نُطفَةٌ ما مُنيتُ يَومَ مُنيتُ

نُطفَةٌ ما مُنيتُ يَومَ مُنيتُ

أُمِرَت أَمرَها وَفيها بُريتُ

أُمِرَت أَمرَها وَفيها بُريتُ

As a mere drop of seed I was emitted, the day I was emitted.

A sperm that I spilled not the day I was spilled,

Its course was ordained, and within it I was fashioned.

Ordered in its affair, and in it I was created.

كَنَّها اللَهُ في مَكانٍ خَفِيٍّ

كَنَّها اللَهُ في مَكانٍ خَفِيٍّ

وَخَفيٍ مَكانُها لَو خَفيتُ

وَخَفيٍ مَكانُها لَو خَفيتُ

God concealed it in a hidden place,

It was as if Allah placed it in a hidden place,

and hidden was its place, even were I hidden.

And hidden is its place, had I tried to hide.

مَيتَ دَهرٍ قَد كُنتُ ثُمَّ حَيِيتُ

مَيتَ دَهرٍ قَد كُنتُ ثُمَّ حَيِيتُ

وَحَياتي رَهنٌ بِأَن سَأَموتُ

وَحَياتي رَهنٌ بِأَن سَأَموتُ

Dead for an age I had been; then I came to life,

Dead for an age I was, then I was given life,

and my life is a pledge that I shall die.

And my life is mortgaged, for I will surely die.

إِنَّ حِلمي إِذا تَغَيَّبَ عَنّي

إِنَّ حِلمي إِذا تَغَيَّبَ عَنّي

فَاِعلَمي أَنَّني كَبيراً رُزيتُ

فَاِعلَمي أَنَّني كَبيراً رُزيتُ

Indeed, if my forbearance should depart from me,

If my patience leaves me, when it leaves me,

then know that I have suffered a grievous loss.

Know that I have grown old, though I was young fed.

ضَيِّقُ الصَدرِ بِالأَمانَةِ لايُفـ

ضَيِّقُ الصَدرِ بِالأَمانَةِ لايُفـ

ـجِعُ فَقري أَمانَتي ما بَقيتُ

ـجِعُ فَقري أَمانَتي ما بَقيتُ

My breast is straitened over a trust; never shall

Straitness of chest with faith does not allow me to sleep,

my poverty betray my trust for as long as I live.

My poverty and faithfulness will not let me rest.

رُبَّ شَتمٍ سَمِعتُهُ فَتَصامَمـ

رُبَّ شَتمٍ سَمِعتُهُ فَتَصامَمـ

ـتُ وَغَيٍّ تَرَكتُهُ فَكُفيتُ

ـتُ وَغَيٍّ تَرَكتُهُ فَكُفيتُ

Many an insult I heard, and feigned deafness;

Many an insult I have heard, so I was resolute,

and many a wrong I forsook, and was spared.

And many an evil I have left, so I sufficed.

لَيتَ شِعري وَأَشعُرَنَّ إِذا ما

لَيتَ شِعري وَأَشعُرَنَّ إِذا ما

قَرَّبوها مَنشورَةً وَدُعيتُ

قَرَّبوها مَنشورَةً وَدُعيتُ

Would that I knew—and surely I shall know when

Would that I knew, would that I knew, when they present it wide open,

they bring it forth, spread open, and I am summoned:

And I am called, does grace belong to me or against me?

أَلِيَ الفَضلُ أَم عَلَيَّ إِذا حو

أَلِيَ الفَضلُ أَم عَلَيَّ إِذا حو

سِبتُ أَنّي عَلى الحِسابِ مُقيتُ

سِبتُ أَنّي عَلى الحِسابِ مُقيتُ

will it be to my credit or against me, when I am called

When I am reckoned, do I oppress or am I oppressed?

to account? I am capable of reckoning.

And the certainty came to me that when I die,

وَأَتاني اليَقينُ أَنّي إِذا مُت

وَأَتاني اليَقينُ أَنّي إِذا مُت

تُ وَإِن رَمَّ أَعظُمي مَبعوتُ

تُ وَإِن رَمَّ أَعظُمي مَبعوتُ

And certainty has come to me that, when I die,

Even if my body is large, it will be carried.

even if my bones decay, I shall be raised again.

Shall I say, when my sin takes hold of me,

هَل أَقولَنَّ إِذ تَدارَكَ ذَنبي

هَل أَقولَنَّ إِذ تَدارَكَ ذَنبي

وَتَذَكّى عَلَيَّ إِنّي نُهيتُ

وَتَذَكّى عَلَيَّ إِنّي نُهيتُ

Shall I indeed say, when my sin overtakes me

And reminds me, “Indeed, I was forbidden.”

and blazes against me, 'I was told not to'?

Is it by grace of the King and His blessings?

