عفا الله عني ما الذي كان من أمري

عفا الله عني ما الذي كان من أمري

فيذهب من تذكار غايتهُ فكري

فيذهب من تذكار غايتهُ فكري

May God pardon me! What has happened to me,

May Allah forgive me, what was my situation

that recalling its outcome sends my mind astray?

So that the goal of my thoughts would go away

وماذا جنيت اليومَ حتى يخونني

وماذا جنيت اليومَ حتى يخونني

لساني انطلاقاً أو يضيق له صدري

لساني انطلاقاً أو يضيق له صدري

And what wrong have I done today, that it should fail me—

And what did I gain today that my tongue would betray me

my tongue in speaking freely—or my breast grow tight over it?

Or my chest would tighten for it

وما لي على نفسي أضيّق سبْلها

وما لي على نفسي أضيّق سبْلها

وأخشى عليها من محارفة الدهرِ

وأخشى عليها من محارفة الدهرِ

And why do I narrow the paths of my own soul,

Why should I constrict my soul's paths for myself

and fear for it the ill fortune of time?

And fear the vicissitudes of fate befalling it

أما لي آمال بمن عمّ عفوه

أما لي آمال بمن عمّ عفوه

وعادتهُ الصفح الجميل عن الوزرِ

وعادتهُ الصفح الجميل عن الوزرِ

Have I no hopes in one whose pardon embraces all,

Do I not have hopes in the One whose pardon encompasses all

and whose custom is gracious forgiveness of sin?

Whose trait is beautiful forgiveness of burdens

حليف العلا قدري ومن حالف العلا

حليف العلا قدري ومن حالف العلا

تجل مزاياهُ عن العدِّ والحصرِ

تجل مزاياهُ عن العدِّ والحصرِ

Qadri is glory's ally; and whoever allies himself with glory

The Most High is my ally, He who allies with the Most High

has merits beyond counting and reckoning.

His virtues become manifest, beyond counting or bounding

ويأبى هواني واتضاعيَ بعدما

ويأبى هواني واتضاعيَ بعدما

مضى ما مضى في العز معْ رفعة القدرِ

مضى ما مضى في العز معْ رفعة القدرِ

And he will not allow my humiliation and abasement, after

He refuses my humiliation and humility after

all that has gone by in honor and high standing.

What has passed, in might with loftiness of worth

ويرأف بالعاني ويحنو لصبِية

ويرأف بالعاني ويحنو لصبِية

ترى ربَّها ذا قدرة وهي لا تدري

ترى ربَّها ذا قدرة وهي لا تدري

And he has compassion for the captive and is tender toward children

And He has mercy on the weak and cares for a child

who see their guardian as powerful, yet do not know.

Who sees her Lord as Capable though she knows not

على أنني ما جئتُ ذنباً وإنما

على أنني ما جئتُ ذنباً وإنما

سعى من سعى حتى تمكن من ضري

سعى من سعى حتى تمكن من ضري

Yet I have committed no sin; rather,

Yet I did not come with a sin, but rather

one who schemed kept scheming until he could harm me.

One strove until he overpowered me with harm

ولي ذمة تأبى موافقةً على

ولي ذمة تأبى موافقةً على

ذميم فعالٍ واتحاد على الشرّ

ذميم فعالٍ واتحاد على الشرّ

And I have a conscience that refuses assent to

And I have a covenant that refuses agreement to

vile deeds or joining forces in evil.

Vile deeds and uniting upon evil

وإني وقد أمنتموني لم أخن

وإني وقد أمنتموني لم أخن

فذلك شيء ما هممتُ به عمري

فذلك شيء ما هممتُ به عمري

And I, whom you trusted, did not betray you;

And since you entrusted me, I did not betray

for that is something I have never contemplated in my life.

That is not something I ever intended in my life