عبدٌ بِبابكَ خَدُّه قد عَفَّرَا

عبدٌ بِبابكَ خَدُّه قد عَفَّرَا

حاشاكَ تَسمَعُ فيه قولاً مُفتَرى

حاشاكَ تَسمَعُ فيه قولاً مُفتَرى

A servant at your door has rubbed his cheek in dust.

A slave at Your door, his cheek made dusty

Far be it from you to heed fabricated words about him.

Far be it that You would hear any false words from him

عبدٌ عَلِمتَ وفاءَه وصفاءَه

عبدٌ عَلِمتَ وفاءَه وصفاءَه

حاشا لِذاكَ الصَّفوِ أن يَتغيَّرا

حاشا لِذاكَ الصَّفوِ أن يَتغيَّرا

A servant whose loyalty and purity you have known.

A slave whose loyalty and purity You know

Far be it for that purity to change.

Far be it that such sincerity would ever change

عبدٌ تكوَّنَ من صنيعِكَ شَخصُه

عبدٌ تكوَّنَ من صنيعِكَ شَخصُه

حاشاهُ يَجحدُ صُنعَكم أو يُنكِرا

حاشاهُ يَجحدُ صُنعَكم أو يُنكِرا

A servant whose very being was formed through your kindness.

A slave whom You Yourself formed

Far be it from him to deny your kindness or repudiate it.

Far be it that he would deny or disregard Your making

حاشا لأجني مع ضَميري زَلَّةً

حاشا لأجني مع ضَميري زَلَّةً

إنَّ الضميرَ عنِ الجَزا لن يَصبِرا

إنَّ الضميرَ عنِ الجَزا لن يَصبِرا

Far be it from me, with my conscience, to commit a misdeed.

Far be it that my soul have any lapse with others

Indeed, conscience will not hold back from retribution.

Indeed the soul cannot have patience with punishment

إنَّ الضميرَ عِقابُه في حينِه

إنَّ الضميرَ عِقابُه في حينِه

إنَّ الضميرَ ذُنوبُه لن تُغفَرا

إنَّ الضميرَ ذُنوبُه لن تُغفَرا

Indeed, conscience's punishment comes in its own time.

Indeed the soul - its punishment comes in due time

Indeed, conscience's sins will not be forgiven.

Indeed the soul - its sins will not be forgiven

مولايَ يَا من جودُهُ ووُجودُه

مولايَ يَا من جودُهُ ووُجودُه

قد أوجداني ماثِلاً بينَ الوَرى

قد أوجداني ماثِلاً بينَ الوَرى

My lord, O you whose generosity and existence

My Master, O You whose generosity and existence

Have brought me into being, standing among humankind.

Have created me standing among mankind

إن كنتُ في أوجِ العلا متربعا

إن كنتُ في أوجِ العلا متربعا

ونزلتُ للدَّرَكِ الحضيضِ منَ الثَّرى

ونزلتُ للدَّرَكِ الحضيضِ منَ الثَّرى

If I was enthroned at the pinnacle of glory,

If I were at the height of glory

And descended to the lowest depths of the earth,

And descended to the lowest depths

فَلأنتَ وحدَك مَن يَرُدُّ مَكانتَي

فَلأنتَ وحدَك مَن يَرُدُّ مَكانتَي

ويُعيدُ منزلتي إلىَّ وأكثَرا

ويُعيدُ منزلتي إلىَّ وأكثَرا

Then you alone are the one who restores my standing,

Then only You alone can restore my status

And returns my station to me, and more.

And return my position to me and more

في أيٍّ كَسرٍ لم تَكُن لِىَ جابراً

في أيٍّ كَسرٍ لم تَكُن لِىَ جابراً

وبأيِّ كَربٍ لم تَكُن لي مُؤَزِّرا

وبأيِّ كَربٍ لم تَكُن لي مُؤَزِّرا

What fracture have you not mended for me?

In what brokenness have You not been my mender

And in what distress have you not been my support?

And in what adversity have You not supported me

رغماً عنِ الأعداءِ مَن راموا سوى

رغماً عنِ الأعداءِ مَن راموا سوى

أن يَستَغلُّوا نكبتىَّ لأُقهَرا

أن يَستَغلُّوا نكبتىَّ لأُقهَرا

In defiance of the enemies, who sought nothing but

Despite the enemies who intended nothing

To exploit my two calamities so that I might be subdued.

But to exploit my downfall that I may be subjugated

ألبعضُ شَوَّه في الكلام حَقائقاً

ألبعضُ شَوَّه في الكلام حَقائقاً

والبعضُ في اتِّهامه ما قَصَّرا

والبعضُ في اتِّهامه ما قَصَّرا

Some distorted facts in their speech,

Some have distorted truths in speech

And some spared no effort in their accusations.

Others in accusing me did not fall short

والبعضُ أجمعَ أمرَه وأتى إلي

والبعضُ أجمعَ أمرَه وأتى إلي

كَ مُلفِّقاً لِفُجورِهِ ومُزَوّشرا

كَ مُلفِّقاً لِفُجورِهِ ومُزَوّشرا

And some resolved upon their course and came to

And some have altogether plotted against me and came to You

You, fabricating and falsifying to serve their wickedness.

