أحيباب قلبي والمحبَّةُ دينها

أحيباب قلبي والمحبَّةُ دينها

يصيِّرُ مرَّ الوجد في أهله عذبا

يصيِّرُ مرَّ الوجد في أهله عذبا

O dear ones of my heart—love's creed

My beloved ones, and love is its religion,

Makes the bitterness of yearning sweet to its devotees.

That turns the bitterness of passion sweet in its people.

روينا لكم في محكم النصِّ آيةً

روينا لكم في محكم النصِّ آيةً

تزيدُ المحبَّ المستهام بكم عجبا

تزيدُ المحبَّ المستهام بكم عجبا

We have recounted for you a verse from the definitive text,

We have related to you in the decisive verse,

That increases the wonder of the lover enthralled by you.

That increases the lover's wonder for you.

وهل سأل المختار أجراً على الهدى

وهل سأل المختار أجراً على الهدى

لأُمَّته إلا المودَّة في القربى

لأُمَّته إلا المودَّة في القربى

And did the Chosen One ask any reward for guiding

Did the Chosen One ask for a reward,

His community, save affection for his near kin?

For guiding his nation, except affection for his kin?

ألا يا مثير العيس ينحو واسطاً

ألا يا مثير العيس ينحو واسطاً

ويقلق في تلوين انَّته الركبا

ويقلق في تلوين انَّته الركبا

Ho, driver of the pale camels, bound for Wasit,

Oh stirrer of passion, set out towards Waset,

Who unsettles the riders with the changing tones of his lament:

And disturb the caravan with your changing colors.

إذا ما وصلت الحيُّ فاهدأ وخذ بها

إذا ما وصلت الحيُّ فاهدأ وخذ بها

نقيلاً وخلِّ الخفَّ وانتعل الدربا

نقيلاً وخلِّ الخفَّ وانتعل الدربا

When you reach the settlement, be still and take there

When you reach the beloved, be calm and take it easy,

A rest; cast off your slippers and wear the path as sandals.

Walk lightly, take off your shoes, and tread the path gently.

وحين توا في الصبح أمَّ عبيدةٍ

وحين توا في الصبح أمَّ عبيدةٍ

تأدَّب فطجوراً تغلب الدهشة الحبا

تأدَّب فطجوراً تغلب الدهشة الحبا

And when you reach Umm ʿUbayda in the morning,

And when you arrive at dawn at Umm Obeida's abode,

Be reverent, for at times awe overcomes love.

Be well-mannered, break your fast, and overcome confusion with love.

وقبل ثرى اعتاب مولاي أحمدٍ

وقبل ثرى اعتاب مولاي أحمدٍ

أبي العلمين الغوث واستمطر الوهبا

أبي العلمين الغوث واستمطر الوهبا

And kiss the dust of the thresholds of my master Ahmad,

And kiss the earth of my Master Ahmad's shrine,

Abu al-ʿAlamayn, the Helper, and seek a rain of gifts.

The father of the two knowledges, help and grantor.

وبلِّغ سلامي للربوع فكم وكم

وبلِّغ سلامي للربوع فكم وكم

صببتُ لها روحي بقيعانها صبا

صببتُ لها روحي بقيعانها صبا

And convey my greeting to the dwelling places; for how often, how often

And convey my greetings to the meadows, for so much

I have poured my soul out for them upon their plains.

I have poured my soul into its valleys in my youth.

مواطن مولى سار في الكون سرُّه

مواطن مولى سار في الكون سرُّه

بعطر الهدى فاستوعب الشرق والغربا

بعطر الهدى فاستوعب الشرق والغربا

The abodes of a master whose secret traveled through the universe

The dwellings of my Master, whose secret traveled the universe,

With guidance's fragrance, and so encompassed East and West.

With the perfume of guidance, encompassing East and West.

وقام بأعباء الحقيقة سيِّداً

وقام بأعباء الحقيقة سيِّداً

لساداتها يمضي به الوهب والسلبا

لساداتها يمضي به الوهب والسلبا

And he bore the burdens of Reality, a master

And fulfilled the responsibilities of truth as a master,

Of its masters; through him come bestowal and withdrawal.

Of its masters, carried by inspiration and taking away.

وأخضع مذ صار الخضوع رداءه

وأخضع مذ صار الخضوع رداءه

لبارئه بالهمة العجم والعربا

لبارئه بالهمة العجم والعربا

And, since submission became his cloak, he made

And since becoming clothed in submission, he has subjugated

Non-Arabs and Arabs submit to his Creator through spiritual resolve.

The non-Arabs and Arabs to his Creator.

إمامٌ على نمط الأيمَّةِ أهله

إمامٌ على نمط الأيمَّةِ أهله

سرى وبعلمٍ قوَّم السيرة الحدبا

سرى وبعلمٍ قوَّم السيرة الحدبا

An imam, after the pattern of the imams, his own kin,

An imam in the fashion of the righteous predecessors,

He journeyed, and through knowledge set crooked conduct straight.

