أَلاَ إِنَّ السِّيَادَاتِ

أَلاَ إِنَّ السِّيَادَاتِ

عَلَى قَدْرِ أَهْلِ الْمَزِيَّاتِ

عَلَى قَدْرِ أَهْلِ الْمَزِيَّاتِ

Behold, ranks of eminence

Indeed, all true sovereignties

accord with the worth of those endowed with merit.

Are in proportion to the people of virtues.

وَكُلُّ الْفَضْلِ فِي الْعِلْمِ

وَكُلُّ الْفَضْلِ فِي الْعِلْمِ

هُوَ الْمَقْصُودُ بِالذَّاتِ

هُوَ الْمَقْصُودُ بِالذَّاتِ

And all excellence lies in knowledge:

And all merit lies in knowledge;

it is sought for its own sake.

It is the very essence that is sought.

وَرُوحُ الْعِلْمِ فِي التَّوْحِي

وَرُوحُ الْعِلْمِ فِي التَّوْحِي

دِ تَوْحِيدِ الْعَقِيدَاتِ

دِ تَوْحِيدِ الْعَقِيدَاتِ

And knowledge's soul lies in divine unity—

And the spirit of knowledge is in the Divine U-

the affirmation of divine unity in the creeds,

nity, the unification of beliefs,

عَقِيدَاتِ السَّنُوسِيِّ ال

عَقِيدَاتِ السَّنُوسِيِّ ال

إِمَامِ ذِي الْكَرَامَاتِ

إِمَامِ ذِي الْكَرَامَاتِ

the creeds of al-Sanusi, the

The beliefs of Al-Sanusi, the

imam endowed with miraculous gifts,

Imam endowed with miraculous graces,

إمَامِ الغَرْبِ وَالشَّرْقِ

إمَامِ الغَرْبِ وَالشَّرْقِ

بِإِجْماعٍ لإِثْبَاتِ

بِإِجْماعٍ لإِثْبَاتِ

imam of the West and the East,

The Imam of the West and the East,

by unanimous affirmation.

By a consensus of affirmation.

وَوُسْطَى عِقْدِهِ الصًّغْرَى

وَوُسْطَى عِقْدِهِ الصًّغْرَى

بِبُرْهَانٍ وَآيَاتِ

بِبُرْهَانٍ وَآيَاتِ

And the Lesser Creed is the centerpiece of his necklace,

And the centerpiece of his necklace is the 'Sughra',

with proof and signs.

With decisive proof and clear signs.

بِلاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ الَّل

بِلاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ الَّل

هُ مِفْتَاحُ الْعِبَادَاتِ

هُ مِفْتَاحُ الْعِبَادَاتِ

Through 'There is no god but God'—

With 'There is no deity but Al-

the key to acts of worship—

lah,' the key to all acts of worship.

حَبَتْهُ الشَّرْحَ وَالإِيضَا

حَبَتْهُ الشَّرْحَ وَالإِيضَا

حَ إِيضَاحَ الُخَفِيَّاتِ

حَ إِيضَاحَ الُخَفِيَّاتِ

it bestowed commentary and elucidation upon it,

It bestowed upon it explanation and clarifi-

elucidation of hidden matters.

cation, the clarifying of hidden truths.

فَجَاءَتْ غُرَّةً تَلْتَا

فَجَاءَتْ غُرَّةً تَلْتَا

حُ فِي وَجْهِ الخَرِيدَاتِ

حُ فِي وَجْهِ الخَرِيدَاتِ

So it emerged a radiant blaze, gleaming

Thus it came as a shining blaze, gleam-

on the faces of fair maidens.

ing upon the faces of pristine maidens.

فَتِلْكَ زِينَةُ الأَيَّا

فَتِلْكَ زِينَةُ الأَيَّا

فِي الْمَاضِي وَفيِ الآتِ

فِي الْمَاضِي وَفيِ الآتِ

And that is the adornment of the days,

For that is the adornment of the days,

in the past and in time to come.

In the past and in the time to come.

لَقَدْ أَرْبَتْ مَعَانِيهَا

لَقَدْ أَرْبَتْ مَعَانِيهَا

عَلَى الشُّهْبِ الْمُنِيرَاتِ

عَلَى الشُّهْبِ الْمُنِيرَاتِ

Indeed, its meanings have risen

Its meanings have indeed surpassed

above the luminous stars.

The illuminating, shooting stars.

