بِنا لا بِكَ الوَصَبُ المُؤلِمُ

بِنا لا بِكَ الوَصَبُ المُؤلِمُ

وَنَفسُكَ مِن صَرفِهِ تَسلَمُ

وَنَفسُكَ مِن صَرفِهِ تَسلَمُ

May the painful illness afflict us, not you,

It is not you we blame for this painful fate,

and may you yourself be spared its ravages.

And yourself remains safe from its wrath.

لَئِن نالَ جِسمَكَ نَهكُ الضَنى

لَئِن نالَ جِسمَكَ نَهكُ الضَنى

لَقَد ضَنِيَ السُؤددُ الأَعظَمُ

لَقَد ضَنِيَ السُؤددُ الأَعظَمُ

If the ravages of wasting illness have struck your body,

If grief has worn down your body,

supreme nobility has indeed fallen ill.

Far greater woes have burdened us.

فَحاشاكَ مِن سَقَمٍ عارِضٍ

فَحاشاكَ مِن سَقَمٍ عارِضٍ

وَلَكِنَّ أَكبادَنا تَسقَمُ

وَلَكِنَّ أَكبادَنا تَسقَمُ

So may you be spared any passing sickness,

So spare yourself from imagined illness,

but our livers fall ill.

When it is our own hearts that are sick.

فَأَنتَ السَماءُ الَّتي ظِلُّها

فَأَنتَ السَماءُ الَّتي ظِلُّها

إِذا زالَ أَعقَبَهُ الصَيلَمُ

إِذا زالَ أَعقَبَهُ الصَيلَمُ

For you are the sky whose shade,

You are the sky whose shade,

when it vanishes, is followed by utter ruin.

When gone, is followed by darkness.

وَأَنتَ الصَباحُ الَّذي نورُهُ

وَأَنتَ الصَباحُ الَّذي نورُهُ

بِهِ يَنجَلي الحادِثُ المُظلِمُ

بِهِ يَنجَلي الحادِثُ المُظلِمُ

And you are the morning whose light

You are the morning whose light

dispels the dark calamity.

Dispels the blackest gloom.

وَأَنتَ الغَمامُ الَّتي سَيبُهُ

وَأَنتَ الغَمامُ الَّتي سَيبُهُ

يَنالُ الثَراءَ بِهِ المُعدِمُ

يَنالُ الثَراءَ بِهِ المُعدِمُ

And you are the raincloud whose bounty

You are the clouds whose rain

brings wealth to the destitute.

Brings life to the barren waste.

يُخاطِبُ عَنكَ لِسانُ العُلى

يُخاطِبُ عَنكَ لِسانُ العُلى

إِذا ذُكِرَ المُفضِلُ المُنعِمُ

إِذا ذُكِرَ المُفضِلُ المُنعِمُ

The tongue of glory speaks on your behalf

The highest tongues speak of you

when the generous benefactor is mentioned.

When the generous patron is recalled.

فَمَن نالَ مِن كَرَمٍ رُتبَةً

فَمَن نالَ مِن كَرَمٍ رُتبَةً

فَيَومُكَ مِن دَهرِهِ أَكرَمُ

فَيَومُكَ مِن دَهرِهِ أَكرَمُ

So whoever attains a rank through generosity,

Whoever gained rank through your grace,

a day of yours is more generous than his lifetime.

His day outshines all other days.

إِذا ما تَخَطّاكَ صَرفُ الرَدى

إِذا ما تَخَطّاكَ صَرفُ الرَدى

فَرُكنُ المَكارِمِ لا يُهدَمُ

فَرُكنُ المَكارِمِ لا يُهدَمُ

If death's blow passes you by,

When the days have turned against you,

the pillar of noble virtues will not be brought down.

Pillars of nobility do not crumble.

فَبِاللَهِ أُقسِمُ رَبِّ الوَرى

فَبِاللَهِ أُقسِمُ رَبِّ الوَرى

وَلِلَهِ غايَةُ ما يُقسَمُ

وَلِلَهِ غايَةُ ما يُقسَمُ

So I swear by God, Lord of creation,

By God, Lord of all creation,

and to God belongs the highest of oaths:

To whom all oaths are made –

لَوَ اِنَّ السَماءَ حَمَت قَطرَها

لَوَ اِنَّ السَماءَ حَمَت قَطرَها

لَكُنتَ حَياً سَيبُهُ مُثجمُ

لَكُنتَ حَياً سَيبُهُ مُثجمُ

if the sky were to withhold its rain,

If the skies poured down their rain,

you would be rain whose bounty pours abundantly.

You would live, the cloudburst your shade.