إنماnothing but الدنياthe world حرافtrickery (uncertain) وهرافand babble وزرافand deception (uncertain)
إنما الدنيا حراف وهراف وزراف
إنهاindeed it is كذبlies وريشand plumage
إنها كذب وريش
The world is nothing but trickery, babble, and deception.
This world is but nonsense and vanity,
It is lies and plumage.
It is but lies and feathers,
ولهاand it has سمpoison ذعافlethal منwhoever أتتهit comes to him شغلتهit engrosses him
ولها سم ذعاف من أتته شغلته
ولهاand it has عنهaway from him انصرافa turning away
ولها عنه انصراف
And it has lethal poison; whoever it visits, it engrosses.
Its poison stings those it distracts,
Yet it turns away from him.
And it soon abandons them.
لاdo not تردهاseek it لاdo not تجبهاanswer it إنindeed آخرهاits end التلافruin
لا تردها لا تجبها إن آخرها التلاف
واطلبواand seek الخيرgoodness تفوزواyou will succeed
واطلبوا الخير تفوزوا
Do not seek it; do not answer it: its end is ruin.
Do not pursue it or oblige it, for its end is ruin,
And seek goodness, and you will succeed.
Seek goodness and you will succeed,
فاغنموهso seize it وتلافواand make amends واتركواand abandon الدنياthe world ارفضوهاreject it
فاغنموه وتلافوا واتركوا الدنيا ارفضوها
واقذرواand deem filthy الدنياthe world وعافواand shun
واقذروا الدنيا وعافوا
So seize it and make amends; abandon the world—reject it.
Seize it and avoid ruin, and leave this world, reject it,
And deem the world filthy, and shun it,
And despise this world and be content.
أنif (apparently intended) أردنواyou wish (irregular spelling) أنto تصحواyou be healthy وأردتواand you wish أنto تعافواyou be kept safe
أن أردنوا أن تصحوا وأردتوا أن تعافوا
واجعلوهاand regard it كعدوas an enemy
واجعلوها كعدو
If you wish to be healthy and wish to be kept safe.
If you wish to prosper and desire wellbeing,
And regard it as an enemy.
Make it your foe,
لاdo not تودوهlove it أوor تصافواbe on friendly terms ماnot بهاin it خيرany good ولكنbut
لا تودوه أو تصافوا ما بها خير ولكن
خيرthe best ماwhat فيهاin it الكفافbare sufficiency
خير ما فيها الكفاف
Do not love it or befriend it; there is no good in it, but
Do not befriend it, for there is no good in it, except
The best thing in it is bare sufficiency,
Sufficiency from lawful means in chastity, and chastity is most valuable.
منfrom حلالlawful earnings فيin عفافself-restraint ولقدand indeed عزhas grown rare العفافself-restraint
من حلال في عفاف ولقد عز العفاف
واتركand leave الناسpeople جميعاall of them
واترك الناس جميعا
From lawful earnings, with self-restraint—and self-restraint has indeed grown rare.
Leave all people,
And leave people, one and all.
For they have been corrupted and strayed, misguidance has spread among them,
إنهمindeed they فسدواhave become corrupt وزافواand have become false وفشاand has spread فيهمamong them ضلالerror
إنهم فسدوا وزافوا وفشا فيهم ضلال
وبداand has appeared فيهمamong them خلافdiscord
وبدا فيهم خلاف
Indeed, they have grown corrupt and false, and error has spread among them.
And conflict emerged between them,
And discord has appeared among them,
Except for a few who feared Allah and were wary.
غيرexcept آحادindividuals قليلa few اتقواwere mindful of اللهGod وخافواand feared
غير آحاد قليل اتقوا الله وخافوا
ياO إلهيmy God ومليكيand my King
يا إلهي ومليكي
Except a few individuals who were mindful of God and feared Him.
My God and my King,
O my God and my King,
Save us from what we fear, and conclude our lives with goodness
نجناsave us مماfrom what نخافwe fear واختمand bring to an end العمرlife بخيرwith goodness
نجنا مما نخاف واختم العمر بخير
حينwhen يأتيناcomes to us التلافdeath
حين يأتينا التلاف
Save us from what we fear, and bring our life to a good end,
When death comes upon us.
When death comes to us.
Prayers and peace as long as pilgrims circumambulate the Ancient House,
وصلاةand blessings وسلامand peace ماas long as عفاwears away الرحاthe millstone ورافواand they [unclear verb]
وصلاة وسلام ما عفا الرحا ورافوا
أوor أتىcomes to البيتthe House حجيجpilgrims
أو أتى البيت حجيج
And blessings and peace, as long as the millstone wears away and they [unclear verb],
Kissing the corner and circling,
Or pilgrims come to the House,
Bestowing blessings upon the Chosen One and his family,
قبلواthey kissed الركنthe Corner وطافواand they circumambulated يغشيانmay they both enfold المصطفىthe Chosen One والآand the fami- (continued)
قبلوا الركن وطافوا يغشيان المصطفى والآ
ل-ly (completes 'family') منwho سادواthey held sway ونافواand they rose high
ل من سادوا ونافوا
Kiss the Corner and circumambulate—may both enfold al-Mustafa and his fami-
Those who guided and led.
ly, those who held sway and rose high.
Partial English translation: 23 of 24 Arabic lines translated.