لَقَد كُنتُ أحجُو النَّاسَ جُلَّ إختِلاَفِهِم

لَقَد كُنتُ أحجُو النَّاسَ جُلَّ إختِلاَفِهِم

لأجلِ إتِّباعِ الشَّرعِ في كُلِّ مَا وَقَع

لأجلِ إتِّباعِ الشَّرعِ في كُلِّ مَا وَقَع

I once supposed that nearly all the people’s differences

I had indeed thought that people's disagreements, for the most part,

arose from striving to follow sacred law in every matter that occurred.

Were for the sake of following sacred law in all that occurred.

ولَمَّا رَأيتُ النّاسَ قَد هَابَ بَعضهُم

ولَمَّا رَأيتُ النّاسَ قَد هَابَ بَعضهُم

إِمَامَةَ قُطبِ فَاقَ في العُلُم والوَرَع

إِمَامَةَ قُطبِ فَاقَ في العُلُم والوَرَع

But when I saw that some among the people shrank from

But when I saw that some people had feared

the imamate of a Pole surpassing all in knowledge and scrupulousness,

The leadership of a spiritual pole surpassing others in learning and piety,

وقَدَّمَ عَنهُ في الإمَامَةِ غَيرَهُ

وقَدَّمَ عَنهُ في الإمَامَةِ غَيرَهُ

تَبَيَّنتُ أنَّ الشَّرعَ لَيسَ بِمُتَّبَع

تَبَيَّنتُ أنَّ الشَّرعَ لَيسَ بِمُتَّبَع

and preferred another to him for the imamate,

And had preferred another to him for leadership,

I realized that sacred law was not being followed,

I realized that sacred law was not being followed,

وأَنَّ لأََمرَاضِ القُلُوبِ تَمَكَّناً

وأَنَّ لأََمرَاضِ القُلُوبِ تَمَكَّناً

من العَبدِ لَمَّا يَبقِ مِنهُ ولَمَّا يَدَع

من العَبدِ لَمَّا يَبقِ مِنهُ ولَمَّا يَدَع

and that the diseases of hearts had taken firm hold,

And that diseases of the heart had taken firm hold

ruling the servant alike in what he does and what he leaves undone.

Of the servant, leaving nothing of him intact and sparing nothing.

وإِنَّ إمرءاً أَفنَى الشَّبَابَ مُجَدداً

وإِنَّ إمرءاً أَفنَى الشَّبَابَ مُجَدداً

لِدِينِ النبي الهَاشِمِىِّ وَمَا شَرَع

لِدِينِ النبي الهَاشِمِىِّ وَمَا شَرَع

For here was a man who spent his youth as a renewer

And indeed, a man who spent his youth renewing

of the religion of the Hashemite Prophet and all that he ordained;

The religion of the Hashemite Prophet and what he prescribed,

ونَالَ اليَدَ الطُّولَى عَلَى كُلِّ عَالِمٍ

ونَالَ اليَدَ الطُّولَى عَلَى كُلِّ عَالِمٍ

وفي الحَوضِ مِن مَجدِ الحَقِيقَةِ قَد كَرَع

وفي الحَوضِ مِن مَجدِ الحَقِيقَةِ قَد كَرَع

who gained preeminence over every scholar

And gained the upper hand over every scholar,

and drank deep at the pool of the glory of Reality.

And drank deeply from the pool of spiritual truth's glory,

وَمَدَّ أتِىُّ الشَّيخِ أحمَدَ لُبَّهُ

وَمَدَّ أتِىُّ الشَّيخِ أحمَدَ لُبَّهُ

فَأترِعَ بِالعِرفَانِ فَاشتَاقَ وأرتَفَع

فَأترِعَ بِالعِرفَانِ فَاشتَاقَ وأرتَفَع

Then the influx of Shaykh Ahmad reached his innermost mind,

And whose innermost mind Sheikh Ahmad's torrent replenished,

filling it with gnosis, so that he yearned and rose.

So it brimmed with spiritual knowledge, and he yearned and rose,

وَرَقَّاهُ حََتَّى رَاقَهُ الشَّيخُ أحمَدٌ

وَرَقَّاهُ حََتَّى رَاقَهُ الشَّيخُ أحمَدٌ

وألبَسَهُ مِن حَوكِ هَيبَتِهِ خِلَع

وألبَسَهُ مِن حَوكِ هَيبَتِهِ خِلَع

It raised him until he pleased Shaykh Ahmad,

And raised him until Sheikh Ahmad delighted him,

who clothed him in robes woven from his majesty,

And clothed him in robes of honor woven from his majesty,

وَرَدَّاهُ بِالعِلمِ اللُّدني بَعدَمَا

وَرَدَّاهُ بِالعِلمِ اللُّدني بَعدَمَا

تَرَدَّى بِهِ كَسباً فَبَينَهُمَا جَمَع

تَرَدَّى بِهِ كَسباً فَبَينَهُمَا جَمَع

and arrayed him in divinely bestowed knowledge after

And robed him in divinely bestowed knowledge, after

he had donned acquired learning—thus uniting the two.

