تعلَّم منِّي النَّوحَ في مذهَبِ الهَوَى

تعلَّم منِّي النَّوحَ في مذهَبِ الهَوَى

حمامُ نواحيهِمْ فناحَ لهُمْ مِثلي

حمامُ نواحيهِمْ فناحَ لهُمْ مِثلي

Lamentation in the way of love was learned from me

Learn from me the lament in the doctrine of passion,

by the doves of their haunts, who then mourned for them as I do.

The dove of their dwellings lamented for them like me,

وهفَّتْ بأَغصانِ الحِمى ريحُ لَهْفَتي

وهفَّتْ بأَغصانِ الحِمى ريحُ لَهْفَتي

فقامَتْ بزَلْزالٍ طَوى الهَزَّ في الكُلِّ

فقامَتْ بزَلْزالٍ طَوى الهَزَّ في الكُلِّ

And the wind of my yearning fluttered through the sanctuary's boughs,

The wind of my fervor rustled in the branches of love,

so they rose in a quake that encompassed every tremor.

So it shook with an earthquake, folded from emotional tremors.

وقدْ أنَّتِ العيدانُ من نوعِ أنَّتي

وقدْ أنَّتِ العيدانُ من نوعِ أنَّتي

فها فعلُها يشتَقُّ في الأصلِ من فِعْلي

فها فعلُها يشتَقُّ في الأصلِ من فِعْلي

And the lutes have moaned in the manner of my moaning;

The hands of happiness have granted from the type of my happiness,

behold: their action derives, at its root, from my own.

So its deed yearns originally from my deed.

وقد جئتُ بَعداً في الرِّجالِ وإنَّما

وقد جئتُ بَعداً في الرِّجالِ وإنَّما

سبقْتُ بميدانِ المحبَّةِ من قَبْلي

سبقْتُ بميدانِ المحبَّةِ من قَبْلي

And I came later among the men, yet

And I came late among the men but rather,

in love's arena I surpassed those before me.

I preceded in the field of love before me.

تدلَّلَ مَحْبوبي عليَّ تعزُّزاً

تدلَّلَ مَحْبوبي عليَّ تعزُّزاً

فقابلتُهُ بالانْكِسارِ وبالذُّلِّ

فقابلتُهُ بالانْكِسارِ وبالذُّلِّ

My beloved acted coyly toward me, in proud aloofness,

My beloved acted spoiled before me boastfully,

so I met him with brokenness and abasement.

So I met him with humility and submission.

وسرتُ لهُ في موكِبٍ أيِّ موكِبٍ

وسرتُ لهُ في موكِبٍ أيِّ موكِبٍ

صُنوفُ سَلاطينِ المحَبَّةِ من حَوْلي

صُنوفُ سَلاطينِ المحَبَّةِ من حَوْلي

And I went to him in a procession—what a procession!

And I walked before him in a procession, what procession!

Various kinds of love's sultans all around me.

Levels of the sultans of love were around me.

وقمتُ خَطيباً بينَهُمْ فوقَ مِنْبَرٍ

وقمتُ خَطيباً بينَهُمْ فوقَ مِنْبَرٍ

وقد أخَذوا شرعَ المحَبَّةِ عن قوْلي

وقد أخَذوا شرعَ المحَبَّةِ عن قوْلي

And I stood preaching among them upon a pulpit,

And I stood as an orator among them above a pulpit,

and they took the law of love from my words.

And they took the law of love from my words.

تحكَّمْتُ في فنِّ الغَرامِ فحالَتي

تحكَّمْتُ في فنِّ الغَرامِ فحالَتي

لأصحابِهِ أَحكامَ أحْوالِهِ تُمْلي

لأصحابِهِ أَحكامَ أحْوالِهِ تُمْلي

I mastered the art of passion, so my state

I arbitrated in the art of passion so my state,

dictates to its adepts the laws of its states.

Dictates to its people the judgments of its conditions.

وأنِّي على العلمِ اليَقينِ بمذْهَبي

وأنِّي على العلمِ اليَقينِ بمذْهَبي

ترفَّعَ في طَوْري سَماعي عنِ العَذْلِ

ترفَّعَ في طَوْري سَماعي عنِ العَذْلِ

And I stand upon sure knowledge of my way;

And that I am certain in the knowledge of my doctrine,

in my station, my hearing has risen above reproach.

My hearing transcended in my best times over rebuke.

هو العلمُ في أَصلِ القَضايا نَتيجَةٌ

هو العلمُ في أَصلِ القَضايا نَتيجَةٌ

مُنَزَّهَةٌ عندَ اللَّبيبِ عن الجَهْلِ

مُنَزَّهَةٌ عندَ اللَّبيبِ عن الجَهْلِ

It is knowledge—a conclusion grounded in propositions,

It is knowledge in the origins of rulings, a result,

which, to the discerning, is untainted by ignorance.

