سَــلامُpeace اللـهِof God يَـتْـبـعُــهُfollows it سَــلامُpeace
سَــلامُ اللـهِ يَـتْـبـعُــهُ سَــلامُ
عَلَىupon مَـنْone who فِيin الضَّـمِيرِthe heart لَــهُfor him مَقَـامُa place
عَلَى مَـنْ فِي الضَّـمِيرِ لَــهُ مَقَـامُ
God's peace, followed by peace,
God's peace followed by peace
Upon one who has a place in the heart;
Upon the one whose position is ensconced in conscience
عَلَىupon الحِـبِّthe beloved المُكـرَّمِthe honored مَـنwho تَرَقَّــىrose in rank
عَلَى الحِـبِّ المُكـرَّمِ مَـن تَرَقَّــى
إِلـَىto أَعلـَىthe highest مَـكــارِمَnoble virtues لاnot تُــرامُare aspired to
إِلـَى أَعلـَى مَـكــارِمَ لا تُــرامُ
Upon the honored beloved, who has risen
Upon elevated love, he who has risen
To the loftiest noble virtues, beyond reach;
To the highest of noble deeds that have no peer
وَفَاقَand surpassed الطَّالِبيـنَthe seekers ذَكًـاintelligence وَحِرْصًـاand zeal
وَفَاقَ الطَّالِبيـنَ ذَكًـا وَحِرْصًـا
وآدَابًــاand good manners وَمَــعْــرِفَــةًand knowledge تُـسَــــامُis prized
وآدَابًــا وَمَــعْــرِفَــةً تُـسَــــامُ
And surpassed the seekers in intelligence and zeal,
And has surpassed the seekers in intellect, desire
And in good manners and knowledge held in esteem;
Etiquette and enlightened knowledge are his measure
وَفَـارَقَand parted لِلقَـواطِــعِfrom the distractions بِاشْتِيــاقٍwith eagerness
وَفَـارَقَ لِلقَـواطِــعِ بِاشْتِيــاقٍ
ومَـنْand whoever طَلَـبَsought المَكـارِمَnoble virtues مـاnot يُــلامُis blamed
ومَـنْ طَلَـبَ المَكـارِمَ مـا يُــلامُ
And eagerly parted from distractions—
And separated with yearning for undertakings
And whoever seeks noble virtues is not blamed;
While the seeker of virtues is not blamed
وخَـلَّىand left كُـلَّevery مُشْتَغِــلٍbusy person يُنــادِيcalling out
وخَـلَّى كُـلَّ مُشْتَغِــلٍ يُنــادِي
أَلاah لَيْتِــيwould that I بِمَنــزِلِــهِin his station أَقَــامُـــواthey dwelt
أَلا لَيْتِــي بِمَنــزِلِــهِ أَقَــامُـــوا
And left everyone at work calling out:
And left every preoccupied one crying out
Ah, would that I were in his station! [The final verb reads 'they dwelt'; the wording is irregular.]
Oh, would that I come to his abode and remain
فَبَعْدَso after الدَّأْبِdiligent effort تَرضَىyou are content أَنْto تُسَاوِيbe equal
فَبَعْدَ الدَّأْبِ تَرضَى أَنْ تُسَاوِي
لأَرْبــابِto those given to الْبِـطَـالَــةِidleness أَوْor تَـنَـــامُyou sleep
لأَرْبــابِ الْبِـطَـالَــةِ أَوْ تَـنَـــامُ
So, after diligent effort, are you content to be equal
So after striving you are pleased to equal
To those given to idleness, or to sleep?
The masters of idleness or to sleep
وَبَعْدَand after صُعـودِكَyour ascent الدَّرَجَthe steps الْعَـوالِيthe lofty ones
وَبَعْدَ صُعـودِكَ الدَّرَجَ الْعَـوالِي
تُجــاذِبُyou struggle لِلنُّـزُولِto descend فَــذَاso this is سَقَــامُsickness
تُجــاذِبُ لِلنُّـزُولِ فَــذَا سَقَــامُ
And after you have climbed the lofty steps,
And after your ascent to the highest degrees
You struggle to descend—this is sickness.
You fluctuate towards descent, so it is a malady
فَمـاso what أَلْهـاكَdistracted you عَـنْfrom عِلْـمٍknowledge تَسَامَـىrose high
فَمـا أَلْهـاكَ عَـنْ عِلْـمٍ تَسَامَـى
وَعَـزَّand became difficult عَلَيْكَfor you يَـاO هَـذَاyou there الْعِظَـامُgreat things؟!
وَعَـزَّ عَلَيْكَ يَـا هَـذَا الْعِظَـامُ؟!
So what has distracted you from exalted knowledge,
What then has distracted you from transcendent knowledge
And great things have become difficult for you, O man?
And difficult for you, O great one, has it become?!
أَمَor الْهــاكَdistracted you اقْتِـدَاؤُكَyour emulation بِالكُسَــالَىof the lazy
أَمَ الْهــاكَ اقْتِـدَاؤُكَ بِالكُسَــالَى
فَضَاعَso was wasted الوقتُthe time وانْفَرطَand unraveled النِّظامُthe order؟!
فَضَاعَ الوقتُ وانْفَرطَ النِّظامُ؟!
Or has your following the lazy distracted you,
Or has emulating the lazy destroyed you
So time was wasted and order unraveled?
So time is lost and composure comes undone?!