أصبح بدا أم ليلة القدر طالع

أصبح بدا أم ليلة القدر طالع

أبدر كمال للطلوع يسارع

أبدر كمال للطلوع يسارع

Has dawn appeared—or is the Night of Decree rising?

Has dawn appeared, or is the Night of Decree rising?

Or is it a full moon of perfection, hastening to rise?

Is it a full moon of perfection hastening to rise?

أريح الصبا أم نسيم أحبتي

أريح الصبا أم نسيم أحبتي

يلوح لنا أم ذا شموس طوالع

يلوح لنا أم ذا شموس طوالع

Is it the east wind, or the breeze of my beloved ones,

Is it the east wind, or the breeze of my beloveds?

wafting toward us—or are these rising suns?

It gleams before us—or are these rising suns?

أعرف شميم الغيث لاح

أعرف شميم الغيث لاح

إلى الحي سار أم شذا الروض ضائع

إلى الحي سار أم شذا الروض ضائع

Do I recognize the rain’s fragrance that has appeared,

Is it a fragrance—the scent of rain—that has appeared?

journeying toward the encampment—or is the garden’s perfume spreading?

It traveled to the encampment—or is the garden’s fragrance wafting?

الهدى

الهدى

نحث السرى أم تلك ورق سواجع

نحث السرى أم تلك ورق سواجع

Guidance—

Guidance.

do we urge the night journey on, or are those doves cooing?

We urge on the night journey—or are those cooing gray doves?

وأبحر عرفان فهل سبيل الوفا

وأبحر عرفان فهل سبيل الوفا

إلى ألحان أم غيوث صوامع

إلى ألحان أم غيوث صوامع

And seas of gnosis—is there, then, a path of faithfulness

And seas of gnosis—is there, then, a path of fidelity

toward melodies, or are these showers over hermitages?

To melodies—or rains of hermitages?

واسر اسرار ما الصوادح

واسر اسرار ما الصوادح

جيوش الردى أم ذا سيوف قواطع

جيوش الردى أم ذا سيوف قواطع

And the innermost secrets—what are the singing birds:

And the most hidden of secrets—what are the singing birds?

armies of death, or are these keen-edged swords?

Armies of death—or are these cutting swords?

لعمري نعم قد أظهر القلب عزة

لعمري نعم قد أظهر القلب عزة

على كيد حساد جديد وطامع

على كيد حساد جديد وطامع

By my life, yes: the heart has indeed displayed its might

By my life, yes, the heart has indeed shown strength

against the plots of envious men, upstarts, and covetous souls.

Against the new scheming of enviers and a covetous man.

أهام به في كل حال شدت

أهام به في كل حال شدت

في حال الهوى وجوامع

في حال الهوى وجوامع

Through him I am stirred whenever a state grows intense,

I am enraptured by him in every state that grew intense,

in the state of love and amid gatherings.

In the state of love, and things that unite.

حوى غررا لم يجدها ذو

حوى غررا لم يجدها ذو

سواه وإن كانت مثلك ودائع

سواه وإن كانت مثلك ودائع

He holds radiant virtues that no possessor has found

He possessed splendors that no possessor had found

in anyone but him—though in one like you they are held in trust.

Other than him, even if there were entrusted treasures like you.

له همم عليه تقضي بأنه

له همم عليه تقضي بأنه

رئيس له كل الأنام توابع

رئيس له كل الأنام توابع

He has lofty aspirations that testify of him

He has aspirations that pronounce him to be

that he is a chief whom all humankind follows.

A leader, with all humankind as his followers.

أمولاي دام السعد فيك مهنأ

أمولاي دام السعد فيك مهنأ

ودام علاك بالسرور مجامع

ودام علاك بالسرور مجامع

O my lord, may happiness abide in you, serene,

O my master, may good fortune abide in you, blessed.

and may your eminence endure, abounding in joy.

And may your eminence endure, joined with joy.

وصرت تنادي في المجالس والطرى

وصرت تنادي في المجالس والطرى

وتفهج عن معقول وهو يطاوع

وتفهج عن معقول وهو يطاوع

You have come to proclaim in assemblies and among newcomers,

And you began calling out in assemblies and [unclear word],

and to discourse expansively from reason, while it yields:

And [unclear verb] about what is intelligible, while it complies:

بفضلي وعلمي يشهد العقل والنقل

بفضلي وعلمي يشهد العقل والنقل

وباسمي ينادي كل

وباسمي ينادي كل

“To my merit and knowledge both reason and tradition bear witness,

Reason and transmitted tradition attest to my merit and my knowledge.

and every voice calls out my name:

And everyone calls out in my name.