He had clothed himself in acquired knowledge, thus uniting the two—

إِذَا قالَ لَمَّا يُنكِرُ الشَّرعُ قَولَهُ

إِذَا قالَ لَمَّا يُنكِرُ الشَّرعُ قَولَهُ

وكَانَ لِنَهجِ الصَّالِحِينَ قَد اتَّبَع

وكَانَ لِنَهجِ الصَّالِحِينَ قَد اتَّبَع

Whenever he speaks, sacred law does not reject his word,

If he speaks and sacred law does not reject his words,

and he has followed the path of the righteous.

And he has followed the path of the righteous,

فَلَيسَ عَلَينَا أن نُنَازِعَ إِنَّمَا

فَلَيسَ عَلَينَا أن نُنَازِعَ إِنَّمَا

يَحِقُّ عَلَينَا أن نَكُونَ لَهُ تَبَع

يَحِقُّ عَلَينَا أن نَكُونَ لَهُ تَبَع

It is not for us to dispute; rather,

Then it is not for us to dispute with him; rather,

it is our duty to become his followers.

It is our duty to be his followers.

وكُلُّ امرِئٍ لم يَدرُسِ العِلمَ دَرسَهُ

وكُلُّ امرِئٍ لم يَدرُسِ العِلمَ دَرسَهُ

ولم يَتَغلغَل فَالسُّكُوتُ لَهُ يَسَع

ولم يَتَغلغَل فَالسُّكُوتُ لَهُ يَسَع

Anyone who has not studied knowledge as it should be studied,

And anyone who has not studied knowledge as he has,

nor penetrated its depths, will find that silence suits him.

Nor delved deeply into it, may content himself with silence.

وإن قَالَ يَوماً قَائِلٌ نَهجُ مَالِكٍ

وإن قَالَ يَوماً قَائِلٌ نَهجُ مَالِكٍ

أبَاحَ لِهَذَا أولِذَلِكَ قَد مَنَع

أبَاحَ لِهَذَا أولِذَلِكَ قَد مَنَع

And should someone say one day, “The path of Malik

And if someone should one day say, “Malik's way

permits this, while that it has forbidden,”

Permitted this, or has forbidden that,”

فَقُل سَلهُ عَمَّا قُلتَهُ إِنَّ صَدرَهُ

فَقُل سَلهُ عَمَّا قُلتَهُ إِنَّ صَدرَهُ

تَجَمَّعَ فِيهِ المَذَاهِبِ مَا اجتَمَع

تَجَمَّعَ فِيهِ المَذَاهِبِ مَا اجتَمَع

tell him: “Ask him about what you claim, for within his breast

Then say, “Ask him about what you said, for his breast

all the legal schools have gathered together.”

Holds all the collected teachings of the schools of law.”

فَقَد كَانَ أدرَى بِالمَذَاهِبِ إِنَّهُ

فَقَد كَانَ أدرَى بِالمَذَاهِبِ إِنَّهُ

لَمُجتِهِدُ الإِطلاَقِ إِن لَم يَكُ انقَطَع

لَمُجتِهِدُ الإِطلاَقِ إِن لَم يَكُ انقَطَع

For he knows the schools better than any other; indeed,

For he was more versed in the schools of law; indeed,

he is an absolute independent jurist—if that rank has not been cut off.

He is surely a fully independent jurist—if that rank has not died out.

خَلِيلِىِّ دَع إنكَارَ ما قد حبي بِهِ

خَلِيلِىِّ دَع إنكَارَ ما قد حبي بِهِ

ولاَ تَعزُ نَهجَ الهَاشِمِىِّ إِلى البِدَع

ولاَ تَعزُ نَهجَ الهَاشِمِىِّ إِلى البِدَع

My friend, cease denying what he has been granted,

My friend, cease denying what has been bestowed on him,

and do not ascribe the Hashemite Prophet’s path to innovation.

And do not ascribe the Hashemite's way to religious innovations.

ولا تَشِمَن بَرقَ الهَوَى فَهوَ خُلَّبٌ

ولا تَشِمَن بَرقَ الهَوَى فَهوَ خُلَّبٌ

وشِم بَارِقَ الحَقِّ اليَمَاني إِن لَمَنَع

وشِم بَارِقَ الحَقِّ اليَمَاني إِن لَمَنَع

Do not watch the lightning of caprice—it is a rainless flash;

And do not look to desire's lightning, for it is rainless and deceptive;

watch the Yemeni lightning of truth when it gleams.

