ماذا تُريدُ سُلَيْمى من خَلِيِّ يَدٍ

ماذا تُريدُ سُلَيْمى من خَلِيِّ يَدٍ

تَعَفُّفاً طَلَّقَ الدُّنْيا وما فيها

تَعَفُّفاً طَلَّقَ الدُّنْيا وما فيها

What does Sulayma want of an empty-handed man,

What does Sulayma want from an empty-handed friend?

who, out of self-restraint, divorced the world and all within it?

Modestly, he divorced himself from the world and all in it.

تَسوقُهُ هِمَّةٌ لله خالِصَةٌ

تَسوقُهُ هِمَّةٌ لله خالِصَةٌ

على الكَواكِبِ قد جَرَّتْ حَواشيها

على الكَواكِبِ قد جَرَّتْ حَواشيها

A resolve devoted wholly to God drives him;

He is led by sincerity and pure devotion to God,

it has trailed its skirts over the stars.

Pulling its train behind it across the stars.

كُلُّ الشُّؤُنِ لها سِرٌّ يَقومُ بها

كُلُّ الشُّؤُنِ لها سِرٌّ يَقومُ بها

ويُظْهِرُ الرَّمزَ من مَطْوِيِّ خافيها

ويُظْهِرُ الرَّمزَ من مَطْوِيِّ خافيها

All affairs have a secret that sustains them,

All his affairs have a secret cause upholding them,

and reveals the symbol from the folds of their hidden nature.

And reveals symbols from its hidden, folded interior.

وما على العَبْدِ إن كانَ الإلهُ لهُ

وما على العَبْدِ إن كانَ الإلهُ لهُ

بأسٌ ولا رَيبَ يُحْيِ الأرضَ داحيها

بأسٌ ولا رَيبَ يُحْيِ الأرضَ داحيها

And the servant, if God is on his side,

What cause has a servant if God is for him,

faces no harm; surely, the One who spread the earth revives it.

With neither harm nor doubt, bringing the land to life?

يَرْمي الحَسودُ امْرَأً بَرًّا بِمَثْلَبَةٍ

يَرْمي الحَسودُ امْرَأً بَرًّا بِمَثْلَبَةٍ

والله يُعطيهِ إعلاءً وتَنْزيها

والله يُعطيهِ إعلاءً وتَنْزيها

The envious man accuses a righteous man of a fault,

The envious man throws an innocent man down a pit,

while God grants him exaltation and vindication.

Yet God raises him up, exalting and sanctifying him.

فَدَعْ سُلَيْمى ولا تَعْبَأ بِزَفْرَتِها

فَدَعْ سُلَيْمى ولا تَعْبَأ بِزَفْرَتِها

فإنَّ زَفْرَتَها السَّوْداءَ تَكْويها

فإنَّ زَفْرَتَها السَّوْداءَ تَكْويها

So leave Sulayma alone, and pay no heed to her sigh,

Leave Sulayma be, pay no mind to her snarling,

for her black sigh scorches her.

For her black snarling only burns her.

تَرومُ إسْقاطَ مَلْحوظٍ بِحُفْرَتِها

تَرومُ إسْقاطَ مَلْحوظٍ بِحُفْرَتِها

خَابَتْ سَتَسْقُطُ عن رَغْمٍ لها فيها

خَابَتْ سَتَسْقُطُ عن رَغْمٍ لها فيها

She seeks, with her pit, to bring down one held in favor;

She hopes to bring down one in high regard with her pit,

she has failed; against her will, she will fall into it.

She has failed—she will fall in it, in spite of herself.