يا مَن تَكفَّلَ لمَن دَعاهُ

بأَن يُجيبَ بِألمُنى دُعَاهُ

O You who guaranteed to fulfill the wish

Of whoever calls upon You

أنتَ بِحالي عالمٌ خَبيرُ

لِظاهِري وباطِني بَصيرُ

You know my state, All-Knowing, All-Aware

Of my exterior and interior, All-Seeing

فاللهُ ثم المُصطَفى مُحمَّدُ

والشيخُ شَيخيَ التِّجاني أحمَدُ

So Allah and then Muhammad the Chosen

And my master Shaykh Al-Tijani Ahmed

هُم عُمدَتي إن نزلت ُأمورُ

وفَرَجي إن ضاقتِ الصُّدورُ

Are my pillars whenever hardships befall

And my relief whenever breasts are straitened

والشيخُ لي وسيلةٌ إلَيهما

وخيرُ بابٍ موصلٍ إليهما

And the Shaykh is my means to reach them

The best door leading to them both

شيخي وعمدَتي وسؤلي والأَمل

ذُخري رَجائي ومُنائي والعَمل

My master, pillar, request and hope

My treasure, my hope, refuge and deed

عبدُكَ إسماعيلُ قد أتاكَ

مُستَصرِخا ونازِلا حِماكَ

Your servant Ismael has come to you

Crying out, seeking refuge in your protection

وما له بابٌ سواكَ يَقصِدُهُ

ولا له مِن سَيِّدٍ يَعتَمِدُهُ

He has no door but yours to frequent

Nor master but you on whom to depend

قد ضاقَ صَدرُه فسالَ دَمعُهُ

ويَدُه من سَقَمٍ تُوجِعهُ

His chest grew tight and his tears flowed

And his hand pains him and hurts him so

وطالَما بكَى علَيك واشتَكى

وكلُّ خِلٍّ لِبُكاهُ قد بَكى

He cried to you often and complained

And for his crying every friend has cried

ما لىَ قُدرةٌ لِحملِ الألمِ

ولا لَدَىَّ صِحَّةُ للِسَّقَمِ

I've no strength to bear this pain

Nor health to withstand this illness

وفارقَ الأحبابَ والإخوانا

وواصلَ الهُمومَ والأحزانا

I've parted from loved ones and brothers all

Embracing sorrows and tribulations all

واستغرقَ الزمانَ والمَكانا

مُرتَجِياً ببابِكَ الإِحسانا

Consuming my time, my place all

Hoping for your kindness through it all

فإن تَسُدَّ البابَ في وجهِهِ مَن

يَقصِدُه عند تَواتُرِ المِحَن

If you close the door before one

Who comes to you when tribulations run

في غَدوتي وعَشوَتي أرجوكَ

وفي الدُّجى وسَحَرٍ أدعُوكَ

In my morning and eve I hope in you

In darkness and dawn I call on you

وقد قَصَدتُ قبرَ خَيرِ واسِطَه

بيني وبينكَ وخيرِ رابِطَه

I went to the grave of the best intercessor

Between me and you, the best connector

والعربِيِّ ساكنَ الجِنانِ

والمُقتفِي لسيرَةِ العَدناني

The Arab lying in gardens of bliss

Emulating the ways of the grandfather's kin

ونَزلَت مني هُناكَ أدمُعُ

ينقطعُ الغيثُ ولا تَنقَطِعُ

There my tears flowed unending

Though rain may cease, my tears descend

ثم رجَعتُ وفُؤادي مُضطَرِب

والدمعُ لم يَزَل بِخَدِّي مُنسَكي

Then I returned, my heart confused, troubled

My tears still flowing down my cheek

وارَحمتَا لِقلبِىَ الموجوعِ

وارَحمتا لكَبِدي المَصدوعِ

Have mercy on my pained heart

Have mercy on my broken liver

وارحمتا لِجسمِىَ العَليلِ

وارَحمتا لطَرفِىَ البَليلِ

Have mercy on my ailing body

Have mercy on my weak eyes

وارحمتا لصَبرِىَ القليلِ

وارَحمتا لِحُزنِىَ الطَّويلِ

Have mercy on my little patience

Have mercy on my lasting sorrow

وارَحمتا وارحمَتا لسَقَمي

وارَحمتا وارحمَتا لألَمي

Have mercy, oh have mercy on my illness

Have mercy, oh have mercy on my pain

وارحمتا لرَحِمي المقطوعِ

وارحمتا لَهَمِّىَ المَجموعِ

Have mercy on my severed womb's rope

Have mercy on my gathered worries all

وارحمتا لفُرقَةِ الأحبابِ

وارحمتا لِشدَّةِ المُصابِ

Have mercy for parting from loved ones

Have mercy for intensity of affliction

وارحمتا لوحدتي وغربتي

وارحمتا لوحدتي وشيبتي

Have mercy for my loneliness and exile

Have mercy for my solitude and old age

واسطتي بيني وبينَ اللهِ

وبينَ خَيرِ أنبياءِ اللهِ

My intercession with Allah

And the best of Allah's prophets

قد هاجَ حُزني حُزنُ والدَيَّا

لِذا رفَعتُ طالباً يَدَيَّ

My sorrow has stirred like my parents' sorrow

So I lifted my hands asking, hoping

وأَمَلي في بُرئِها وطيدُ

وضيقُ صَدري لِىَ لا يَعودُ

My hope in their wellness is firm

And my tight chest won't recur

وكُن إلىَّ في نُزولِ القَبرِ

وكن بِجَانبِىَّ يومَ الحَشرِ

And be by my side in the grave's descent

And stand by me on the Day of Gathering

حتى تَراني بِجِوارِ جَدِّكَ

ودَارِ جَدِّ اسمَاعِيلَ عَبدِكَ

That you may see me in the company of your grandfather

And the abode of Ismail, servant of your grandfather