يا مَن تَكفَّلَ لمَن دَعاهُ

يا مَن تَكفَّلَ لمَن دَعاهُ

بأَن يُجيبَ بِألمُنى دُعَاهُ

بأَن يُجيبَ بِألمُنى دُعَاهُ

O you who have pledged to whoever calls upon you

O You who guaranteed to fulfill the wish

To answer his prayer with his wishes fulfilled.

Of whoever calls upon You

أنتَ بِحالي عالمٌ خَبيرُ

أنتَ بِحالي عالمٌ خَبيرُ

لِظاهِري وباطِني بَصيرُ

لِظاهِري وباطِني بَصيرُ

You know my condition and are fully aware,

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

Seeing my outward and inward being.

Of my exterior and interior, All-Seeing

فاللهُ ثم المُصطَفى مُحمَّدُ

فاللهُ ثم المُصطَفى مُحمَّدُ

والشيخُ شَيخيَ التِّجاني أحمَدُ

والشيخُ شَيخيَ التِّجاني أحمَدُ

For God, then the Chosen One, Muhammad,

So Allah and then Muhammad the Chosen

And the shaykh, my shaykh Ahmad al-Tijani,

And my master Shaykh Al-Tijani Ahmed

هُم عُمدَتي إن نزلت ُأمورُ

هُم عُمدَتي إن نزلت ُأمورُ

وفَرَجي إن ضاقتِ الصُّدورُ

وفَرَجي إن ضاقتِ الصُّدورُ

Are my mainstay when troubles descend,

Are my pillars whenever hardships befall

And my relief when breasts grow constricted.

And my relief whenever breasts are straitened

والشيخُ لي وسيلةٌ إلَيهما

والشيخُ لي وسيلةٌ إلَيهما

وخيرُ بابٍ موصلٍ إليهما

وخيرُ بابٍ موصلٍ إليهما

And the shaykh is my means of access to them both,

And the Shaykh is my means to reach them

And the best door leading to them both.

The best door leading to them both

شيخي وعمدَتي وسؤلي والأَمل

شيخي وعمدَتي وسؤلي والأَمل

ذُخري رَجائي ومُنائي والعَمل

ذُخري رَجائي ومُنائي والعَمل

My shaykh, my mainstay, my desire and hope,

My master, pillar, request and hope

My treasure, my hope, my wishes, and my work.

My treasure, my hope, refuge and deed

عبدُكَ إسماعيلُ قد أتاكَ

عبدُكَ إسماعيلُ قد أتاكَ

مُستَصرِخا ونازِلا حِماكَ

مُستَصرِخا ونازِلا حِماكَ

Your servant Ismail has come to you,

Your servant Ismael has come to you

Crying for help and taking shelter in your sanctuary.

Crying out, seeking refuge in your protection

وما له بابٌ سواكَ يَقصِدُهُ

وما له بابٌ سواكَ يَقصِدُهُ

ولا له مِن سَيِّدٍ يَعتَمِدُهُ

ولا له مِن سَيِّدٍ يَعتَمِدُهُ

And he has no door other than you to seek,

He has no door but yours to frequent

Nor any master on whom to rely.

Nor master but you on whom to depend

قد ضاقَ صَدرُه فسالَ دَمعُهُ

قد ضاقَ صَدرُه فسالَ دَمعُهُ

ويَدُه من سَقَمٍ تُوجِعهُ

ويَدُه من سَقَمٍ تُوجِعهُ

His breast has grown constricted, so his tears have flowed,

His chest grew tight and his tears flowed

And his hand pains him from sickness.

And his hand pains him and hurts him so

وطالَما بكَى علَيك واشتَكى

وطالَما بكَى علَيك واشتَكى

وكلُّ خِلٍّ لِبُكاهُ قد بَكى

وكلُّ خِلٍّ لِبُكاهُ قد بَكى

And long has he wept over you and complained,

He cried to you often and complained

And every close friend has wept at his weeping.

