أأخي "أبا سعد" ومن قُبَلِ

أأخي "أبا سعد" ومن قُبَلِ

أُهدي ستقبس جمرتي قبسا

أُهدي ستقبس جمرتي قبسا

O my brother Abu Saʿd, from the kisses

My brother "Abu Saad" from whom

I offer, you will draw a spark from my ember.

I offer a burning coal as a gift

يا صفوَ إخوانِ الصفاء إذا

يا صفوَ إخوانِ الصفاء إذا

ما جف نبع مروءةٍ وجسا

ما جف نبع مروءةٍ وجسا

O choicest of the brothers of sincerity, when

O essence of the sincere brothers when

the spring of chivalry dries up and hardens.

The spring of gallantry dries up and diminishes

شوقاً إليكَ يشدُّ نابضَهُ

شوقاً إليكَ يشدُّ نابضَهُ

حبٌ ترعرعَ بيننا ورسا

حبٌ ترعرعَ بيننا ورسا

Longing for you—its heartbeat sustained

Yearning for you moves its throbbing

by a love that grew between us and took firm root.

A love grew between us and took root

والذكرياتُ ترفُّ ناعمةً

والذكرياتُ ترفُّ ناعمةً

رفَّ النسيمِ بحسرةٍ همسا

رفَّ النسيمِ بحسرةٍ همسا

And memories flutter softly,

Memories flutter gently

like the breeze's flutter, whispering with regret.

Like the breeze sighing softly

أصلاحُ لم تبرحْ صفيَّ هوى

أصلاحُ لم تبرحْ صفيَّ هوى

صدقٍ إذا ما الكاذب انتكسا

صدقٍ إذا ما الكاذب انتكسا

O Salah, you have remained a cherished friend, with a love

Reforms never left the loyal beloved

that is true, when the false-hearted falter.

Of truthfulness when the liar stumbles

ما أنفكَّ يومكَ مثل أمسكَ ، عن غدٍ

ما أنفكَّ يومكَ مثل أمسكَ ، عن غدٍ

كلفاً بحبِّ الخير منغمسا

كلفاً بحبِّ الخير منغمسا

Your today, like your yesterday, is inseparable from tomorrow,

Your day never ceases, like your past, from a tomorrow

passionately immersed in the love of goodness.

Burdened with the love of good immersed

تشتفّ ضوءَ الفجرِ ترقبهُ

تشتفّ ضوءَ الفجرِ ترقبهُ

وتميزُ خيطيهِ إذا التبسا

وتميزُ خيطيهِ إذا التبسا

You drink in dawn's light, watching for it,

You sip the morning light awaiting it

and distinguish its two threads when they blur together.

And distinguish its threads when tangled

عوتِ "الذئابُ" عليَّ ناهزةً

عوتِ "الذئابُ" عليَّ ناهزةً

فرصاً تثيرُ الذئبَ مفترسا

فرصاً تثيرُ الذئبَ مفترسا

The wolves howled at me, seizing

The "wolves" called upon me attacking

opportunities that rouse the wolf to prey.

An opportunity that provokes the ravenous wolf

ينهشن من لحمي وكلُّ دمٍ

ينهشن من لحمي وكلُّ دمٍ

فيهِ لِخَيرِ الناسِ قدْ حُبسا

فيهِ لِخَيرِ الناسِ قدْ حُبسا

They tear at my flesh, though every drop of blood

They rip my flesh and every blood

within it has been dedicated to people's good.

In it is held for the good people

من كلِّ داجٍ لا يُحبُّ سنىً

من كلِّ داجٍ لا يُحبُّ سنىً

للصبحِ يطمسُ ليلَهُ التعسا

للصبحِ يطمسُ ليلَهُ التعسا

By every dark soul that loves no radiance

From every wrongdoer who does not like glory

of dawn that would erase his wretched night,

For the dawn he effaces its miserable night

دفعتُ جمعَ يدٍ ، وملء فمٍ

دفعتُ جمعَ يدٍ ، وملء فمٍ

ومداهنٍ أصغى فما نبسا

ومداهنٍ أصغى فما نبسا

I was pushed back with clenched fist and full voice,

I repelled a group of hands, and a mouthful

and by a flatterer who listened but uttered no word.