وَقَْد رَاقَتْ مَبَانِيهَا

وَقَْد رَاقَتْ مَبَانِيهَا

فَأَعْيَتْ وَصْفَ أَبْيَاتِي

فَأَعْيَتْ وَصْفَ أَبْيَاتِي

And its wording has proved so pleasing

And its wording is so elegant,

that my verses fail to describe it.

Thus exhausting the descriptions of my verses.

أَ دُرٌّ فَوْقَ لَبَّاتِ

أَ دُرٌّ فَوْقَ لَبَّاتِ

وَشُهْبٌ فِي دُجُنَّاتِ

وَشُهْبٌ فِي دُجُنَّاتِ

Are these pearls upon bosoms,

Are they pearls resting on fair throats?

and bright stars in deep darkness,

And meteors in the deep darkness?

وَنَهْرٌ بَيْنَ جَنَّاتٍ

وَنَهْرٌ بَيْنَ جَنَّاتٍ

وَوَرْدٌ بَيْنَ خَامَاتِ

وَوَرْدٌ بَيْنَ خَامَاتِ

and a river amid gardens,

And a river flowing among gardens?

and roses among tender shoots,

And roses blooming amidst green stalks?

أَمِ الَّلفْظُ الْبَدِيعُ فِي الْ

أَمِ الَّلفْظُ الْبَدِيعُ فِي الْ

مَعَانِي الْمُسْتَقِيمَاتِ

مَعَانِي الْمُسْتَقِيمَاتِ

or wondrous wording within

Or is it the wondrous phrasing within the

sound meanings?

Meanings so upright and straight?

فَرُمْ تَحْصِيلَهَا فَهْماً

فَرُمْ تَحْصِيلَهَا فَهْماً

علَى أَهلِ الدِّراياتِ

علَى أَهلِ الدِّراياتِ

So seek to acquire it with understanding

So seek to acquire its understanding

under those endowed with knowledge,

From the people of deep comprehension,

كَزَيْنِ الدهْرِ شَيْخِ العَصْ

كَزَيْنِ الدهْرِ شَيْخِ العَصْ

رِ عَيْنِ الْمَصْرِ مِرْآةِ

رِ عَيْنِ الْمَصْرِ مِرْآةِ

like the age's adornment, the master of the era,

Like the adornment of time, the Sheikh of the e-

the city's eye, the mirror of

ra, the eye of Egypt, its very mirror,

مُحَمَّدِ الذِي أرْبَى

مُحَمَّدِ الذِي أرْبَى

عَلَى أَهْلِ الإِجَادَاتِ

عَلَى أَهْلِ الإِجَادَاتِ

Muhammad, who rose

Muhammad, who has far exceeded

above those endowed with excellence.

All the people of mastery and excellence.

تَفُزْ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الوُثْقَى

تَفُزْ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الوُثْقَى

وَتظْفَرْ بِالسَّعَادَاتِ

وَتظْفَرْ بِالسَّعَادَاتِ

You will gain the firmest handhold

You will win the firmest handhold,

and attain felicities.

And you will attain ultimate felicities.

وَلاَ يَغْرُرْكَ أَهْلُ اللُّبْ

وَلاَ يَغْرُرْكَ أَهْلُ اللُّبْ

سِ أَشْبَاهُ الْجَمَادَاتِ

سِ أَشْبَاهُ الْجَمَادَاتِ

And let not the people of confusion deceive you—

And do not be deceived by the people of confu-

the likenesses of inanimate things.

sion, mere lookalikes of inanimate stones.

أَأَمْوَاتٌ كَأَحْيَاءٍ

أَأَمْوَاتٌ كَأَحْيَاءٍ

وَأَحْيَاءٌ كَأَمْوَاتِ

وَأَحْيَاءٌ كَأَمْوَاتِ

Are the dead like the living,

Are they the dead resembling the living,

and the living like the dead?

And the living resembling the dead?

وَصَلَّى اللهُ رَبُّ الْعَْر

وَصَلَّى اللهُ رَبُّ الْعَْر

شِ فِي أَهْلِ السَّمَاوَاتِ

شِ فِي أَهْلِ السَّمَاوَاتِ

And may God, Lord of the Throne, send blessings,

And may blessings be from Allah, Lord of the Thro-

among the dwellers of the heavens,

ne, among the inhabitants of the heavens,

عَلَى خَيْرِ الْوَرَى عَيْنِ الْعُ

عَلَى خَيْرِ الْوَرَى عَيْنِ الْعُ

لاَ أصْلِ الْكَمَالاَتِ

لاَ أصْلِ الْكَمَالاَتِ

upon the best of creation, the essence of loftiness,

Upon the best of creation, the spring of nobil-

the root of perfections.

ity, the origin of all perfections.