ياO سَيِّداًa master ماnot مِنهُfor him فيamong الناسِthe people بَدَلa substitute
يا سَيِّداً ما مِنهُ في الناسِ بَدَل
ياO مَنwho هُوَhe الرَجاءُthe hope ليfor me وَهُوَand he الأَمَلthe aspiration
يا مَن هُوَ الرَجاءُ لي وَهُوَ الأَمَل
O master, for whom there is no substitute among people.
O Master, for whom among the people there is no substitute,
O you who are my hope and my aspiration.
O You who are my hope and my aspiration,
مَولايَmy lord ماwhat الحيلَةُthe recourse قُلsay ليto me ماwhat العَمَلthe action
مَولايَ ما الحيلَةُ قُل لي ما العَمَل
إِنif صَحَّis true ماwhat قَدalready ذَكَرواthey mentioned فَلاthen do not تَسَلask
إِن صَحَّ ما قَد ذَكَروا فَلا تَسَل
My lord, what recourse is there? Tell me, what is to be done?
My Master, what can be done, tell me what is the way,
If what they have said is true, then do not ask!
If what they have said is true, then do not question,
لاحَولَno power ليfor me وَماand what عَسىmight تُغنيavail الحِيَلthe stratagems
لاحَولَ لي وَما عَسى تُغني الحِيَل
قَدalready جاءَcame ماthat which أَنسىmade me forget الغَزالَthe gazelle وَالغَزَلand love poetry
قَد جاءَ ما أَنسى الغَزالَ وَالغَزَل
I am powerless, and what good can stratagems do?
I have no power and stratagems are of no use,
Something has come that made me forget the gazelle and love poetry.
What makes me forget the gazelle and the love talk has come,
فَاِشتَغَلَso became occupied القَلبُthe heart بِهِwith it بَلِrather اِشتَعَلcaught fire
فَاِشتَغَلَ القَلبُ بِهِ بَلِ اِشتَعَل
وَسَفرَةٍand a journey كَماas يُقالُis said فيin المَثَلthe proverb
وَسَفرَةٍ كَما يُقالُ في المَثَل
So my heart was occupied with it—rather, it caught fire.
So the heart has busied itself with it, rather it has become inflamed,
And a journey—as the proverb says—
With a caravan as they say in the proverb,
ماnot لِيَfor me فيهاin it ناقَةٌa she-camel وَلاnor جَمَلa he-camel
ما لِيَ فيها ناقَةٌ وَلا جَمَل
مِثلُكَone like you فيهاin it مَنthe one who كَفىsufficed وَمنand the one who كَفَلstood surety
مِثلُكَ فيها مَن كَفى وَمن كَفَل
In it I have neither a she-camel nor a he-camel.
I have in it neither she-camel nor camel,
One like you can see to it and stand surety.
One like you in it is sufficient and has provided,
عَلَيكَon you بَعدَafter اللَهِGod فيهاin it المُتَّكَلreliance
عَلَيكَ بَعدَ اللَهِ فيها المُتَّكَل
إِنif كُنتَyou were ثَقَّلتُI burdened فَفيكَthen in you المُحتَمَلthe capacity to bear
إِن كُنتَ ثَقَّلتُ فَفيكَ المُحتَمَل
In it, after God, my reliance is on you.
On you after Allah it depends in it the relied upon,
If I have burdened you, you have the capacity to bear it.
If I have burdened so in you is the tolerance,
كَمhow many خَطَإٍan error سَتَرتَهُyou concealed it وَكَمand how much خَطَلfoolish talk
كَم خَطَإٍ سَتَرتَهُ وَكَم خَطَل
مِثلُكَone like you مَنthe one who يُرجىis looked to with hope إِذاwhen الخَطبُcalamity نَزَلdescended
مِثلُكَ مَن يُرجى إِذا الخَطبُ نَزَل
How many errors you have concealed, and how much foolish talk!
How many errors you have concealed and how many slips,
One like you is looked to when calamity descends.
One like you is hoped for when tribulations descend,
يَحسُنُit is fitting أَنthat يُحسِنَhe does good قَولاًin word وَعَمَلand deed
يَحسُنُ أَن يُحسِنَ قَولاً وَعَمَل
يَذكُرُhe remembers إِنif قالَhe spoke وَيَنسىand he forgets ماwhat فَعَلhe did
يَذكُرُ إِن قالَ وَيَنسى ما فَعَل
It befits him to do good in word and deed.
It is good that he should do good in word and deed,
If he gives his word, he remembers it, but forgets what he has done.
Remembers if he speaks and forgets what he has done.