أَبِفَضلٍ مِنَ المَليكِ وَنُعمى

أَبِفَضلٍ مِنَ المَليكِ وَنُعمى

أَم بِذَنبٍ قَدَّمتُهُ فَجُزيتُ

أَم بِذَنبٍ قَدَّمتُهُ فَجُزيتُ

Is it through grace from the Sovereign and blessing,

Or by a sin I put forth, so I was punished?

or for a sin I sent ahead, and so was requited?

A little lawful provision benefits,

يَنفَعُ الطَيِّبُ القَليلُ مِنَ الرِز

يَنفَعُ الطَيِّبُ القَليلُ مِنَ الرِز

قِ وَلا يَنفَعُ الكَثيرُ الخَبيتُ

قِ وَلا يَنفَعُ الكَثيرُ الخَبيتُ

A little wholesome provision brings benefit,

But much unlawful does not benefit the wicked.

and much that is foul brings none.

So make provision lawful, of earnings,

فَاِجعَلِ الرِزقَ في الحَلالِ مِنَ الكَسـ

فَاِجعَلِ الرِزقَ في الحَلالِ مِنَ الكَسـ

ـبِ وَبَرّاً سَريرَتي ما حَيِيتُ

ـبِ وَبَرّاً سَريرَتي ما حَيِيتُ

So make provision come from lawful earning,

And innocence, my conscience, as long as I live.

and my inward self righteous, for as long as I live.

And news came to me about Dawud’s rule,

وَأَتَتني الأَنباءُ عَن مُلكِ داؤُ

وَأَتَتني الأَنباءُ عَن مُلكِ داؤُ

ـدَ فَقَرَّت عَيني بِهِ وَرَضيتُ

ـدَ فَقَرَّت عَيني بِهِ وَرَضيتُ

And news came to me of the kingship of David,

So my eyes were delighted with it, and I accepted.

so my eye was cooled by it, and I was content;

And Solomon, and John the Baptist,

وَسُلَيمانَ وَالحَوارِيُّ يَحيى

وَسُلَيمانَ وَالحَوارِيُّ يَحيى

وَمَنَسّى يوسُف كَأَنّي وَليتُ

وَمَنَسّى يوسُف كَأَنّي وَليتُ

and Solomon, and Yahya the disciple,

And forgotten Joseph, as if I was his confidante.

and Manasseh of Joseph—as though I had reigned;

And the remnants of the Tribes, the Tribes of Jacob,

وَبَقايا الأَسباطِ أَسباطِ يَعقو

وَبَقايا الأَسباطِ أَسباطِ يَعقو

بَ دارِسِ التَوراةِ وَالتابوتُ

بَ دارِسِ التَوراةِ وَالتابوتُ

and the remnants of the tribes, the tribes of Jacob,

Studiers of the Torah, and the Ark.

the reader of the Torah—and the Ark;

And the splitting of the sea into two parts for Moses,

وَاِنفِلاقُ الأَمواجِ طَورَينِ عَن مو

وَاِنفِلاقُ الأَمواجِ طَورَينِ عَن مو

سى وَبَعدُ المُمَلَّكُ الطالوتُ

سى وَبَعدُ المُمَلَّكُ الطالوتُ

and the waves parting into two mountains around Moses,

And later the ruling King Talut.

and afterward Talut, made king;

And the affliction of the giants when they disobeyed Allah,

وَمُصابُ الإِفريسِ حينَ عَصى اللَـ

وَمُصابُ الإِفريسِ حينَ عَصى اللَـ

ـهَ وَإِذ صابَ حَينَهُ الجالوتُ

ـهَ وَإِذ صابَ حَينَهُ الجالوتُ

and the calamity of Ifris when he disobeyed God,

And when Jalut overtook them at their appointed time.

and when Jalut met his appointed doom.

The strong are not given grace in provision,

لَيسَ يُعطى القَوِيُّ فَضلاً مِنَ الرِز

لَيسَ يُعطى القَوِيُّ فَضلاً مِنَ الرِز

قِ وَلا يُحرَمُ الضَعيفُ الشَخيتُ

قِ وَلا يُحرَمُ الضَعيفُ الشَخيتُ

The strong are not given extra provision,

Nor is the weak, humble person deprived.

nor are the weak and frail deprived.

Rather, for each is what Allah decreed,

بَل لِكُلٍّ مِن رِزقِهِ ما قَضى اللَـ

بَل لِكُلٍّ مِن رِزقِهِ ما قَضى اللَـ

ـهُ وَإِن حَزَّ أَنفَهُ المُستَميتُ

ـهُ وَإِن حَزَّ أَنفَهُ المُستَميتُ

Rather, each has of his provision what God has decreed,

Even if the desperate one frowns.

even if the desperate striver cuts off his own nose.