وَإِن صافَيتَ أَو خالَلتَ خِلّاً

وَإِن صافَيتَ أَو خالَلتَ خِلّاً

فَفي الرَحمَنِ فَاِجعَل مَن تُؤاخي

فَفي الرَحمَنِ فَاِجعَل مَن تُؤاخي

If you form a sincere friendship or take an intimate companion,

And if you sincerely befriend or form close ties with a companion,

then let the one you call brother be so for the All-Merciful’s sake.

then choose whom you take as a brother for the Most Merciful's sake.

وَلا تَعدِل بِتَقوى اللَهِ شَيئاً

وَلا تَعدِل بِتَقوى اللَهِ شَيئاً

وَدَع عَنكَ الضَلالَةَ وَالتَراخي

وَدَع عَنكَ الضَلالَةَ وَالتَراخي

And set nothing on a par with reverence for God;

And do not equate anything with reverence for God,

leave error and spiritual laxity behind.

and cast off misguidance and laxity.

فَكَيفَ تَنالُ في الدُنيا سُروراً

فَكَيفَ تَنالُ في الدُنيا سُروراً

وَأَيّامُ الحَياةِ إِلى اِنسِلاخِ

وَأَيّامُ الحَياةِ إِلى اِنسِلاخِ

How, then, can you attain joy in this world

For how can you attain joy in this world,

when life’s days are bound to slip away?

while the days of life are slipping away?

وَإِنَّ سُرورَها فيما عَهِدنا

وَإِنَّ سُرورَها فيما عَهِدنا

مَشوبٌ بِالبُكاءِ وَبِالصُراخِ

مَشوبٌ بِالبُكاءِ وَبِالصُراخِ

Indeed, its joy—as we have known it—

And indeed its joy, as we have known it,

is mingled with weeping and cries.

is mingled with weeping and screaming.

فَقَد عَمِيَ اِبنُ آدَمَ لا يَراها

فَقَد عَمِيَ اِبنُ آدَمَ لا يَراها

عَمىً أَفضى إِلى صَمَمِ الصماخِ

عَمىً أَفضى إِلى صَمَمِ الصماخِ

For the son of Adam has gone blind and cannot see it—

For the son of Adam has gone blind and does not see it—

a blindness that has led to deafness deep within the ear.

a blindness that has led to deafness of the ear.