And for his crying every friend has cried

ما لىَ قُدرةٌ لِحملِ الألمِ

ما لىَ قُدرةٌ لِحملِ الألمِ

ولا لَدَىَّ صِحَّةُ للِسَّقَمِ

ولا لَدَىَّ صِحَّةُ للِسَّقَمِ

I have no strength to bear the pain,

I've no strength to bear this pain

Nor have I the health to endure sickness.

Nor health to withstand this illness

وفارقَ الأحبابَ والإخوانا

وفارقَ الأحبابَ والإخوانا

وواصلَ الهُمومَ والأحزانا

وواصلَ الهُمومَ والأحزانا

And he has parted from loved ones and brothers,

I've parted from loved ones and brothers all

And kept company with worries and sorrows.

Embracing sorrows and tribulations all

واستغرقَ الزمانَ والمَكانا

واستغرقَ الزمانَ والمَكانا

مُرتَجِياً ببابِكَ الإِحسانا

مُرتَجِياً ببابِكَ الإِحسانا

And filled all time and space,

Consuming my time, my place all

Hoping for kindness at your door.

Hoping for your kindness through it all

فإن تَسُدَّ البابَ في وجهِهِ مَن

فإن تَسُدَّ البابَ في وجهِهِ مَن

يَقصِدُه عند تَواتُرِ المِحَن

يَقصِدُه عند تَواتُرِ المِحَن

Then if you shut the door in his face, whom

If you close the door before one

Will he seek when trials come one after another?

Who comes to you when tribulations run

في غَدوتي وعَشوَتي أرجوكَ

في غَدوتي وعَشوَتي أرجوكَ

وفي الدُّجى وسَحَرٍ أدعُوكَ

وفي الدُّجى وسَحَرٍ أدعُوكَ

In my mornings and evenings, I place my hope in you,

In my morning and eve I hope in you

And in night's darkness and before dawn, I call upon you.

In darkness and dawn I call on you

وقد قَصَدتُ قبرَ خَيرِ واسِطَه

وقد قَصَدتُ قبرَ خَيرِ واسِطَه

بيني وبينكَ وخيرِ رابِطَه

بيني وبينكَ وخيرِ رابِطَه

And I have sought the grave of the best intermediary

I went to the grave of the best intercessor

Between me and you, and the best bond,

Between me and you, the best connector

والعربِيِّ ساكنَ الجِنانِ

والعربِيِّ ساكنَ الجِنانِ

والمُقتفِي لسيرَةِ العَدناني

والمُقتفِي لسيرَةِ العَدناني

And al-Arabi, dweller in the gardens of Paradise,

The Arab lying in gardens of bliss

And follower of the Adnanite's way.

Emulating the ways of the grandfather's kin

ونَزلَت مني هُناكَ أدمُعُ

ونَزلَت مني هُناكَ أدمُعُ

ينقطعُ الغيثُ ولا تَنقَطِعُ

ينقطعُ الغيثُ ولا تَنقَطِعُ

And there tears fell from me:

There my tears flowed unending

The rain ceases, but they do not cease.

Though rain may cease, my tears descend

ثم رجَعتُ وفُؤادي مُضطَرِب

ثم رجَعتُ وفُؤادي مُضطَرِب

والدمعُ لم يَزَل بِخَدِّي مُنسَكي

والدمعُ لم يَزَل بِخَدِّي مُنسَكي

Then I returned, with my heart in turmoil,

Then I returned, my heart confused, troubled

And tears were still streaming down my cheek.

My tears still flowing down my cheek

وارَحمتَا لِقلبِىَ الموجوعِ

وارَحمتَا لِقلبِىَ الموجوعِ

وارَحمتا لكَبِدي المَصدوعِ

وارَحمتا لكَبِدي المَصدوعِ

Oh, pity for my aching heart!

Have mercy on my pained heart

Oh, pity for my shattered liver!

Have mercy on my broken liver

وارحمتا لِجسمِىَ العَليلِ

وارحمتا لِجسمِىَ العَليلِ

وارَحمتا لطَرفِىَ البَليلِ

وارَحمتا لطَرفِىَ البَليلِ

Oh, pity for my ailing body!