And a flatterer who listened but did not speak

"أصلاح" اني والذي قدرت

"أصلاح" اني والذي قدرت

يدُهُ النفوسَ ، وقَدَّرَ النِّفَسا

يدُهُ النفوسَ ، وقَدَّرَ النِّفَسا

O Salah, I—by Him who fashioned

"Reforms" I and He who created

souls with His hand and ordained breath—

Souls with His hand, and predetermined fate

لأكفُّ نفسي وهي جامحةٌ

لأكفُّ نفسي وهي جامحةٌ

عن أن تروح لغيظها فرسا

عن أن تروح لغيظها فرسا

do restrain my soul, though it runs wild,

I restrain my impetuous soul

from becoming a steed for its own rage.

From going in anger like an unbroken mare

وأصونها ما اسطعت عن شرس

وأصونها ما اسطعت عن شرس

وان ابتليتُ الحاقد الشرسا

وان ابتليتُ الحاقد الشرسا

And I shield it, as far as I can, from savagery,

And protect it as long as it shines from ferocity

even when tried by the spiteful, savage man.

And if I am tested by the vicious fierce one

"أصلاح" انّا رهنُ مجتمعٍ

"أصلاح" انّا رهنُ مجتمعٍ

يخشى اللصوصَ فيذبحُ العَسَسا

يخشى اللصوصَ فيذبحُ العَسَسا

O Salah, we are held hostage by a society

"Reforms" we are hostages of a society

that fears thieves and so slaughters the night watchmen.

That fears thieves so it slaughters the innocent

خلساً يسرُّ الصالحين به

خلساً يسرُّ الصالحين به

والطاحونَ يسوؤهم خلسا

والطاحونَ يسوؤهم خلسا

It secretly pleases the righteous within it,

Secretly it is pleased with the righteous among them

and secretly distresses the fallen.

And the millstone wears them out secretly

يزهي بفارسهِ إذا افترسا

يزهي بفارسهِ إذا افترسا

وبضوءِ نجمٍ ساطعٍ طُمسا

وبضوءِ نجمٍ ساطعٍ طُمسا

It boasts of its knight when he is devoured,

It gloats over its knight when it preys

and of a shining star's light once it is blotted out,

And the light of a shining star is extinguished

ونتاج زرعٍ لا يُداسُ بهِ

ونتاج زرعٍ لا يُداسُ بهِ

إلاّ على الزهر الذي غرسا

إلاّ على الزهر الذي غرسا

and of a crop's yield, used to trample

The crop is not harvested except

nothing but the flowers it planted.

On the flowers that it planted

"أصلاح" لا جزعاً كمن يئسا

"أصلاح" لا جزعاً كمن يئسا

لكن تفكُّرُ ملهم حدسا

لكن تفكُّرُ ملهم حدسا

O Salah, not in anguish like one who has despaired,

"Reforms" no despair like one who despaired

but in the intuitive reflection of an inspired mind.

But inspired contemplative thinking

فالموتُ يدريكُ كلَّ ذي رمقٍ

فالموتُ يدريكُ كلَّ ذي رمقٍ

كالنومِ يدركُ كلَّ من نعسا

كالنومِ يدركُ كلَّ من نعسا

For death overtakes everyone with a breath of life,

For death makes every living being know

as sleep overtakes everyone who grows drowsy.

Like sleep overtakes all who doze

والمرءُ مرتطمٌ بحفرته

والمرءُ مرتطمٌ بحفرته

من قبل أن يهوي فيرتكسا

من قبل أن يهوي فيرتكسا

And man is already dashed against his grave,

And man clashes with his grave

before he plunges and falls headlong.

Before he plunges and crashes into it

ما أوحش الدنيا تفرِّقنا

ما أوحش الدنيا تفرِّقنا

وكأننا من هاجس هجسا

وكأننا من هاجس هجسا

How desolate the world that parts us,

How lonesome is the world dividing us

as though we sprang from a thought that flickered.

As if we were haunted by delusions

يبتز حاضرنا وقابلنا

يبتز حاضرنا وقابلنا

شفقٌ يجرُّ وراءهُ غلسا

شفقٌ يجرُّ وراءهُ غلسا

Our present and our future are snatched away

That rob our present and future

by twilight, dragging predawn darkness behind it.

