نورlight قربnearness فيin حالةstate البعدremoteness اقبلcame forth
نور قرب في حالة البعد اقبل
فغشىso it enveloped موكبprocession الامامthe imam المبجلthe revered
فغشى موكب الامام المبجل
A light of nearness came amid remoteness,
Light draw near in the state of distance, come close
and enveloped the procession of the revered imam.
It covered the procession of the revered imam
شيخناour shaykh السيدthe master الكبيرthe great الرفاعيal-Rifa‘i
شيخنا السيد الكبير الرفاعي
اعظمgreatest الصالحينthe righteous حالاin spiritual state واجزلand most bountiful
اعظم الصالحين حالا واجزل
Our shaykh, the great master al-Rifa‘i,
Our master, the great elder Al-Rifa'i
greatest of the righteous in spiritual state, and most bountiful;
The greatest of the righteous now and forever
لاثمone kissing الراحةthe palm الشريفةthe noble فيin مشfirst fragment of ‘scene’
لاثم الراحة الشريفة في مش
هدfinal fragment of ‘scene’ مجدglory سماrose high باشرفthrough the noblest مرسلmessenger
هد مجد سما باشرف مرسل
kisser of the noble palm in a scene
To kiss the noble tomb in the shrine
of glory exalted through the noblest Messenger.
Of glorious heaven, by the most noble messenger
فرعbranch ذاكthat الاصلthe root الاصيلthe noble سليلscion الthe
فرع ذاك الاصل الاصيل سليل ال
نسبlineage الطاهرthe pure الشريفthe noble المسلسلlinked in succession
نسب الطاهر الشريف المسلسل
A branch of that noble root, scion of the
A branch of that authentic origin, descendant of
pure, noble lineage linked in succession.
The pure, noble, and continuous lineage
ناصرdefender السنةthe Sunnah السنيةthe radiant شيخshaykh الthe
ناصر السنة السنية شيخ ال
قومpeople انداهموthe most generous of them يميناin right hand واطولand longest-reaching
قوم انداهمو يمينا واطول
Defender of the radiant Sunnah, shaykh of the
Supporter of the Sunnah, the Sunni sheikh of
people, with the most generous and farthest-reaching right hand among them.
The people, his right side exuded fairness and height
صاحبpossessor الهمةthe spiritual aspiration التيwhich قامarose منهاfrom it
صاحب الهمة التي قام منها
فوقabove عرشthrone الكمالperfection للفضلto excellence هيكلa temple
فوق عرش الكمال للفضل هيكل
Possessor of the aspiration from which arose
Possessor of the determination from which
above perfection’s throne a temple to excellence.
Above the throne of perfection a temple of virtue stood
فلكsphere الفخرglory بهجةdelight الدهرthe age معنىessence
فلك الفخر بهجة الدهر معنى
دولةdominion الاولياءthe saints فيin كلevery محفلgathering
دولة الاولياء في كل محفل
Sphere of glory, delight of the age, the essence
You are the star of pride, delight of time, meaning of
of the saints’ dominion in every gathering.
The state of saints in every gathering
ذلhe humbled himself فيin ساحةcourt الدلالfond indulgence كمالاto perfection
ذل في ساحة الدلال كمالا
وعجيبand wondrous مدللa cherished one يتذللhumbles himself
وعجيب مدلل يتذلل
He humbled himself to perfection in the court of fond indulgence,
Humility in the field of guidance, perfection
and wondrous is a cherished one who humbles himself.
And wondrous gentle one being gentle
حلhe dwelt منof حضرةspiritual presence التمكنspiritual steadfastness رحباًa spacious expanse
حل من حضرة التمكن رحباً
عزانhard to (عزّ أن) ينتهيreach اليهto it مكملa perfected one
عزان ينتهي اليه مكمل
He dwelt in a spacious realm of spiritual steadfastness,
He descended from the presence of empowerment, vast
hard for a perfected one to reach.
Dignity terminating unto him fulfilled
فلهذاso, for this reason اضحىbecame امامimam البراياcreated beings
فلهذا اضحى امام البرايا
وعليهand upon him فيamong العارفينthe knowers of God المعولreliance
وعليه في العارفين المعول
Thus he became the imam of creation,
Thus he became imam of creations
and among the knowers of God, reliance rests upon him.
