أعظمhow magnificent! بمدرسةa school (exclamatory construction) للعلمfor learning قدalready وصفتhas been described
أعظم بمدرسة للعلم قد وصفت
تسموrises بمنظرهاwith its appearance الباهليBahili (unclear epithet as written) علىabove الشّهبthe shooting stars
تسمو بمنظرها الباهلي على الشّهب
How magnificent is the school of learning thus described!
A sublime school of knowledge I have described
With its Bahili aspect, it rises above the shooting stars.
Rising in its appearance over the confused stars
منfrom غيرoutside; other than أرجائهاits precincts العلياlofty وعرصتهاand its courtyard
من غير أرجائها العليا وعرصتها
عرفthe fragrance المعارفof learning والأسرارand mysteries لمnot يطبwas sweet
عرف المعارف والأسرار لم يطب
Outside its lofty precincts and its courtyard,
Without its high corners and its courtyard
the fragrance of learning and mysteries has never been sweet.
Where the knowledge and secrets were not contained
ماnot طافcircled منهاwithin it ببيتaround the house of الذّكرremembrance ذوone burdened with كربdistress
ما طاف منها ببيت الذّكر ذو كرب
إلاexcept that رأىsaw فيهwithin it تفريجاrelief منfrom الكربdistress
إلا رأى فيه تفريجا من الكرب
No troubled soul ever circled its house of remembrance
Whoever circled around it, distressed by worries
without finding there relief from distress.
Saw in it relief from distress
ولاnor سعىstrove نحوهtoward it ساعa seeker لنيلُto attain علىeminence (contextual reading)
ولا سعى نحوه ساع لنيلُ على
إلاexcept that غداbecame ذكرهُhis renown فيin أشرفthe noblest of الرّتبthe ranks
إلا غدا ذكرهُ في أشرف الرّتب
Nor did any seeker strive toward it to attain eminence
And whoever strode eagerly towards it
without his renown reaching the noblest ranks.
His mention became among the highest ranks
منسوبةattributed لأبيto Abu العباسal-Abbas نشأتهاits founding
منسوبة لأبي العباس نشأتها
ذيpossessor of الفضلexcellence والعلمand learning الباهيsplendid فيin النّسبlineage
ذي الفضل والعلم الباهي في النّسب
Its founding is attributed to Abu al-Abbas,
Attributed to Abu Al-Abbas it was established
possessor of excellence and learning, splendid in lineage.
The possessor of outstanding virtue and glorious lineage
شيخa shaykh سريٌّnoble سرىspread معرُفهُhis benevolence بسماthrough the sky of
شيخ سريٌّ سرى معرُفهُ بسما
عُلاهhis eminence بدراas a full moon لبشرto the cheerfulness of الوجهthe face منتسبlinked
عُلاه بدرا لبشر الوجه منتسب
A noble shaykh, whose benevolence spread through the sky
A private Shaykh of hidden path went privately
of his eminence, a full moon linked to a smiling countenance.
His recognition as bright as the full moon in ancestry
بّرrighteous تقيّGod-fearing وليّa saint ناسكdevout ورعscrupulous
بّر تقيّ وليّ ناسك ورع
خيرgood زكيّpure بأسرارwith the secrets of الإلاهGod حبيendowed
خير زكيّ بأسرار الإلاه حبي
A righteous, God-fearing saint, devout and scrupulous,
Pious, godfearing saint and devoted worshipper
good and pure, endowed with the secrets of God.
The best, purest in the secrets of God
شيخa shaykh يعرفis known عرفthe fragrance العارفينof the mystics لناto us
شيخ يعرف عرف العارفين لنا
منهthrough him لمnot ينكرwas denied التّعرفrecognition منbecause of ريبdoubt
منه لم ينكر التّعرف من ريب
A shaykh—the fragrance of the mystics is known to us
A Shaykh who knows the path of the Gnostics
through him; no doubt has called that recognition into question.
None denies recognizing him due to doubt
إذاwhen شدgrows severe لكfor you قُلsay ياO شاذُليShadhili اناI فيin
إذا شد لك قُل يا شاذُلي انا في
حماكyour refuge ذاthis محرّزاsafeguarded منfrom سائرall العطبperil
حماك ذا محرّزا من سائر العطب
When things grow hard for you, say: 'O Shadhili, I am in
If difficulties beset you, say: O Shadeli I am
this refuge of yours, safeguarded from every peril.'
In your protection, safe from all harm
أمستbecame كراماتُهhis saintly miracles فيin المغربthe Maghreb مشرقةshining
أمست كراماتُه في المغرب مشرقة
كانwas الدّجىthe darkness منهنbecause of them فيbehind حُجبveils
كان الدّجى منهن في حُجب
His saintly miracles came to shine in the Maghreb;
His miracles in the Maghreb shine
because of them, darkness lay behind veils.