And watch truth's Yemeni lightning, if it flashes [reading uncertain].

وإن تَكُ قَد َانكَرَت قَبلاً فَشَمِّرَن

وإن تَكُ قَد َانكَرَت قَبلاً فَشَمِّرَن

إِلَى التَّوبِ يَنفَعُكَ المَتَابُ وكَم نَفَع

إِلَى التَّوبِ يَنفَعُكَ المَتَابُ وكَم نَفَع

If you have denied before, then gird yourself

And if you have denied it before, then gird yourself

for repentance: repentance will profit you, as often it has profited.

For repentance: turning back will benefit you—how often it has benefited!

وبَادِر لِرَقعِ الخَرقِ قَبل إتِّسَاعِهِ

وبَادِر لِرَقعِ الخَرقِ قَبل إتِّسَاعِهِ

فَقَد كَانَ صَعباً رَقعُهُ بَعدَمَا اتَّسَع

فَقَد كَانَ صَعباً رَقعُهُ بَعدَمَا اتَّسَع

Hurry to patch the rent before it widens,

And hasten to patch the tear before it widens,

for once it has widened, its repair is hard.

For it is hard to patch once it has widened.

وإن كُنتَ في الإنكَارِ صَادِقَ هِمَّةٍ

وإن كُنتَ في الإنكَارِ صَادِقَ هِمَّةٍ

ولم يَكُ حَطٌ فِيكَ يُفضِى إِلَى القَذَع

ولم يَكُ حَطٌ فِيكَ يُفضِى إِلَى القَذَع

If your denial truly springs from earnest resolve,

And if your purpose in objecting is sincere,

and no rancor within you drives you into foul speech,

And there is no baseness in you leading to vile abuse,

فَمِل لِكَتَابِ اللهِ والسُّنُّةِ التى

فَمِل لِكَتَابِ اللهِ والسُّنُّةِ التى

بِها سَالِكٌ المَورِ المُضَلِّلِ مُرتَدَع

بِها سَالِكٌ المَورِ المُضَلِّلِ مُرتَدَع

then turn to the Book of God and to the Sunna,

Then turn to God's Book and the Sunnah, which

by which one wandering in delusive turmoil is restrained.

Restrains anyone traveling through misleading turmoil.

وسَل أهلَهَا عَنهَا الأُلَى أشتَهَرُوا بِهَا

وسَل أهلَهَا عَنهَا الأُلَى أشتَهَرُوا بِهَا

فَمَا قَبِلُوا فَاقبَل وَمَا وَضَعُوهُ ضَع

فَمَا قَبِلُوا فَاقبَل وَمَا وَضَعُوهُ ضَع

Ask their acknowledged people about them—those renowned for their knowledge;

And ask its authorities about it, those renowned for it;

what they accept, accept, and what they set aside, set aside.

Accept what they accept, and set aside what they set aside.

وإِيَّاكَ مِن تَحكِيمِ رَأيِكِ دُونَهُم

وإِيَّاكَ مِن تَحكِيمِ رَأيِكِ دُونَهُم

فَتَجزَعَ إِذ لاَ يَنفَعُ الجَازِعَ الجَزَع

فَتَجزَعَ إِذ لاَ يَنفَعُ الجَازِعَ الجَزَع

Beware of making your own opinion the judge instead of theirs,

And beware of making your own opinion the judge apart from them,

lest you grieve when grief can no longer avail the grieving.

Lest you become distraught, when distress cannot help the distraught.

وأوِّل كَلاَمَ القَومِ في غَلَبَاتِهِم

وأوِّل كَلاَمَ القَومِ في غَلَبَاتِهِم

بَمَا لاَقَ تَشرَب مِن مُدَامَتِهِم جُرَع

بَمَا لاَقَ تَشرَب مِن مُدَامَتِهِم جُرَع

Interpret the words of the mystic folk in their overpowering states

And interpret the folk's words in their overpowering states

in the manner befitting those who have drunk draughts of their wine.

In a fitting way, and you will drink draughts of their wine.

ولَيسَ كَلاَمُ القَومِ يُدرِكُ كُنهَهُ

ولَيسَ كَلاَمُ القَومِ يُدرِكُ كُنهَهُ

مُجَانِبُه إِذ لَيسَ فِيهِ لَهُ طَمَع

مُجَانِبُه إِذ لَيسَ فِيهِ لَهُ طَمَع

The innermost meaning of the mystics’ speech cannot be grasped

The essence of the folk's speech cannot be grasped

by one who stands apart from them and has no aspiration toward it.

By one who shuns it, since he has no desire for it.