Purified to the intelligent from ignorance.

وما شأنُ من يَروي الغَرامَ تَبَجُّحاً

وما شأنُ من يَروي الغَرامَ تَبَجُّحاً

سِوى شأنِ ذي جَهْلٍ يُناظِرُ ذا فَضْلِ

سِوى شأنِ ذي جَهْلٍ يُناظِرُ ذا فَضْلِ

And what is the standing of one who recounts passion boastfully

And what is the matter of one who narrates passion as boasting,

but that of an ignorant man debating a man of merit?

Except the matter of an ignorant debating one with merit.

يُروحُ فُضولاً يدَّعي الفضلَ مثلَما

يُروحُ فُضولاً يدَّعي الفضلَ مثلَما

غَدا يدَّعي المأفونُ مرتَبَةَ العَقْلِ

غَدا يدَّعي المأفونُ مرتَبَةَ العَقْلِ

He goes about presumptuously claiming merit, just as

He roams foolishly claiming merit just as

the witless man came to claim the rank of reason.

The despised claims the rank of intellect.

هو الحُبُّ شيءٌ في الطَّبائِعِ ساكِنٌ

هو الحُبُّ شيءٌ في الطَّبائِعِ ساكِنٌ

يقِرُّ بذي عقلٍ لَبيبٍ وذي خَبْلِ

يقِرُّ بذي عقلٍ لَبيبٍ وذي خَبْلِ

Love is a thing dwelling in human natures,

It is love, something innate, residing

abiding in both the clear-minded and the deranged.

One reasonable and intelligent admits it and one foolish.

ولكنْ شُجاعُ القومِ يفعَلُ نَصْلُهُ

ولكنْ شُجاعُ القومِ يفعَلُ نَصْلُهُ

إذاً فيه كانَ السِّرُّ لا السِّرُّ في النَّصْلِ

إذاً فيه كانَ السِّرُّ لا السِّرُّ في النَّصْلِ

But the blade of the brave man among them does its work;

But the brave of people, his sword performs

therefore the secret lies in him, not in the blade.

So the secret was in it, not in the sword.

وما النَّفْعُ من سيفٍ مُصاغٍ بجوهَرٍ

وما النَّفْعُ من سيفٍ مُصاغٍ بجوهَرٍ

حَديدِ نِصالٍ مُصْلَتٍ بيدِ النَّذْلِ

حَديدِ نِصالٍ مُصْلَتٍ بيدِ النَّذْلِ

And what use is a sword forged from the substance

And what use is a sword forged with gemstones,

of blade-iron, unsheathed in a base man's hand?

Blades of steel sharpened by the hand of the weak.

متى نازَلَ الفَحْلَ الشُّجاعَ رأَيتَهُ

متى نازَلَ الفَحْلَ الشُّجاعَ رأَيتَهُ

بهامَتِهِ من راحَةِ البَطَلِ الفَحْلِ

بهامَتِهِ من راحَةِ البَطَلِ الفَحْلِ

Whenever he duels the brave champion, you see it

When it confronted the brave stallion you saw it

upon his head, struck by the mighty hero's hand.

With its resolve from the palm of the hero stallion.

تمسَّكْ بحالِ العارِفينَ وفعلِهِمْ

تمسَّكْ بحالِ العارِفينَ وفعلِهِمْ

وكنْ ثابِتَ الأَقْدامِ في الحالِ والفعْلِ

وكنْ ثابِتَ الأَقْدامِ في الحالِ والفعْلِ

Hold fast to the gnostics' state and their deeds,

Hold on to the state of the gnostics and their deeds

and be firm-footed in state and action.

And be firm footed in states and deeds.

ولا تنقَطِعْ عنهُمْ بوصلٍ لغيرِهِمْ

ولا تنقَطِعْ عنهُمْ بوصلٍ لغيرِهِمْ

فسِرُّ العُلى في ذلكَ القطعِ والوَصْلِ

فسِرُّ العُلى في ذلكَ القطعِ والوَصْلِ

Do not sever yourself from them by joining others,

Do not detach from them for the connection of others,

for the secret of loftiness lies in that severing and joining.

For the secrets of elevation are in that detachment and connection.

ولازِمْ بصدقٍ بابَهُمْ مُتَجَرِّداً

ولازِمْ بصدقٍ بابَهُمْ مُتَجَرِّداً

بكلِّكَ في كلِّ الشُؤُنِ عن الكُلِّ

بكلِّكَ في كلِّ الشُؤُنِ عن الكُلِّ

And remain sincerely at their door, divesting yourself

And frequent their door truthfully with all of you

with your whole being, in every affair, of everything.

In all affairs detached from all.