أنا أحمد الفلان ساكن طيبة

أنا أحمد الفلان ساكن طيبة

وساكن فاس بالملوك خواضع

وساكن فاس بالملوك خواضع

I am Ahmad So-and-so, a resident of Taybah,

I am Ahmad al-Fulan, dwelling in Tayba.

and a resident of Fez, before whom kings bow.

And dwelling in Fez, with submissive kings.

وأدعى أبا فراج هدي تبرجت

وأدعى أبا فراج هدي تبرجت

غوامض منطق وبدائع

غوامض منطق وبدائع

I am called Abu Faraj; my guidance has unveiled

And I am called Abu Farraj; guidance has displayed itself.

the mysteries and marvels of logic.

Subtleties of logic and marvels.

أناالأسد القهار في حومة الوغى

أناالأسد القهار في حومة الوغى

إذا جلت في الأعداء ما لي مضارع

إذا جلت في الأعداء ما لي مضارع

I am the all-conquering lion in the thick of battle;

I am the all-conquering lion in the thick of battle.

when I charge among the enemy, I have no equal.”

When I range among enemies, I have no equal.

أبدر الكمال ما لنا في مغارب

أبدر الكمال ما لنا في مغارب

مماثلكم كلا ولا هو طالع

مماثلكم كلا ولا هو طالع

O full moon of perfection, nowhere in our western lands

O full moon of perfection, in the western lands we have no

is there your equal—never, nor is one rising.

Equal to you—certainly not—nor is he rising.

سلبت الورى من حسن شكل والتوت

سلبت الورى من حسن شكل والتوت

عليهم شراد الحب فيك طالع

عليهم شراد الحب فيك طالع

You captivated all humanity with the beauty of your form, and there coiled

You robbed humankind through beauty of form, and there coiled

around them love’s wayward impulses, rising toward you.

Upon them love’s strays, rising in you.

وته بدلال مع دليل ودع جفا

وته بدلال مع دليل ودع جفا

فأنت جواد والزمان طبائع

فأنت جواد والزمان طبائع

Strut with coquettish grace and sure proof, and forsake estrangement;

And strut with coy charm beside a guide, and leave estrangement;

for you are noble, while Time is ruled by changing temperaments.

For you are generous, and time has its temperaments.

فيا سعد من حامي حمى مجلس بدا

فيا سعد من حامي حمى مجلس بدا

له الكون يشذو والأنام رواجع

له الكون يشذو والأنام رواجع

How fortunate the protector of the sanctuary of an assembly now revealed—

So, how fortunate is the guardian of a gathering’s sanctuary that has appeared!

for him the cosmos sings, and humankind answers in refrain.

For him the cosmos wafts fragrance, and humankind returns.

فطوبى لهم فازوا به وهو ذخرهم

فطوبى لهم فازوا به وهو ذخرهم

إذا اشتدت الغارات فهو مدافع

إذا اشتدت الغارات فهو مدافع

Blessed are they: they have won him, and he is their treasure;

So blessed are they: they have triumphed through him, and he is their treasure.

when raids intensify, he is their defender.

When raids grow fierce, he is a defender.

ومني السلام لا أفوه بعده

ومني السلام لا أفوه بعده

ويتلوه من طيب الحديث فوازع

ويتلوه من طيب الحديث فوازع

From me be peace; after it I shall utter nothing,

And from me, peace; I utter nothing after it.

though startling words of gracious speech follow it,

And terrors from pleasant speech follow it.

على كمل الله فخره

على كمل الله فخره

بعلم وحلم بالرشاد ودائع

بعلم وحلم بالرشاد ودائع

upon one whose glory God made complete

Upon ... may God perfect his glory,

with knowledge and forbearance—treasures of right guidance.

With knowledge and forbearance, with right guidance—entrusted treasures.

وأزكى صلاة والسلام على الذي

وأزكى صلاة والسلام على الذي

لفضل الغضا يوم القيامة شافع

لفضل الغضا يوم القيامة شافع

And the purest blessing and peace upon the one

And the purest blessing and peace upon the one who

who, by the merit of al-Ghaḍā, intercedes on Resurrection Day,

Intercedes for the merit of the ghada trees on the Day of Resurrection.

وآل وكل الصحب ما هام عاشق

وآل وكل الصحب ما هام عاشق

لفرقة أحباب رسمته جامع

لفرقة أحباب رسمته جامع

and upon his family and every Companion, as long as a lover yearns

And his family and all the Companions, as long as a lover wanders love-struck

at separation from beloveds, while their image gathers him close.

At parting from beloveds; his portrayal is all-embracing.