Fabricating immorality and bearing false witness

والبعضُ أصبحَ نافراً مِنِّي ولو

والبعضُ أصبحَ نافراً مِنِّي ولو

عرفَ الحياءُ جَبينَه لن يَنفِرا

عرفَ الحياءُ جَبينَه لن يَنفِرا

And some grew averse to me; yet, had

And some have become averse to me, even if

Modesty known their brow, they would not have recoiled.

Modesty knew their foreheads, they would not avert

راموا بِذا إخضاعَ نَفسٍ لم تَكُن

راموا بِذا إخضاعَ نَفسٍ لم تَكُن

خَضَعت بِغيرِ حِماكَ يا أسَدَ الشَّرى

خَضَعت بِغيرِ حِماكَ يا أسَدَ الشَّرى

They sought by this to subdue a soul that had never

They wanted thereby to subjugate a soul that has never

Bowed outside your protection, O lion of al-Shara.

Submitted to other than Your protection, O Lion of mankind

حاشا لِنفسي أن تَلينَ قَناتُها

حاشا لِنفسي أن تَلينَ قَناتُها

وقناةُ أنفِسهم تُمَسُّ فَتُكسرَا

وقناةُ أنفِسهم تُمَسُّ فَتُكسرَا

Far be it for my soul's spear-shaft to bend,

Far be it that my soul's resolve should weaken

While their souls' spear-shaft shatters at a touch.

While their souls can be touched and thus broken

خُبثٌ بطينَتِها قد ارتشى عُودَها

خُبثٌ بطينَتِها قد ارتشى عُودَها

فاعجُم بِحقِّك عودَها حتى تَرى

فاعجُم بِحقِّك عودَها حتى تَرى

Corruption is in its clay; its wood has grown weak.

An intrigue which its sticks have been soaked

So test its wood with your teeth—by your right—until you see.

So deafen with Your truth its sticks until You see

قد هالَهُم من بعد حَبسي صولةٌ

قد هالَهُم من بعد حَبسي صولةٌ

يَقوى زئيرُ اللَّيثِ إن هو أخدَر

يَقوى زئيرُ اللَّيثِ إن هو أخدَر

After my imprisonment, a fierce charge has terrified them.

After my imprisonment they were terrified by a roar

The lion's roar grows stronger if he takes to his lair.

The lion's roar grows stronger if he becomes enraged

ألليثُ ليثٌ مُخدِراً أو مُشمِساً

ألليثُ ليثٌ مُخدِراً أو مُشمِساً

والعَضبُ عَضبٌ مُغمَداً أو مثشهَرا

والعَضبُ عَضبٌ مُغمَداً أو مثشهَرا

A lion is a lion, in his lair or in the sun.

A lion is a lion whether enraged or sunny

And a keen blade is a keen blade, sheathed or drawn.

And wrath is wrath whether sheathed or unsheathed

قُل لِلعَذولِ علىَّ أصبحَ عاتِباً

قُل لِلعَذولِ علىَّ أصبحَ عاتِباً

لا تَعترِض فيما القَضاءُ به جَرى

لا تَعترِض فيما القَضاءُ به جَرى

Tell the faultfinder who has become reproachful toward me:

Say to those blaming me that they have become resentful

Do not object to what fate has ordained.

Do not object to what destiny has ordained

ما حِيلَتي في دمعةٍ إن كانَ في

ما حِيلَتي في دمعةٍ إن كانَ في

أُمِّ الكتابِ علىَّ ذاك مُسَطَّرا

أُمِّ الكتابِ علىَّ ذاك مُسَطَّرا

What can I do about a tear, if in

I have no power over a tear if it is

The Mother of the Book this was inscribed against me?

Written about me in the Mother of the Book

هذا عَزائي والعزاءُ لِكلِّ مَن

هذا عَزائي والعزاءُ لِكلِّ مَن

كوبٍ رِضَاهُ بما عليه مُقَدَّرا

كوبٍ رِضَاهُ بما عليه مُقَدَّرا

This is my consolation, and the consolation for every

This is my consolation - and consolation belongs to all

Afflicted one is his contentment with what is decreed for him.

Who accept what is destined for them

صاغوا عقودَ مدائحٍ وأنا الذي

صاغوا عقودَ مدائحٍ وأنا الذي

قد صُغتُ من حَبَّاتِ قلبىَ جوهرا

قد صُغتُ من حَبَّاتِ قلبىَ جوهرا

They fashioned necklaces of praise, while I am the one who

They strung together necklaces of praise, while I

Has fashioned a jewel from the beads of my heart.

Was formed from the pearls of my heart's essence

ماذا القريضُ يقول فيمن صَيَّرَ الر

ماذا القريضُ يقول فيمن صَيَّرَ الر

حمنُ قَدرَه مِن قَريضي أكبَرا

حمنُ قَدرَه مِن قَريضي أكبَرا

What can poetry say of him whom the All-

What can poetry say about one whom the Merciful

Merciful has made greater in stature than my poetry?

Has made his destiny from my poetry greater

لم يَخلقِ اللهُ التهامىَ في الورى

لم يَخلقِ اللهُ التهامىَ في الورى

إلا لِيَسمو في العلاءِ ويُنصَرا

إلا لِيَسمو في العلاءِ ويُنصَرا

God did not create al-Tihami among humankind

God did not create blame in the world

Except to rise in glory and be granted victory.

Except so that one may rise high and be helped