ماذا يُؤَمِّلُهُ الحَسُودُ بجَهْدِهِ

ماذا يُؤَمِّلُهُ الحَسُودُ بجَهْدِهِ

إذ يَقصِدُ الموَلى كَرامةَ عبدِهِ

إذ يَقصِدُ الموَلى كَرامةَ عبدِهِ

What does the envious man hope for through his efforts

What does the envious one hope for with his effort,

When the Lord intends to honor His servant?

When the Master intends to honor His servant?

وإذا أرادَ اللهُ عَوْنَ مُوفَّقٍ

وإذا أرادَ اللهُ عَوْنَ مُوفَّقٍ

جُعَلِتْ مَلائكةُ السَّماءِ كجُندهِ

جُعَلِتْ مَلائكةُ السَّماءِ كجُندهِ

And when God wills to help one favored with success,

And if God wills to aid the successful one,

The angels of heaven are made like his army.

The angels of heaven are made his troops.

للهِ سِرٌّ في العِبادِ وحِكْمةٌ

للهِ سِرٌّ في العِبادِ وحِكْمةٌ

تَدَعُ الرَّشيدَ كغائبٍ عن رُشدِهِ

تَدَعُ الرَّشيدَ كغائبٍ عن رُشدِهِ

God has a secret among His servants, and a wisdom

God has a secret in His servants and a wisdom

That leaves the wise man as though bereft of his judgment.

That leaves the rightly-guided one absent from his guidance.

يَقضي بما يَهْوَي فَسَلْ عن فِعِلِهِ

يَقضي بما يَهْوَي فَسَلْ عن فِعِلِهِ

إنْ شئِتَ لكنْ لا تَسَلْ عن قَصدِهِ

إنْ شئِتَ لكنْ لا تَسَلْ عن قَصدِهِ

He decrees as He wills; so ask about His action,

He decrees what He desires, so ask about His act,

If you wish, but do not ask about His purpose.

If you wish, but do not ask about His purpose.

والدَّهرُ كالبُستانِ بينَ رِجالهِ

والدَّهرُ كالبُستانِ بينَ رِجالهِ

لا بُدَّ يُؤذِي الشَّوكُ قاطفَ وَردِهِ

لا بُدَّ يُؤذِي الشَّوكُ قاطفَ وَردِهِ

And time is like a garden among its people;

And time is like a garden among its men,

Thorns are bound to hurt the picker of its roses.

The thorns must hurt the one who picks its roses.

لو لم نَكُنْ ذُقنا مَرارةَ صَبرِهِ

لو لم نَكُنْ ذُقنا مَرارةَ صَبرِهِ

بالأمسِ لم نَعرِفْ حَلاوةَ شَهدِهِ

بالأمسِ لم نَعرِفْ حَلاوةَ شَهدِهِ

Had we not tasted the bitterness of its aloe

If we had not tasted the bitterness of patience yesterday,

Yesterday, we would not have known the sweetness of its honey.

We would not know the sweetness of its honey today.

لا تَحمَدِ الأمرَ الذي أبصَرتَهُ

لا تَحمَدِ الأمرَ الذي أبصَرتَهُ

حَتَّى يَتِمَّ فقمْ هُناكَ بَحمدِهِ

حَتَّى يَتِمَّ فقمْ هُناكَ بَحمدِهِ

Do not praise the matter you have witnessed

Do not praise the matter you have seen

Until it is complete; then set about praising it.

Until it is complete, so stop there with praising it.

وإذا قَبَضْتَ مِنَ الصَداقةِ دِرْهماً

وإذا قَبَضْتَ مِنَ الصَداقةِ دِرْهماً

كَلِّفْ تجاريبَ الزَّمانِ بنَقْدِهِ

كَلِّفْ تجاريبَ الزَّمانِ بنَقْدِهِ

And when you receive a dirham of friendship,

And if you have gained a dirham of friendship,

Charge the trials of time with assaying it.

Task the trials of time with its payment.

إنَّ الصَّديقَ هُوَ المُقيمُ على الوَفا

إنَّ الصَّديقَ هُوَ المُقيمُ على الوَفا

في وَقتِ ضَنْكِ العَيشِ لا في رَغدِهِ

في وَقتِ ضَنْكِ العَيشِ لا في رَغدِهِ

Indeed, a friend is one who remains loyal

The true friend is the one steadfast in loyalty

In times of straitened living, not in its ease.

In the time of dire poverty, not in prosperity.

أهْلُ الصَّداقِةِ في النُّحُوسِ قَلائلٌ

أهْلُ الصَّداقِةِ في النُّحُوسِ قَلائلٌ

والكُلُّ أصحابُ الفَتَى في سَعدِهِ

والكُلُّ أصحابُ الفَتَى في سَعدِهِ

Friends are few in times of ill fortune,

The people of friendship in misfortunes are few,

And all are a man's companions in his good fortune.