He set right conduct and knowledge.

وأحيا طريق الحقِّ بعد اندراسه

وأحيا طريق الحقِّ بعد اندراسه

واترع في آيات حكمته الكتبا

واترع في آيات حكمته الكتبا

And revived the path of Truth after it had been effaced,

And revived the path of truth after its decline,

And filled the books to the brim with the signs of his wisdom.

And followed in the signs of His wisdom and books.

وحلَّق في جوِّ الفخار جلالةً

وحلَّق في جوِّ الفخار جلالةً

وصيَّر في مولاه رتبته التربا

وصيَّر في مولاه رتبته التربا

And soared majestically in the sky of glory,

And ascended in the atmosphere of pride and majesty,

And for his Lord's sake made his rank dust.

And made his position a lofty one with his Lord.

قرأنا شؤنات الرجال فلم نجد

قرأنا شؤنات الرجال فلم نجد

شبيهاً له في القوم غوثاً ولا قطبا

شبيهاً له في القوم غوثاً ولا قطبا

We have read of the affairs of the men, but have not found

We have read the biographies of men, but did not find

His like among them, either a spiritual Helper or a Pole.

Anyone similar to him among the people, neither help nor pole.

فبالله من في حالة البعد غيره

فبالله من في حالة البعد غيره

له أتحف المختار منزلة القربى

له أتحف المختار منزلة القربى

So, by God, who besides him, in a state of remoteness,

So by God, who can take his place in separation?

Was granted the station of nearness by the Chosen One?

To him belong the most precious gifts for the Chosen One’s kin.

نعم هو مولايي الرفاعيُّ أحمدٌ

نعم هو مولايي الرفاعيُّ أحمدٌ

هزبر رجال الله اعطفهم قلبا

هزبر رجال الله اعطفهم قلبا

Yes, he is my master, Ahmad al-Rifaʿi,

Yes, he is my master, ar-Rifa’i Ahmad,

The lion among God's men, the tenderest-hearted of them.

Bulwark of the men of God, gentlest of heart.

ملاذي أبو العباس ذو الهمة التي

ملاذي أبو العباس ذو الهمة التي

تبدِّل امن الخصم في سربه رعبا

تبدِّل امن الخصم في سربه رعبا

My refuge is Abu al-ʿAbbas, whose spiritual resolve

My refuge, Abu al-Abbas, of the resolve that

Turns the adversary's security in his own dwelling to terror.

Transforms the safety of a hostile tribe into fear.

أبو الغارة الشماءِ والمجد والعلى

أبو الغارة الشماءِ والمجد والعلى

وأكثر أهل حزب الهدى حزبا

وأكثر أهل حزب الهدى حزبا

Father of the lofty onslaught, of glory and exaltation,

Father of glory, nobility, and sublimity,

And, among the company of guidance, the one with the largest following.

And most of the people of guidance's faction.

مبَّته تلوي القلوب لربها

مبَّته تلوي القلوب لربها

وتغدو لها من داءِ غفلتها طبا

وتغدو لها من داءِ غفلتها طبا

Love for him turns hearts toward their Lord,

Yearning for him twists hearts to their Lord,

And becomes for them a cure for the sickness of their heedlessness.

And his remembrance becomes a cure for their heedlessness.

وآياته تتلى على كلِّ عارفٍ

وآياته تتلى على كلِّ عارفٍ

فينحطُّ عن أن يرتقي شأوها الصعبا

فينحطُّ عن أن يرتقي شأوها الصعبا

And his signs are recited to every gnostic,

And his signs are recited to every knower,

Who therefore falls short of ascending to their daunting height.

Who falls short of aspiring to their lofty level.

أخذنا له من همَّة السر وثبةً

أخذنا له من همَّة السر وثبةً

تقبِّلُ من أعتابه سوحها الرحبا

تقبِّلُ من أعتابه سوحها الرحبا

We drew from the secret's resolve a leap toward him,

From him we have taken a leap of determination,

That kisses the spacious courtyards of his thresholds.

That kisses the vastness of his threshold.

لقد هزَّ جلجال الغيوب بعزمه

لقد هزَّ جلجال الغيوب بعزمه

فلا عجبٌ عن هزَّ في حبه القلبا

فلا عجبٌ عن هزَّ في حبه القلبا

Indeed, he shook the bell of the unseen with his resolve;

He shook the mountains of the unseen with his resolve,

So no wonder at his stirring the heart with love for him.

No wonder he shook hearts with his love!

عليه سلام الله ما صاح في الربى

عليه سلام الله ما صاح في الربى

هزازٌ وقمريُّ الرياض له لبا

هزازٌ وقمريُّ الرياض له لبا

May God's peace be upon him, so long as upon the hills sings

Upon him, God's peace, for as long as the meadows roar,

A nightingale, and the gardens' turtledove answers it.

A shaker, and my meadows yearn for him.