Have mercy on my ailing body

Oh, pity for my tear-wet eye!

Have mercy on my weak eyes

وارحمتا لصَبرِىَ القليلِ

وارحمتا لصَبرِىَ القليلِ

وارَحمتا لِحُزنِىَ الطَّويلِ

وارَحمتا لِحُزنِىَ الطَّويلِ

Oh, pity for my scant patience!

Have mercy on my little patience

Oh, pity for my long sorrow!

Have mercy on my lasting sorrow

وارَحمتا وارحمَتا لسَقَمي

وارَحمتا وارحمَتا لسَقَمي

وارَحمتا وارحمَتا لألَمي

وارَحمتا وارحمَتا لألَمي

Oh, pity, oh, pity for my sickness!

Have mercy, oh have mercy on my illness

Oh, pity, oh, pity for my pain!

Have mercy, oh have mercy on my pain

وارحمتا لرَحِمي المقطوعِ

وارحمتا لرَحِمي المقطوعِ

وارحمتا لَهَمِّىَ المَجموعِ

وارحمتا لَهَمِّىَ المَجموعِ

Oh, pity for my severed ties of kinship!

Have mercy on my severed womb's rope

Oh, pity for my accumulated worries!

Have mercy on my gathered worries all

وارحمتا لفُرقَةِ الأحبابِ

وارحمتا لفُرقَةِ الأحبابِ

وارحمتا لِشدَّةِ المُصابِ

وارحمتا لِشدَّةِ المُصابِ

Oh, pity for separation from loved ones!

Have mercy for parting from loved ones

Oh, pity for the severity of affliction!

Have mercy for intensity of affliction

وارحمتا لوحدتي وغربتي

وارحمتا لوحدتي وغربتي

وارحمتا لوحدتي وشيبتي

وارحمتا لوحدتي وشيبتي

Oh, pity for my loneliness and exile!

Have mercy for my loneliness and exile

Oh, pity for my loneliness and gray hair!

Have mercy for my solitude and old age

واسطتي بيني وبينَ اللهِ

واسطتي بيني وبينَ اللهِ

وبينَ خَيرِ أنبياءِ اللهِ

وبينَ خَيرِ أنبياءِ اللهِ

My intermediary between me and God,

My intercession with Allah

And between me and the best of God's prophets,

And the best of Allah's prophets

قد هاجَ حُزني حُزنُ والدَيَّا

قد هاجَ حُزني حُزنُ والدَيَّا

لِذا رفَعتُ طالباً يَدَيَّ

لِذا رفَعتُ طالباً يَدَيَّ

My parents' sorrow has stirred my sorrow,

My sorrow has stirred like my parents' sorrow

For this I raised my hands in supplication.

So I lifted my hands asking, hoping

وأَمَلي في بُرئِها وطيدُ

وأَمَلي في بُرئِها وطيدُ

وضيقُ صَدري لِىَ لا يَعودُ

وضيقُ صَدري لِىَ لا يَعودُ

And my hope for its healing is firm,

My hope in their wellness is firm

And the tightness in my breast will not return to me.

And my tight chest won't recur

وكُن إلىَّ في نُزولِ القَبرِ

وكُن إلىَّ في نُزولِ القَبرِ

وكن بِجَانبِىَّ يومَ الحَشرِ

وكن بِجَانبِىَّ يومَ الحَشرِ

And be with me when I descend into the grave,

And be by my side in the grave's descent

And be beside me on the Day of Gathering,

And stand by me on the Day of Gathering

حتى تَراني بِجِوارِ جَدِّكَ

حتى تَراني بِجِوارِ جَدِّكَ

ودَارِ جَدِّ اسمَاعِيلَ عَبدِكَ

ودَارِ جَدِّ اسمَاعِيلَ عَبدِكَ

Until you see me beside your grandfather,

That you may see me in the company of your grandfather

And the home of the grandfather of Ismail, your servant.

And the abode of Ismail, servant of your grandfather