ذهبَ الصدقُ وإخلاصُ العملْ

ذهبَ الصدقُ وإخلاصُ العملْ

ما بقيْ إلا رياءٌ وكسلْ

ما بقيْ إلا رياءٌ وكسلْ

Truthfulness and sincerity in deeds have gone;

Sincerity and honest work have gone

nothing remains but ostentation and sloth.

Only pretense and laziness remain

غرَّكَ التقصيرُ مِنْ ثوبي فإنْ

غرَّكَ التقصيرُ مِنْ ثوبي فإنْ

قُصِّرَ الثوبُ فقدْ طالَ الأملْ

قُصِّرَ الثوبُ فقدْ طالَ الأملْ

The shortening of my robe deceived you; for though

You were fooled by the shortcomings in my clothes

the robe has been shortened, hope has grown long.

Though clothes be short, hopes are long

إنْ تأملتَ فزيِّي منهمُ

إنْ تأملتَ فزيِّي منهمُ

غيرَ أَنَّ القلبَ مغناهُ طللْ

غيرَ أَنَّ القلبَ مغناهُ طللْ

If you look closely, my garb is theirs,

If you contemplate my attire

but the heart's dwelling is a ruin.

It is nothing, though my heart is filled with longing

إنما الصوفيُّ صافي القلبِ مِنْ

إنما الصوفيُّ صافي القلبِ مِنْ

كلِّ غشٍّ فإذا قالَ فعلْ

كلِّ غشٍّ فإذا قالَ فعلْ

The Sufi is only one whose heart is free of

The true Sufi has a heart cleansed

every deceit; when he speaks, he acts.

Of all deceit, and acts as he speaks

رَفَعَ الكلَّ عنِ الكلِّ وَمَنْ

رَفَعَ الكلَّ عنِ الكلِّ وَمَنْ

كَلَّ في الدنيا تحامى كُلَّ كُلْ

كَلَّ في الدنيا تحامى كُلَّ كُلْ

He lifts the burden from everyone; and whoever

He lifts all creation above the temporal

grows weary of the world shuns every burden.

And one who rises in Dunya will fall in the end

ذَلَّ للهِ فعزَّتْ نفسُهُ

ذَلَّ للهِ فعزَّتْ نفسُهُ

كلُّ مَنْ عزَّ بغيرِ اللهِ ذَلْ

كلُّ مَنْ عزَّ بغيرِ اللهِ ذَلْ

He humbles himself before God, and his soul gains honor.

He humbles himself before Allah, so his soul is exalted

Whoever gains honor through other than God is abased.

All who are mighty, except through Allah, are abased

فَهْوَ إنْ يعلُ فباللهِ علا

فَهْوَ إنْ يعلُ فباللهِ علا

وَهْوَ إنْ ينزلْ فبالحقِّ نَزَلْ

وَهْوَ إنْ ينزلْ فبالحقِّ نَزَلْ

So if he ascends, he ascends through God;

If he ascends, it is through Allah he rises high

and if he descends, he descends by the Truth.

If he descends, it is by truth he is brought low

كسرَ النفسَ فصمَّتْ واتقى

كسرَ النفسَ فصمَّتْ واتقى

زخرف الدنيا وخيلاً وخَوَلْ

زخرف الدنيا وخيلاً وخَوَلْ

He breaks the self, so it grows deaf, and shuns

He tamed his ego, so it fell silent in piety

the world's finery, horses, and servants.

Shunning worldly vanities, steeds and foals

بَذَلَ الروحَ ولولا عزُّ ما

بَذَلَ الروحَ ولولا عزُّ ما

رامَ ما هانَ عليه ما بذلْ

رامَ ما هانَ عليه ما بذلْ

He gives his soul; but for the preciousness of what

He sacrificed his soul, else, without God's glory,

he seeks, what he gives would not seem cheap to him.

He'd not dare to sacrifice what he holds dear

عرفَ المربوبَ بالربِّ فلم

عرفَ المربوبَ بالربِّ فلم

يخشَ إلا ربَّه عزَّ وجلْ

يخشَ إلا ربَّه عزَّ وجلْ

He knows creation through the Lord, and so does not

Knowing the Nurtured through the Nurturer

fear any but his Lord, exalted and majestic.