وخذْهُمْ ضَراعاً في الأُمورِ وملجأً

وخذْهُمْ ضَراعاً في الأُمورِ وملجأً

ورُكْناً على الحالَيْنِ في العقدِ والحَلِّ

ورُكْناً على الحالَيْنِ في العقدِ والحَلِّ

And take them as a support in affairs, and as a refuge,

And take them as a place of request in matters and a refuge,

and as a pillar in both conditions, in binding and unbinding.

And a pillar in both conditions, in bond and separation.

ومنِّي اغْتَنِمْ أسرارَهُمْ وفُنونَهُمْ

ومنِّي اغْتَنِمْ أسرارَهُمْ وفُنونَهُمْ

فإنِّي أَمينُ السِّرِّ والفَنِّ والنَّقْلِ

فإنِّي أَمينُ السِّرِّ والفَنِّ والنَّقْلِ

And from me gain their secrets and their arts,

And from me gain their secrets and their arts,

for I am the keeper of secret, art, and transmission.

For I am the trustee of secrets, art, and conveyance.

وإنِّيَ فرعٌ والرِّفاعِيٌّ أَصلُهُ

وإنِّيَ فرعٌ والرِّفاعِيٌّ أَصلُهُ

وبالفَرْعِ معنًى يُسْتَدَلُّ على الأَصْلِ

وبالفَرْعِ معنًى يُسْتَدَلُّ على الأَصْلِ

And I am a branch, and al-Rifa'i is its root;

And I am a branch and al-Rifa`i is its origin,

and through the branch, the root is inferred in meaning.

And in the branch is meaning inferred to the origin.

تقدَّمْتُ أعْيانَ الرِّجالِ بهِمَّةٍ

تقدَّمْتُ أعْيانَ الرِّجالِ بهِمَّةٍ

بِها قمتُ أَسْرارَ السَّمَواتِ أسْتَجْلي

بِها قمتُ أَسْرارَ السَّمَواتِ أسْتَجْلي

I surpassed the foremost men through resolve;

I surpassed the elite of men with an ambition,

through it I rose to unveil the secrets of the heavens.

By which I discovered the secrets of the heavens I extract.

وطِرْتُ بجُنْحِ الصِّدقِ للرُّتْبَةِ التي

وطِرْتُ بجُنْحِ الصِّدقِ للرُّتْبَةِ التي

تَعالَتْ بطورِ المجدِ بالطَّوْرِ والطَّوْلِ

تَعالَتْ بطورِ المجدِ بالطَّوْرِ والطَّوْلِ

And I flew on the wing of sincerity to the rank that

And I flew with the wing of truthfulness to the rank that,

rose high in glory's realm, in stature and bounty.

Ascended in the abode of glory by ascent and height.

مَعانٍ أُفيضَتْ عن قُلوبٍ كَريمَةٍ

مَعانٍ أُفيضَتْ عن قُلوبٍ كَريمَةٍ

بمهدِ التُّقى شبَّتْ على الحقِّ والعَدْلِ

بمهدِ التُّقى شبَّتْ على الحقِّ والعَدْلِ

Meanings were poured forth from noble hearts

Meanings poured from generous hearts,

that grew in piety's cradle upon truth and justice.

In the cradle of piety they grew on truth and justice.

ترَقَّتْ ببابِ اللهِ من قلبِ حِبِّهِ

ترَقَّتْ ببابِ اللهِ من قلبِ حِبِّهِ

نبِيِّ الهُدى خيرِ الوَرَى سيِّدِ الرُّسْلِ

نبِيِّ الهُدى خيرِ الوَرَى سيِّدِ الرُّسْلِ

They ascended at God's gate from the heart of His beloved,

They rose in the door of God from a heart loving,

the Prophet of guidance, best of creation, master of the messengers.

The prophet of guidance, best of creation, master of messengers.

عليهِ صَلاةُ اللهِ ما لاحَ بارِقٌ

عليهِ صَلاةُ اللهِ ما لاحَ بارِقٌ

وطوبِقَ مِثْلٌ في الوُجودِ على مِثْلِ

وطوبِقَ مِثْلٌ في الوُجودِ على مِثْلِ

May God's blessing be upon him as long as lightning gleams

Upon him the prayers of God what gleamed with lightning,

and like is matched with like in existence;

And folded like him in existence upon a like.

وآلٍ وأَصحابٍ وخُلَّصِ سادَةٍ

وآلٍ وأَصحابٍ وخُلَّصِ سادَةٍ

سِوى اللهِ دَهراً ما لَهُمْ قطُّ من شُغْلِ

سِوى اللهِ دَهراً ما لَهُمْ قطُّ من شُغْلِ

and upon his family, companions, and pure-hearted masters,

And family, companions, and pure masters

who, throughout all time, have no occupation but God.

Beside God eternally they never had any preoccupation.