَوَطِّن عَلَى أَن تَنتَحِيكَ الوَقَائِعُ

فَوَطِّن عَلَى أَن تَنتَحِيكَ الوَقَائِعُ

So if you desire the guidance of the imams,

If you desire the guidance of the Imams,

then brace yourself for calamities to assail you,

Prepare yourself, for tribulations will assail you,

بِنَفسٍ وَقَدرٍ عِندَ كُلِّ ملمَّة

بِنَفسٍ وَقَدرٍ عِندَ كُلِّ ملمَّة

وَقَلبٍ صَبُورٍ وَهُوَ في الصّورِ مَانعُ

وَقَلبٍ صَبُورٍ وَهُوَ في الصّورِ مَانعُ

with spirit and dignity at every affliction,

With patience of spirit and acceptance of fate, at every disaster,

and a patient heart, protective amid forms.

And a heart that perseveres though in dire straits it remains steadfast.

لِسَانُكَ مَخزُونٌ وَطَرفُكَ مُلجَمٌ

لِسَانُكَ مَخزُونٌ وَطَرفُكَ مُلجَمٌ

وَسِرُّكَ مَكتُومٌ لَدى الرَّبِّ ذَائعُ

وَسِرُّكَ مَكتُومٌ لَدى الرَّبِّ ذَائعُ

Your tongue is held back, and your gaze is bridled;

Your tongue is guarded, your glance restrained,

and your secret is concealed, yet known to the Lord;

Your secret concealed, though broadcast before the Lord.

وَذِكرُكَ مَغمُورٌ وَبَالُكَ مُغلَقٌ

وَذِكرُكَ مَغمُورٌ وَبَالُكَ مُغلَقٌ

وَثَغرُكَ بَسّامٌ وَبَطنُكَ جَائِعُ

وَثَغرُكَ بَسّامٌ وَبَطنُكَ جَائِعُ

and your renown is obscure, and your mind is closed;

Your remembrance obscured, your affliction masked,

and your lips are ever smiling, though your belly is hungry;

Your mouth smiling, your belly empty.

وَقَلبُكَ مَجروحٌ وَسُوقكَ كَاسدٌ

وَقَلبُكَ مَجروحٌ وَسُوقكَ كَاسدٌ

وَفَضلُكَ مَدفُونٌ وَطَيفُكَ شَائعُ

وَفَضلُكَ مَدفُونٌ وَطَيفُكَ شَائعُ

and your heart is wounded, and your market languishes;

Your heart is wounded, your commerce stalled,

and your merit is buried, and your phantom is widespread;

Your merit buried, your specter a common topic.

وَفِي كًلِّ نَومٍ أنتَ جَارعُ غصَّةً

وَفِي كًلِّ نَومٍ أنتَ جَارعُ غصَّةً

مِنَ الدَّهرِ وَالإخوَانِ وَالقَلب طَائِعُ

مِنَ الدَّهرِ وَالإخوَانِ وَالقَلب طَائِعُ

and in every sleep you swallow a choking pang

Each night you swallow a morsel of bitterness

from time and the brethren, while the heart submits.

From fate, false brethren, though your heart acquiesces.

نَهَارُكَ شُغلٌ وَالنَّاسُ مِن غَير مِنَّةٍ

نَهَارُكَ شُغلٌ وَالنَّاسُ مِن غَير مِنَّةٍ

ولَيلُكَ شَوقٌ غَابَ عَنهُ الطَّلاَئِعُ

ولَيلُكَ شَوقٌ غَابَ عَنهُ الطَّلاَئِعُ

Your day is toil, and people bear no debt of gratitude;

Your days are filled though you bestow no favors,

and your night is longing, from which the scouts have vanished.

Your nights are wakeful, no dawn breaks them.

فَدُونَكَ هَذَا اللَّيلُ خُذهُ ذَرِيعَةً

فَدُونَكَ هَذَا اللَّيلُ خُذهُ ذَرِيعَةً

لِيَومٍ عَبُوسٍ عَزَّ فِيهِ الذَّرائِعُ

لِيَومٍ عَبُوسٍ عَزَّ فِيهِ الذَّرائِعُ

So take this night; take it as a means

So seize this night before the morrow comes,

for a frowning day when means are scarce.

Grim day in which pretexts fail and excuses vanish.