أقِلْنِيَ ربّي بالّذين اِصطفيتَهُمْ

أقِلْنِيَ ربّي بالّذين اِصطفيتَهُمْ

وقلتَ لنا هم خيرُ مَنْ أنَا خالقُ

وقلتَ لنا هم خيرُ مَنْ أنَا خالقُ

Pardon me, my Lord, for the sake of those You chose,

Take me, my Lord, to those whom You have chosen,

and told us, “They are the best of those I create.”

And You told us they are the best of all I have created.

وإنْ كنتُ قد قصّرتُ سعياً إلى التُّقى

وإنْ كنتُ قد قصّرتُ سعياً إلى التُّقى

فإنّي بهمْ إنْ شئتَ عندك لاحقُ

فإنّي بهمْ إنْ شئتَ عندك لاحقُ

And even if I have fallen short in striving toward piety,

If I have fallen short in striving for piety,

then through them, if You will, I shall catch up in Your sight.

With them, if You will, I will catch up before You.

هُمُ أنقذوا لمّا فَزِعتُ إليهمُ

هُمُ أنقذوا لمّا فَزِعتُ إليهمُ

وقد صَمّمت نحوي النُّيوبُ العوارقُ

وقد صَمّمت نحوي النُّيوبُ العوارقُ

They rescued me when I sought refuge with them,

They saved me when terrors drove me to them,

while flesh-stripping fangs bore straight down on me.

And misfortunes were charging at me like predators.

وهم جَذَبوا ضَبْعي إليهمْ من الأذى

وهم جَذَبوا ضَبْعي إليهمْ من الأذى

وقد طرقتْ بابي الخطوبُ الطّوارقُ

وقد طرقتْ بابي الخطوبُ الطّوارقُ

And they drew me by the upper arm toward them, away from harm,

They pulled me by the hand from harm,

while calamities, those night visitors, had knocked at my door.

And calamities were knocking at my door insistently.

ولولاهُمُ ما نلتُ في الدِّينِ حُظوَةً

ولولاهُمُ ما نلتُ في الدِّينِ حُظوَةً

وَلا اِتّسَعَتْ فيه عليَّ المضائقُ

وَلا اِتّسَعَتْ فيه عليَّ المضائقُ

But for them, I would have gained no favor in the faith,

Without them I’d have gained no fortune in religion,

nor would its narrow straits have widened for me,

Nor would straits have expanded for me therein.

ولا سيّرتْ فضلي إليها مغاربٌ

ولا سيّرتْ فضلي إليها مغاربٌ

ولا طَيَّرَتْهُ بينهنّ مشارقُ

ولا طَيَّرَتْهُ بينهنّ مشارقُ

nor would western lands have borne my excellence into their midst,

Nor would my merits have journeyed westwards through them,

nor would eastern lands have sent it flying among them,

Nor soared among them the east winds.

ولا صَيّرتْ قلبي من النّاسِ كلّهمْ

ولا صَيّرتْ قلبي من النّاسِ كلّهمْ

لَها وَطَناً تأوي إليه الحقائقُ

لَها وَطَناً تأوي إليه الحقائقُ

nor, among all people, would my heart have been made

Nor would my heart have made of all mankind

a homeland for truths, where they take refuge.

A homeland, where truths might find refuge.