And all are the fellows of the youth in his good fortune.

ليسَ الجميلُ لِمَنْ يُعاهِدُ صاحباً

ليسَ الجميلُ لِمَنْ يُعاهِدُ صاحباً

إنَّ الجَميلَ لِمَنْ يَقومُ بعَهدِهِ

إنَّ الجَميلَ لِمَنْ يَقومُ بعَهدِهِ

Merit does not belong to one who makes a pledge to a friend;

The beauty is not for he who makes a pact with a friend,

Indeed, merit belongs to one who keeps his pledge.

Rather the beauty is for he who keeps his pact.

لا يحَفَظُ الوُدَّ السَّليمَ لرَبِّهِ

لا يحَفَظُ الوُدَّ السَّليمَ لرَبِّهِ

مَن لم يكُنْ للناسِ حافظَ ودِّهِ

مَن لم يكُنْ للناسِ حافظَ ودِّهِ

No one preserves sincere love for his Lord

He who does not keep sincere affection for people

Who has not preserved his love for people.

Cannot preserve the love that is right for his Lord.

يا نِعمةَ اللهِْ الذي لَكَ نِعمةٌ

يا نِعمةَ اللهِْ الذي لَكَ نِعمةٌ

من فَضلِهِ وكَرامةٌ مِن عِندِهِ

من فَضلِهِ وكَرامةٌ مِن عِندِهِ

O Ni‘mat Allah, God has a blessing for you,

O blessing of God, you who have blessing from Him

From His bounty, and honor from Him.

And honor from His side.

وَعَدَ الإلهُ الصَّابرِينَ بعَونِهِ

وَعَدَ الإلهُ الصَّابرِينَ بعَونِهِ

لا تَحسَبَنَّ اللهَ مُخلِفَ وَعدِهِ

لا تَحسَبَنَّ اللهَ مُخلِفَ وَعدِهِ

God has promised the steadfast His aid;

God has promised the steadfast His support,

Do not think that God will break His promise.

Do not think God reneges on His promise.

كم قد تَجرَّدَ سيفُ رجزٍ قاطعٌ

كم قد تَجرَّدَ سيفُ رجزٍ قاطعٌ

سَحَراً فأمسَى نائماً في غِمدِهِ

سَحَراً فأمسَى نائماً في غِمدِهِ

How often has a sharp sword of wrath been drawn

How many a cutting sword of harm

Before dawn, only to lie asleep in its sheath by evening!

Has been sheathed while sleeping in its scabbard?

وَلَكَمْ تَمزَّقَ من سَحابٍ فارغٍ

وَلَكَمْ تَمزَّقَ من سَحابٍ فارغٍ

قد كانَ يَرجُفُ بَرقُهُ من رَعدهِ

قد كانَ يَرجُفُ بَرقُهُ من رَعدهِ

And how many an empty cloud has been torn apart,

And how much empty thunderous cloud

Whose lightning had trembled at its thunder!

Whose lightning shook from its thunder?

من عاشَ في هذا الزَّمانِ يَعوزُهُ

من عاشَ في هذا الزَّمانِ يَعوزُهُ

صَبرٌ على حَرِّ الزَمانِ وبَرْدِهِ

صَبرٌ على حَرِّ الزَمانِ وبَرْدِهِ

Whoever lives in this age needs

He who lives in this time is in need

Patience with time's heat and cold.

Of patience for the heat of time and its cold.

لا يُحْزِنُ المَرَضُ الفَتَى بقُدومِهِ

لا يُحْزِنُ المَرَضُ الفَتَى بقُدومِهِ

يوماً عليهِ كما يَسُرُّ بفَقْدِهِ

يوماً عليهِ كما يَسُرُّ بفَقْدِهِ

Illness does not sadden a man when it comes

Illness does not sadden the young man with its arrival,

Upon him one day as much as its passing delights him.

As he rejoices at its departure.

إنْ كُنتَ أحسنتَ الوَفاءَ فهكذا

إنْ كُنتَ أحسنتَ الوَفاءَ فهكذا

قد أحسنَ المَلِكُ العظيمُ بِرِفدِهِ

قد أحسنَ المَلِكُ العظيمُ بِرِفدِهِ

If you have excelled in loyalty, then likewise

If you have been loyal, thus it is

Has the great king shown kindness through his bounty.

The Great King has been good in supporting you.

شارَكتَهُ بالأمسِ في أتعابِهِ

شارَكتَهُ بالأمسِ في أتعابِهِ

واليومَ أنتَ شريكُهُ في مَجْدِهِ

واليومَ أنتَ شريكُهُ في مَجْدِهِ

You shared his labors yesterday,

You shared with him yesterday in his troubles,

And today you are his partner in his glory.

And today you are his partner in his glory.