إذاif استعصمتَyou seek protection بالصبرin patience الجَميلِnoble
إذا استعصمتَ بالصبر الجَميلِ
كَفاكit spares you مؤونةthe burden of الخَطبthe calamity الجَليلِgrave
كَفاك مؤونة الخَطب الجَليلِ
If you seek refuge in noble patience,
If you endure with beautiful patience,
It will spare you the burden of grave calamity.
The troubles of great misfortunes will suffice you,
وَهانand becomes easy عليكfor you ماwhat تَلقاهُyou encounter it حتىّuntil
وَهان عليك ما تَلقاهُ حتىّ
تَرىyou see لكfor yourself مَطمعاًa hope فيin المستحيلِthe impossible
تَرى لك مَطمعاً في المستحيلِ
What you face will grow easy for you, until
And what you encounter will become easy for you
You see hope for yourself even in the impossible.
Until you see hope in the impossible.
هيَshe الدنيآءُthe world ماnot تبَرِحثceases تناديcalls out
هيَ الدنيآءُ ما تبَرِحث تنادي
اناI أُمُّmother of القَراطِقthe tunics وَالحجولِand the anklets
انا أُمُّ القَراطِق وَالحجولِ
Such is the world, never ceasing to call:
This is the life that never ceases calling,
I am the mother of tunics and anklets.
"I am the mother of twists and turns."
تعشَّقَنيfell passionately in love with me الخليُّthe carefree man فهامso he became love-mad وجداًwith longing
تعشَّقَني الخليُّ فهام وجداً
فَماذاso what القولis to be said بالصبّof the lovesick one الخَليلِthe intimate friend
فَماذا القول بالصبّ الخَليلِ
The carefree man fell in love with me and grew mad with longing;
The sly one passionately fell in love with me,
What, then, of the lovesick, devoted friend?
So what can be said about the loyal lover?
لكلّfor every متيَّمٍbesotted lover ابداًalways عذولٌa reproacher
لكلّ متيَّمٍ ابداً عذولٌ
وَلَيسَand there is not لِمُستَهاميfor one enamored of me منany عذولreproacher
وَلَيسَ لِمُستَهامي من عذول
Every besotted lover always has a reproacher,
For every lover there is always an excuse,
Yet none reproaches those enamored of me.
And my obsessed one has no excuse.
وَكَيفَand how يَلومdoes he blame فيin امرٍa matter مَلومٌone himself blamed
وَكَيفَ يَلوم في امرٍ مَلومٌ
كَتَعييرlike the taunting of الأَعلَّةthe sick للعَليلِthe ailing man
كَتَعيير الأَعلَّة للعَليلِ
How can one lay blame in a matter where he too is blameworthy?
How can one who is blamed blame in a blamable matter,
Like the sick taunting an ailing man.
Like a sick person blaming the sickness?
وَقَدand perhaps يَسلوforgets الهَوىlove صبٌّa lovesick man وَيَحياand lives again
وَقَد يَسلو الهَوى صبٌّ وَيَحيا
قَتيلُone slain by غَرامِهِhis passion الّاexcept قَتيلone slain
قَتيلُ غَرامِهِ الّا قَتيل
A lover may forget his love and live again,
Passion may wound and passion may heal,
Though slain by his passion—except one truly slain.
Except its slain victim.
صَليناwe burned in كلَّevery نارٍfire للمناياof deaths
صَلينا كلَّ نارٍ للمنايا
الىuntil انthat أَضرَمتit kindled نارَthe fire of الخَليلal-Khalil (the Friend)
الى ان أَضرَمت نارَ الخَليل
We have burned in every fire of death,
We prayed at every fire of calamities
Until death kindled al-Khalil's fire.
Until the fire of Khalil was kindled.
لابرهيمَfor Ibrahim تَبكيweeps كلُّevery عينٍeye
لابرهيمَ تَبكي كلُّ عينٍ
وَماyet not تُطفيquenches لظاهُhis blaze بالمَسيلwith streaming tears
وَما تُطفي لظاهُ بالمَسيل
Every eye weeps for Ibrahim,
Every eye weeps for Abraham,
Yet its streaming tears do not quench his blaze.
But tears cannot extinguish his burning flame,
وَيَبكيهِand weep for him الأُلىthose who لمdid not يعرفوهُknow him
وَيَبكيهِ الأُلى لم يعرفوهُ
عَلىon the basis of سَمعٍhearing بِهِof him منfrom كلِّevery جيلِgeneration
عَلى سَمعٍ بِهِ من كلِّ جيلِ
Those who never knew him also weep for him,
And those who did not know him weep for him
From every generation, through what they have heard of him.
When they hear of him from every generation.
وإِنَّand indeed الوصفَthe qualities لاnot املوصوفَthe one described يُبكىis mourned
وإِنَّ الوصفَ لا املوصوفَ يُبكى
جَميلَthe beauty of الشَخصِthe person لاnot شخصَthe person of الجَميلِthe beautiful one
جَميلَ الشَخصِ لا شخصَ الجَميلِ
It is the qualities, not their bearer, that are mourned:
Indeed, the description is wept for, not the described one -
A person's beauty, not the beautiful person himself.
The beautiful personality, not the beautiful person.
وَمَنand who مِثلُis like الخَليلal-Khalil (the Friend) فَتىًa young man كَريماًgenerous
وَمَن مِثلُ الخَليل فَتىً كَريماً
نقيَّpure of النفسsoul وَالقلبand heart النَبيلِnoble
نقيَّ النفس وَالقلب النَبيلِ
And who was like al-Khalil, a generous young man,
Who is like Khalil, a noble youth,
Pure of soul and noble of heart?