Twilight that drags darkness behind it

والعمرُ كنزٌ يستضنُّ بهِ

والعمرُ كنزٌ يستضنُّ بهِ

فإذا بهِ يوماً قد اختلسا

فإذا بهِ يوماً قد اختلسا

And life is a treasure jealously hoarded,

And life is a treasure hoarded

then, one day, behold—it has been stolen away.

Yet one day it was stealthily stolen

فضفاضُ ثوبٍ تحتهُ رصدٌ

فضفاضُ ثوبٍ تحتهُ رصدٌ

بالمرءِ ينزعُ ما لبسا

بالمرءِ ينزعُ ما لبسا

A flowing robe, with a watcher lurking beneath it,

A loose robe underneath which there is plotting

lying in wait for man, stripping off what he wore;

Against man stripping what he wore

جهمٌ يقيمُ على مدارجنا

جهمٌ يقيمُ على مدارجنا

وعلى صدى أنفاسنا حرسا

وعلى صدى أنفاسنا حرسا

grim, posting along our pathways

Frowns residing upon our steps

and over the echo of our breaths a watch.

And guarding the echo of our breaths

يا أزاهيرُ الربى نطفت

يا أزاهيرُ الربى نطفت

بعبيرِ بَسْمتها اذا عبسا

بعبيرِ بَسْمتها اذا عبسا

O blossoms of the hills, that dripped

O flowers of the meadows that blossomed

with their smile's fragrance whenever he frowned.

With the fragrance of their smile if they frown

"أصلاح" ما جدوى مُنَىً أُنُفٍ

"أصلاح" ما جدوى مُنَىً أُنُفٍ

عدُّ السنين يردها يبسا

عدُّ السنين يردها يبسا

O Salah, what use are fresh hopes?

"Reforms" what good is the purpose of a proud nose

The tally of years leaves them withered.

When counting years makes it barren

درجت "ثمانون وأربعةٌ"

درجت "ثمانون وأربعةٌ"

وتحجَّرَ النبعُ الذي انبجسا

وتحجَّرَ النبعُ الذي انبجسا

Eighty-four years have gone by,

I have reached "eighty four"

and the spring that gushed forth has turned to stone.

And the spring that gushed has solidified

ورميتُ بالقرطاس يثقلني

ورميتُ بالقرطاس يثقلني

وكفرتُ بالقلم الذي انغمسا

وكفرتُ بالقلم الذي انغمسا

And I cast aside the paper that weighs me down,

I was burdened by paper and despaired of

and lost faith in the pen that had plunged in.

The pen that was immersed

وصحوتُ عن نفسٍ مضتْ عبثاً

وصحوتُ عن نفسٍ مضتْ عبثاً

تُغري ب"ليت" و "ربما" و "عسى"

تُغري ب"ليت" و "ربما" و "عسى"

And I awoke from a self that had lived in vain,

And I awoke from a soul that passed in vain

enticing with 'if only,' 'perhaps,' and 'may it be.'

Tempted by "if only", "perhaps" and "maybe"

وَصَحَتْ فلا بالطهر يبطرها

وَصَحَتْ فلا بالطهر يبطرها

عجباً ، ولاهي تجحدُ الدَّنَسا

عجباً ، ولاهي تجحدُ الدَّنَسا

And it awoke: purity does not make it arrogant

And it awoke but neither innocence softens it

with pride, nor does it deny defilement.

Nor does it deny filth

"أصلاح" ظلَّ كأنت ذا ثقة

"أصلاح" ظلَّ كأنت ذا ثقة

بالنفس يقظاناً ، ومحترسا

بالنفس يقظاناً ، ومحترسا

O Salah, remain as you are, full of confidence

"Reforms" your shadow remained confident

in yourself, alert and on your guard.

Awake, and cautious

وسلمت عبرة خائف كنسا

وسلمت عبرة خائف كنسا

وشجىً بِحَلْقِ مُفَوَّهٍ خرسا

وشجىً بِحَلْقِ مُفَوَّهٍ خرسا

And may you be safe—a lesson to a fearful one who hid in his lair,

While the moral of a fearful sweeper vanished

and a choking bone in the throat of an eloquent speaker gone mute.

And the wailing of a mute throat hushed