تحتَ شِراعِ الرَّفْرَفِ

تحتَ شِراعِ الرَّفْرَفِ

نِماطُ شأنٍ ألطَفِ

نِماطُ شأنٍ ألطَفِ

Beneath the sail of the Rafraf

Under the flapping sail

Lie carpets of a subtler order.

Are patterns of gentle character

لو شامَهُ السَّقيمُ في

لو شامَهُ السَّقيمُ في

مُعْضَلِ دائِهِ شُفي

مُعْضَلِ دائِهِ شُفي

If the ailing one glimpsed it amid

If the ailing one smelled it

His intractable illness, he would be healed.

In the predicament of his malady, he'd be cured

ولو رآهُ أَفقَرٌ

ولو رآهُ أَفقَرٌ

عن كلِّ مَخْلوقٍ كُفي

عن كلِّ مَخْلوقٍ كُفي

And if the poorest beheld it,

And if the most destitute one saw it

He would be freed from need of any creature.

Sufficient for every creature

ما نيطَ في مُعْتَصِمٍ

ما نيطَ في مُعْتَصِمٍ

أَو واثِقٍ أو مُكْتَفي

أَو واثِقٍ أو مُكْتَفي

It was not bound to Muʿtasim,

It would not be tied to one seeking refuge

Or Wathiq, or Muktafi.

Or confident or self-sufficient

للهِ عزَّ شأنُهُ

للهِ عزَّ شأنُهُ

بسِرِّهِ المُرَفْرَفِ

بسِرِّهِ المُرَفْرَفِ

To God—exalted is His majesty—

To God, glorious is His affair

In His fluttering mystery,

In the secret of the fluttering

معنًى لَطيفٌ بارِزٌ

معنًى لَطيفٌ بارِزٌ

في طيِّ تلكَ السُّجُفِ

في طيِّ تلكَ السُّجُفِ

Belongs a subtle meaning, manifest

A gentle meaning stands out

Within the folds of those veils.

In the folds of those scripts

أَتى بهِ محمَّدٌ

أَتى بهِ محمَّدٌ

رَبُّ الجَنابِ الأَشْرَفِ

رَبُّ الجَنابِ الأَشْرَفِ

Muhammad brought it,

Brought by Muhammad

Master of the noblest precinct.

Lord of the most noble essence

أَفرَغَهُ لآلِهِ

أَفرَغَهُ لآلِهِ

وصحْبِهِ في مُصْحَفِ

وصحْبِهِ في مُصْحَفِ

He poured it forth for his household

He dictated it to his progeny

And his companions, in a scripture.

In a booklet

وفاضَ في أَتباعِهِ

وفاضَ في أَتباعِهِ

أَنْعِمْ بتلكَ التُّحَفِ

أَنْعِمْ بتلكَ التُّحَفِ

And it overflowed among his followers—

And it overflowed among his followers

How splendid are those gifts!

With those gifts

فإنْ أَردْتَ نَيْلَهُ

فإنْ أَردْتَ نَيْلَهُ

فاثْبُتْ على قلبٍ صَفي

فاثْبُتْ على قلبٍ صَفي

So if you wish to attain it,

So if you want to attain it

Then remain steadfast with a pure heart.

Then stay with a pure heart

فإنَّه مُحَجَّبٌ

فإنَّه مُحَجَّبٌ

عن غيرِ ذي عهدٍ وَفي

عن غيرِ ذي عهدٍ وَفي

For it is veiled

For it is veiled

From all but those true to their covenant.

To other than the loyal and faithful

حَقيقةُ المَعنى بهِ

حَقيقةُ المَعنى بهِ

ظاهِرَةٌ للمُنْصِفِ

ظاهِرَةٌ للمُنْصِفِ

The reality of the meaning in it

The reality of the meaning through it

Is evident to the fair-minded.

Is apparent to the equitable

اللهُ عُظِّمَ اسمهُ

اللهُ عُظِّمَ اسمهُ

لمنْ يَشاءُ يَصْطَفي

لمنْ يَشاءُ يَصْطَفي

God—magnified be His name—

God, exalted is His name

Chooses whomever He wills.

Selects whom He wills

سَلِّمْ لأهلِ الاصْطِفا

سَلِّمْ لأهلِ الاصْطِفا

عَرفْتَ أو لم تَعرفِ

عَرفْتَ أو لم تَعرفِ

Submit to the elect,

Submit to the people of selection

Whether you know or do not know.

Whether you know or do not know

فإنَّهُ قد صانَهُمْ

فإنَّهُ قد صانَهُمْ

عن عينِ كُلِّ مُجْحِفِ

عن عينِ كُلِّ مُجْحِفِ

For He has indeed guarded them

For He has protected them

From the gaze of every unjust person.

From the eye of every slanderer

إنْ أنتَ أذْعَنتَ لهمْ

إنْ أنتَ أذْعَنتَ لهمْ

قلباً ولم تَنْحَرِفِ

قلباً ولم تَنْحَرِفِ

If you submit to them

If you submit to them

At heart, and do not stray,

At heart without deviation

فأنتَ في رُكْبانهمْ

فأنتَ في رُكْبانهمْ

بِساحةِ اللُّطْفِ الخَفي

بِساحةِ اللُّطْفِ الخَفي

Then you are among their riders,

Then you are among their company

In the courtyard of hidden grace.

In the sphere of subtle kindness