1. أَسْعِفيني يا نِياقِي

    بمَسيري للعرَاقِ

    Help me, O my she-camels,

    On my journey to Iraq.

  2. فالنَّوى مزَّقَ قلبي

    آهُ من يومِ الفِرَاقِ

    For separation has torn my heart apart.

    Ah, the day of parting!

  3. أَنا مَشْغوفٌ بشَيخٍ

    سِرُّهُ للحشْرِ بَاقِ

    I am enamored of a sheikh

    Whose secret endures until the Resurrection.

  4. سيِّدي الغَوْثُ الرِّفاعِي

    نورُ سِرِّي والمآقِ

    My master, the Succor, al-Rifa‘i,

    Light of my inmost heart and the corners of my eyes.

  5. شِبْلُ خيرِ الخُلْقِ من قدْ

    جازَ للسَّبعِ الطِّبَاقِ

    Scion of the best of creation, who had

    Traversed the seven layered heavens,

  6. وسَما كلَّ سَماءٍ

    راكِباً فوقَ البُرَاقِ

    And risen above every heaven,

    Riding upon Buraq.

  7. يا نِياقَ الرَّكبِ جِدِّي

    واطْفِئِ نارَ اشْتِياقي

    O she-camels of the caravan, press on,

    And quench the fire of my longing.

  8. ولكِ الرُّوحُ جَزاءً

    أَن أَرى بابَ الرُّوَاقِ

    And my soul is yours as a reward,

    That I may see the portico's gate.

  9. أَنا مَوثوقٌ بشَوْقي

    آهُ لو حُلَّ وِثاقي

    I am bound fast by my longing.

    Ah, if only my bonds were loosened!

  10. أَنا مَلْسوعٌ بوَجْدي

    هل لهَذا الشَّأْنِ رَاقِ

    I am stung by my passion;

    Is there a healer for this affliction?

  11. لَذَّ من خَمرَةِ شَيْخي

    بينَ خُلاَّني مَذاقي

    Sweet, from my sheikh's wine,

    Was my tasting among my close friends.

  12. بعد هذا البُعْدِ عنهُ

    لستُ أَرضى بالعِنَاقِ

    After this distance from him,

    I am not content with an embrace,

  13. مازِجاً روحاً برُوحٍ

    ليسَ يلوي لافْتِرَاقِ

    Mingling soul with soul,

    Never turning toward separation.

  14. قَمَرُ العَلياءِ قِدْماً

    نالَ قَطْعاً بانْشِقَاقِ

    The moon on high, long ago,

    Was severed through a splitting;

  15. عادَ بعدَ الشَّقِ جُزءًا

    وطَوى ساقاً بسَاقِ

    After the split it returned as a fragment,

    And folded leg against leg.

  16. يا حُوَيْدي النِّياقِ طرْ بالنِّياقِ

    واحْدِرَنْها إلى بِطاحِ العِرَاقِ

    O little driver of the she-camels, fly with the she-camels,

    And bring them down to Iraq's broad plains.

  17. وإذا ما وصَلتَ أُمَّ عِبادٍ

    حضرَةَ الأُنسِ كعبَةَ العُشَّاقِ

    And when you reach Umm ‘Ibad,

    The sanctuary of intimacy, the lovers' Kaaba,

  18. ورأَيتَ الأَنوارَ من ساكِنيها

    طبَّقَتْ بالشُّعاعِ فُسْحَ الطِّبَاقِ

    And see the lights from those dwelling there

    Covering the layered heavens' expanses with radiance,

  19. قلْ لأَهلِ الغَرامِ موتوا غَراماً

    قد يكونُ اللِّقا كيَومِ التَّلاقي

    Tell the people of passion: “Die of passion!”

    The meeting may be like the Day of Meeting.

  20. وابْكِ ما شئتَ من عُيونٍ كِرامٍ

    وتَناهَى بالمَدمَعِ الرَّقرَاقِ

    And weep your fill from noble eyes,

    And go to the utmost with shimmering tears.

  21. هذه دارُهُمْ وأنتَ مُحِبٌّ

    ما بَقاءُ الدُّموعِ في الآماقِ

    This is their abode, and you are a lover;

    Why should tears remain in the corners of the eyes?

  22. يا حُوَيْدي النِّياقِ باللهِ عنِّي

    بلِّغِ الحيَّ لوعَتي واحْتِراقي

    O little driver of the she-camels, by God, on my behalf,

    Convey to the people my anguish and burning.

  23. بفَمِ الرُّوحِ قبِّلِ الأَرضَ سَبعاً

    عن غَرامي وبِلَّ لي أَشْواقي

    With the mouth of the soul, kiss the earth seven times,

    For my passion, and slake my longings for me.

  24. لا تخَفْ إن فعَلْتَ هذا عِتاباً

    حضرَةُ الغَوثِ حضرَةُ الإطْلاقِ

    Do not fear reproach if you do this:

    The Succor's presence is a presence of boundless freedom.