Though veiled like the morning glow
أليسdid not ...? فيin الحرمينthe two sanctuaries الأشرفينthe most honored بدتappeared
أليس في الحرمين الأشرفين بدت
لهمfor them كشمسlike the sun of الضّحىthe forenoon فيin الأفقthe horizon لمnot تغبset
لهم كشمس الضّحى في الأفق لم تغب
Did they not appear in the two most honored sanctuaries,
Have they not appeared in the two noble sanctuaries
for them, like the forenoon sun on the horizon, never setting?
Like the undefiable sun on the horizon
لهhe has بربّwith the Lord of العلىthe heights وصلcommunion ومعرفةand spiritual knowledge
له بربّ العلى وصل ومعرفة
منfrom دونهاwithout it تُقطعُyou are cut off عنfrom الطّلبthe quest
من دونها تُقطعُ عن الطّلب
He has communion with the Lord on high, and spiritual knowledge,
To the Lord Most High he has connection and knowledge
without which you are cut off from the quest.
Without which seeking is cut off
يبكيhe weeps بدمعwith tears إذاwhen جنّfalls; envelops الظلامthe darkness ترىyou see
يبكي بدمع إذا جنّ الظلام ترى
صبيهhis boy شائباgray-haired للدمعbecause of tears وهوwhile he is صبيa boy
صبيه شائبا للدمع وهو صبي
He weeps tears when darkness falls; you see
You see him weeping with tears when night falls
his boy gray-haired from tears, though still a boy.
A youth with white hair weeping while still a youth
نهرانtwo rivers منfrom راحتيهhis two palms يجريانboth flow لدىamid
نهران من راحتيه يجريان لدى
فقرpoverty منof الفضّةsilver البيضاءwhite والذهبand gold
فقر من الفضّة البيضاء والذهب
Two rivers flow from his palms amid
Two rivers flow from his palms
poverty—rivers of white silver and gold.
Of silver and gold in poverty
أنشأhe founded لإحياءto revive دينthe religion of اللهGod مدرسةa school
أنشأ لإحياء دين الله مدرسة
فكانso he became للناسfor the people محييa reviver of الدّينreligion للعربfor the Arabs
فكان للناس محيي الدّين للعرب
He founded a school to revive God's religion;
He established a school to revive God’s religion
thus he became, for the people, a reviver of religion for the Arabs.
Thus for people he revived religion among Arabs
لرّبهto his Lord مخلصاsincere فيin السرّinward secrecy أنشأهاhe founded it
لرّبه مخلصا في السرّ أنشأها
لمنfor whoever يكونis لأهلfor the people of الدّينthe faith ذاpossessed of طلبa quest
لمن يكون لأهل الدّين ذا طلب
He founded it with inward sincerity toward his Lord,
Sincerely for his Lord he established it
for anyone who seeks the people of the faith.
For those seeking people of religion
لوif لمnot يكنhad been مخلصاsincere ماnot لاحappeared فيupon حجرthe stone of
لو لم يكن مخلصا ما لاح في حجر
المحرابthe prayer niche كتبwriting جليّclear غيرnot مُكتتبinscribed
المحراب كتب جليّ غير مُكتتب
Had he not been sincere, there would not have appeared upon the stone
Had he not been sincere, there would not have shone
of the prayer niche a clear, unwritten inscription:
In the prayer niche openly written letters
اسمthe name of النبيّthe Prophet وصديقand the Truthful One of النبيّthe Prophet معwith الفاal-Fa- (first part of al-Faruq)
اسم النبيّ وصديق النبيّ مع الفا
روق-ruq (completion of al-Faruq) يتلوهfollows him ذوpossessor of النّورينthe two lights وابنand the son of أبيAbi (father, in a patronymic)
روق يتلوه ذو النّورين وابن أبي
the Prophet's name, and that of the Prophet's Siddiq, with al-Fa-
The name of the Prophet and the Prophet's friend
ruq, followed by the Possessor of the Two Lights and Ibn Abi.
And the Distinguished with the Two Lights and Son of Abu
ماnot ذاكthat إلاexcept لسرbecause of a secret فيهwithin him or it أودعهhe entrusted it
ما ذاك إلا لسر فيه أودعه
لهديهbecause of his being guided برسُولby the Messenger of اللّهGod والصحبand the Companions
لهديه برسُول اللّه والصحب
That was only because of a secret entrusted within him,
That is only due to a secret he deposited in it
because he was guided by God's Messenger and the Companions.
To guide him by the Messenger of God and his company
عليهupon him منيّfrom me سلامُpeace ماas long as طلعتhas risen
عليه منيّ سلامُ ما طلعت
شمسٌa sun وغرّدُand sang قمريٌa turtledove علىupon القضبthe boughs
شمسٌ وغرّدُ قمريٌ على القضب
Upon him be peace from me, as long as there rises
Upon him be greetings from me, lasting
a sun, and a turtledove sings upon the boughs.
As long as sun rises and moon chirps on branches
Sol 6.1