He fears none but his Lord, Mighty and Sublime

ليتني في جسم هذا شعرةٌ

ليتني في جسم هذا شعرةٌ

صَغُرت أو طعنةٌ فيما انتعلْ

صَغُرت أو طعنةٌ فيما انتعلْ

Would that I were a hair on this man's body,

Would that I were a hair on the body

however tiny, or a puncture in the footwear he wore.

Of this man, or a sandal under his noble feet

بل مرامي لحظةٌ أو لفظةٌ

بل مرامي لحظةٌ أو لفظةٌ

مِنْ وليِّ اللهِ مِنْ قبلِ الأجلْ

مِنْ وليِّ اللهِ مِنْ قبلِ الأجلْ

Rather, my aim is a glance or a word

Or a moment, a word, from the saint

from a saint of God, before the appointed end.

Before death comes to claim my wretched soul

هؤلاءِ القومُ يا قومُ مَضَوا

هؤلاءِ القومُ يا قومُ مَضَوا

ما تبقى منهمُ إلا الأقلْ

ما تبقى منهمُ إلا الأقلْ

These people, O people, have passed away;

These people, O people, have passed on

only a very few of them remain.

Naught remains of them but the few

فإلى اللهِ تعالى أشتكي

فإلى اللهِ تعالى أشتكي

ما بقلبي مِنْ فتورٍ وخبلْ

ما بقلبي مِنْ فتورٍ وخبلْ

So to God, exalted is He, I complain

So to Allah, Exalted, I complain

of the lassitude and derangement in my heart.

Of the apathy and confusion in my heart

لو تقنَّعتُ أتى رزقي على

لو تقنَّعتُ أتى رزقي على

رغمِهِ لكنْ خُلقنا مِنْ عجلْ

رغمِهِ لكنْ خُلقنا مِنْ عجلْ

Were I content, my livelihood would come against

If I were content, my provision would come

its will; but we were created from haste.

Despite itself, but we were created hasty

كم رياءٍ كم مراءٍ كم خطا

كم رياءٍ كم مراءٍ كم خطا

كم عدوٍّ كم حسودٍ لا يملْ

كم عدوٍّ كم حسودٍ لا يملْ

How much ostentation, how much disputation, how much error!

So much ostentation, contention, error,

How many enemies, how many envious people who never tire!

Enemies and envy, endless woes,

ليس يخلو المرءُ عن ضدٍّ ولو

ليس يخلو المرءُ عن ضدٍّ ولو

حاولَ العزلةَ في رأسِ جبلْ

حاولَ العزلةَ في رأسِ جبلْ

No one is without an adversary, even if

No man is free of opposites, even if

he seeks seclusion on a mountain's summit.

He isolates himself atop a mountain

لا أرى الدنيا وإنْ طابتْ لمن

لا أرى الدنيا وإنْ طابتْ لمن

ذاقَها إلا كسمٍّ في عَسَلْ

ذاقَها إلا كسمٍّ في عَسَلْ

I see the world, though pleasant to whoever

However sweet this world is to those

tastes it, as nothing but poison in honey.

Who taste it, it is but poison in honey

أين كسرى وهِرَقْلٌ أين مَنْ

أين كسرى وهِرَقْلٌ أين مَنْ

ملك الأرضَ وولَّى وعزلْ

ملك الأرضَ وولَّى وعزلْ

Where are Khosrow and Heraclius? Where is he who

Where are Chosroes and Heraclius now

ruled the earth, appointed, and dismissed?

And those who ruled the world, then passed away?

أينَ مَنْ شادوا وسادوا وبَنَوا

أينَ مَنْ شادوا وسادوا وبَنَوا

هَلَكَ الكلُّ وَلَمْ تغنِ القللْ

هَلَكَ الكلُّ وَلَمْ تغنِ القللْ

Where are those who raised buildings, held sway, and built?

Where are those who built and lorded

All perished, and the heights availed them nothing.

And led? All perished, and mountains remain

لو سألتَ الأرضَ عنهمْ أنشدَتْ

لو سألتَ الأرضَ عنهمْ أنشدَتْ

أصبحَ الملعبُ قفراً والطللْ

أصبحَ الملعبُ قفراً والطللْ

If you asked the earth about them, it would recite:

If you ask the earth about them, it recites

The playground and the ruined dwelling have become desolate.

"The playground is now empty, the hills deserted."