  25. شخُنا السَّيِّدُ الجَليلُ الرِّفاعِي

    من غَدا للرِّجالِ أَعظَمَ سَاقِ

    Our sheikh, the exalted master al-Rifa‘i,

    Who became the greatest cupbearer to the men,

  26. صدْرُهُمْ تاجُهُمْ وقطبُ رَحاهُمْ

    عينُهُمْ لمعُ جذوَةِ الإشْرَاقِ

    Their chief, their crown, and the pivot of their mill,

    Their very essence, the gleam of illumination's ember.

  27. سيرَةُ المُصْطَفى به قد تجلَّتْ

    وعَلَتْ أن تُحاطَ بالأَوْرَاقِ

    The Chosen One's conduct has shone forth in him,

    And risen beyond what pages can encompass.

  28. رحمَةً لي يا حادِيَ العِيسِ إنِّي

    للَديغٌ وذِكْرُهُ تِرْياقي

    Have mercy on me, O driver of the pale camels, for I

    Am surely stung, and remembrance of him is my antidote.

  29. لكَ رُوحي وليسَ عندي سِواها

    إن تكنْ ذاكِري بذاكَ الرُّوَاقِ

    My soul is yours, and I possess nothing else,

    If you will mention me at that portico.

  30. أَنا في رَكْبِهِ ضَليعٌ وما لي

    مُسعِفٌ يومَ نهزَةِ السُّبَّاقِ

    I am a stalwart in his caravan, yet I have no

    Helper when the front-runners seize their chance.

  31. ذُقْتُ منهُ خمرَ المحبَّةِ طِفْلاً

    يا لذوقٍ من أَشرَفِ الأَذْوَاقِ

    I tasted from him the wine of love as a child.

    Oh, what a taste, among the noblest of tastes!

  32. أَنهَضَتْني منهُ عزيمَةُ عزمٍ

    تجعَلُ العارِفينَ في إطْرَاقِ

    A determined resolve from him raised me up,

    Making the gnostics bow their heads.

  33. وتَصَدَّرْتُ في المَحافِلِ وحدي

    فاتِحاً كلَّ مُرْصَدٌ مِغْلاقِ

    And I presided alone in the assemblies,

    Opening every lock set to bar the way,

  34. ناشِراً في الوُجودِ من عَلَمِ المجْ

    دِ مُروطاً من ثوبِهِ الخَفَّاقِ

    Spreading through existence, from glory's banner,

    Mantles from his fluttering robe.

  35. مرَّ شيخُ العَرْجاءِ بالكأْسِ نَحوي

    وحَباني بشُرْبِ كأْسٍ دِهَاقِ

    The sheikh of al-‘Arja’ passed my way with the cup,

    And favored me with a draught from a brimming cup.

  36. فتَمايَلْتُ من غَرامي ونادَيْ

    تُ مَزيداً للَوْعَتي يا ساقي

    Then I swayed with my passion and cried—

    “More for my burning longing, O cupbearer!”

  37. وتَسَلْطَنْيُ في المَحاضِرِ غَوْثاً

    كضُحى الشَّمسِ كامِلَ الإشْرَاقِ

    And I reigned in the gatherings as a Succor,

    Like the morning sun, perfect in radiance.

  38. أَنا ختمُ الوَلايَةِ المُتَدلِّي

    في سَمَواتِ مِرْطِها البرَّاقِ

    I am the seal of sainthood, hanging down

    In the heavens of its glittering mantle.

  39. شَمِلَتْني رُوحُ النَّبيِّ بِحالٍ

    نَبَوِيٍّ وطَهَّرتْ أَخْلاقي

    The Prophet's spirit enfolded me in a state—

    A prophetic one—and purified my character.

  40. طَوْرُ حالٍ يمُنُّ بالحالِ طَوْراً

    منه صَوْغُ الأَطْوَاقِ للأَعْنَاقِ

    A stage of a state bestows a state at times;

    From it, collars are fashioned for necks.

  41. فانْسِجامُ المعْنى بقلبِ مُحِبٍّ

    فيه سِرٌّ من القَديمِ الباقِي

    For the flowing of meaning within a lover's heart

    Holds a secret from the Eternal, the Everlasting.

  42. يا رِفاقي ولوعَةُ الحُبِّ نارٌ

    عَلِّلوني برِفْقَتي يا رِفاقي

    O my companions, love's anguish is a fire;

    Soothe me with my companions, O my companions.

  43. لا تَلُمْني يا صاحِبي بهَواهُمْ

    وأغِثْني من ريحِهِمْ بانْتِشَاقِ

    Do not blame me, O my friend, for loving them,

    And succor me with a breath of their fragrance.

  44. أَرضُهُمْ أَرضُهُمْ عقيلَةُ روحي

    إنَّ فيها مَصارِعَ العُشَّاقِ

    Their land, their land—the cherished lady of my soul;

    Indeed, there lie the places where lovers fall slain.