Pure of soul and heart and sublime of character?
قَضىhe passed الخمسينfifty years لمnot يسمعheard ملاماًreproach
قَضى الخمسين لم يسمع ملاماً
وَلَمand not يُسمِعmade others hear سوىanything but الادبrefinement الاصيلِgenuine
وَلَم يُسمِع سوى الادب الاصيلِ
He passed fifty years without hearing reproach,
He passed fifty years without hearing blame
And uttered only words of true refinement.
And made no one hear anything but good manners and morals.
صُفوحٌever forgiving عَنof إِسآءَةthe wrongdoing of كلِّevery جانٍoffender
صُفوحٌ عَن إِسآءَة كلِّ جانٍ
كَثيرُabundant in الشكرِgratitude للفضلِfor kindness القَليلِlittle
كَثيرُ الشكرِ للفضلِ القَليلِ
Forgiving every offender's wrong,
He pardoned the wrongdoing of every soul
Deeply grateful for even a little kindness.
Thankful for every small favor.
صدوقُtrue of القلبheart صادقُtruthful in كلevery قَولٍutterance
صدوقُ القلب صادقُ كل قَولٍ
لطيفgraceful الخَلقin appearance والخُلقand character الجَميلِbeautiful
لطيف الخَلق والخُلق الجَميلِ
True of heart, truthful in every word,
Truthful of heart, truthful in every word,
Graceful in appearance and beautiful in character.
Gentle natured and of beautiful conduct.
لَهُhe has فيin كُلِّevery مكرمةٍnoble deed ايادٍhands; benefactions
لَهُ في كُلِّ مكرمةٍ ايادٍ
تَنالattain الفضلexcellence بالباعwith a reach الطَويلِlong
تَنال الفضل بالباع الطَويلِ
His hands had a share in every noble deed,
In every act of generosity, he has great munificence
Attaining excellence with a far-reaching arm.
Achieving merit in the long run.
وَللأَقلامand for pens حَظٌّa share فيin يَديهِhis two hands
وَللأَقلام حَظٌّ في يَديهِ
بتنميقthrough embellishing الرَسائلletters وَالفصولand essays
بتنميق الرَسائل وَالفصول
And pens had their share in his hands,
In his hands, pens have a share
In embellishing letters and essays,
In phrasing letters and sections,
وَتَنسيقand arranging القصائدpoems وَالمَعانيand meanings
وَتَنسيق القصائد وَالمَعاني
وَتَحقيقand scrutinizing القضاياquestions والاصولِand principles
وَتَحقيق القضايا والاصولِ
And arranging poems and meanings,
And structuring poems and meanings
And scrutinizing questions and principles.
And analyzing issues and principles.
مَضىhe departed وَلَهُand for him التقىpiety والبرّand righteousness زادٌprovision
مَضى وَلَهُ التقى والبرّ زادٌ
وَنورُand the light of الحقّtruth معهُwith him كالدَليلِlike a guide
وَنورُ الحقّ معهُ كالدَليلِ
He departed, with piety and righteousness as his provision,
He passed away, piety and righteousness his supplies,
And the light of truth beside him like a guide.
The light of truth his guide.
وَلَمand not يطلُبdid he seek منfrom الدنياthe world سوىexcept ماwhat
وَلَم يطلُب من الدنيا سوى ما
يفيدbenefits النفسthe soul منthrough اثرٍan influence جليلِnoble
يفيد النفس من اثرٍ جليلِ
He sought nothing from the world except what
He sought nothing from life but
Would benefit the soul through a noble influence.
What benefits the soul - a great legacy.
وكانَand he was كأَنَّهُas though he فيat كُلِّevery وَقتٍmoment
وكانَ كأَنَّهُ في كُلِّ وَقتٍ
يُراقبُawaits قولَthe call حَيَّcome! علىto الرَحيلِdeparture
يُراقبُ قولَ حَيَّ على الرَحيلِ
And it was as though at every moment
It was as if, at every moment,
He awaited the call, 'Hasten to depart!'
He anticipated the call of the Living One to depart.
دَعاهُcalled him رَبُّهُhis Lord فَمَضىso he departed عَجولاًin haste
دَعاهُ رَبُّهُ فَمَضى عَجولاً
وَلَمand not يَكُwas he فيin سواهاanything besides it بالعجولِhasty
وَلَم يَكُ في سواها بالعجولِ
His Lord called him, and he hastened away;
His Lord called him, so he rushed off
In anything else he was never hasty.
And there was no rushing in anything but to Him.
منfrom اللَهGod السَلامُpeace علىupon دَفينٍone buried
من اللَه السَلامُ على دَفينٍ
كَكَنزٍlike a treasure ماnot اليهِto it منany وصولِaccess
كَكَنزٍ ما اليهِ من وصولِ
May peace from God rest upon one buried,
May God's peace be upon one buried
Like a treasure beyond all reach.
Like a treasure no one can reach.
وَلاand may not بَرِحَتcease سَحابُthe clouds of الغيثrain تَجريflow
وَلا بَرِحَت سَحابُ الغيث تَجري
عليهِover him فيin الصباحthe morning وفيand in الأصيلِthe late afternoon
عليهِ في الصباح وفي الأصيلِ
And may rain clouds never cease to flow
The clouds of rain do not cease
Over him in the morning and the late afternoon.
Flowing upon him morning and evening.