And depended upon by the gnostics
جبلa mountain راسخsteadfast ابانmade clear سوكاconduct (apparently سلوكًا)
جبل راسخ ابان سوكا
عنfrom طريقpath الرسولthe Messenger لاnot يتحولdeparts
عن طريق الرسول لا يتحول
A steadfast mountain, making his conduct clear,
Firm mountain that made clear
never departing from the Messenger’s path.
The path of the Messenger and does not change
شرفeminence حطlowered عنbeneath مداهits reach السواريthe night-traveling clouds
شرف حط عن مداه السواري
وفخارand glory نصوصهits texts البيضthe shining white تنقلare transmitted
وفخار نصوصه البيض تنقل
An eminence that lowered the night-clouds beneath its reach,
Nobility that lowered its meteors
and a glory whose shining white texts are handed down.
And pride whose white texts are transmitted
ليتwould that شعريmy knowing وهلand will…? تساعدلتhelp (reading uncertain)
ليت شعري وهل تساعدلت
وارانيand I see myself برحبهin his spacious court اتململI stir restlessly
واراني برحبه اتململ
Would that I knew—will help come?
I wish I knew, would you let me
And I see myself stirring restlessly in his spacious court.
See you in your vastness, to roam about
ذاكthat غابa thicket بهin it توسدpillowed his head ليثa lion
ذاك غاب به توسد ليث
منfrom عليAli ليثlion الالهGod تنسلdescended
من علي ليث الاله تنسل
That is a thicket where a lion has laid his head,
That absence in which a lion slept
descended from Ali, the Lion of God.
From Ali a lion of God descended
علمbanner الشرقthe East قطبpole دائرةcircle الصدfirst fragment of ‘the truth’
علم الشرق قطب دائرة الصد
قfinal fragment of ‘truth’ منيعimpregnable الحماthe sanctuary الامامthe imam المفضلthe favored
ق منيع الحما الامام المفضل
Banner of the East, pole of the circle of truth,
Scholar of the East, pole of the circle of truth, fortified protector
with an impregnable sanctuary—the favored imam.
The preferred imam
بابa gateway وصلunion بفضلهthrough his grace لابيهto his forefather
باب وصل بفضله لابيه
سيدmaster الانبياthe prophets الاولىthe worthiest يتوصلone gains access
سيد الانبيا الاولى يتوصل
A gateway to union: through his grace, to his forefather,
Through his grace the door of connection to his father was opened
the worthiest master of the prophets, one gains access.
The master of prophets, the foremost to be connected
وبعاليand through the loftiness of عرفانهhis gnosis فيin المهماfirst fragment of ‘the difficulties’
وبعالي عرفانه في المهما
تplural ending of ‘difficulties’ الىto اللهGod ربناour Lord يتوسلone seeks nearness
ت الى الله ربنا يتوسل
And through his lofty gnosis, in times of difficulty,
And by the sublimity of his mystic knowledge to God, our Lord
one seeks nearness to God, our Lord.
He makes supplication
وجديرand worthy بمنfor one whom نراهwe see him ضراعاhumbly supplicating
وجدير بمن نراه ضراعا
انto يرىhe sees النجحsuccess فيin الشؤنaffairs ويقبلand is accepted
ان يرى النجح في الشؤن ويقبل
And one we see humbly supplicating deserves
Worthy is he whom we see humbly entreating
to find success in his affairs and be accepted.
To see success in affairs and acceptance
رضيmay He be pleased اللهGod عنهwith him ماas long as افثرsmiled open (apparently افترّ) ثغرmouth الthe
رضي الله عنه ما افثر ثغر ال
روضgarden لطفاgently فيin ساحةcourt رشهاsprinkled it الطلthe dew
روض لطفا في ساحة رشها الطل
May God be pleased with him, as long as the mouth of the
May God be pleased with him for as long as the meadow’s mouth
garden smiles gently in a court the dew has sprinkled.
Pours gentleness in the field it sprinkled with drops
Sol 6.1