شيخيmy shaykh الرفاعيal-Rifa‘i طريقهhis path الأدبproper conduct
شيخي الرفاعي طريقه الأدب
إلىto سوىother than الشرعthe sacred law ليسis not ينجذبdrawn
إلى سوى الشرع ليس ينجذب
My shaykh al-Rifa‘i—his path is right conduct.
My shaykh al-Rifa‘i—his path is proper conduct.
Toward anything beyond Sacred Law he is never drawn.
He is drawn to nothing but the sacred law.
يقضىhe judges بماby what قدalready قضىdecreed النبيthe Prophet بهby it
يقضى بما قد قضى النبي به
وعلمتناand taught us اسرارهhis secrets الكتبthe books
وعلمتنا اسراره الكتب
He judges by what the Prophet judged,
He judges by what the Prophet has already decreed.
And books have taught us his mysteries.
And the books have taught us his secrets.
لاnot الشطحecstatic utterance يلوىtwists عنانthe reins همتهhis resolve
لا الشطح يلوى عنان همته
ولاnor الدعاويpretensions إليهto him تقتربdraw near
ولا الدعاوي إليه تقترب
No ecstatic utterance twists the reins of his resolve,
No ecstatic utterance twists the reins of his resolve.
Nor do boastful claims come near him.
Nor do pretensions come near him.
مناقبvirtues كالبدورlike full moons زاهرةradiant
مناقب كالبدور زاهرة
وخارقاتand miracles منfrom دونهاbeneath them الشهبthe shooting stars
وخارقات من دونها الشهب
Virtues radiant as full moons,
Virtues radiant like full moons,
And wonders before which even meteors fall short.
And miracles, with shooting stars beneath them.
فماso nothing سوىother than الشرعthe sacred law عندهin his view ادبproper conduct
فما سوى الشرع عنده ادب
ولاnor سوىother than الحقthe Truth عندهin his view سببa means
ولا سوى الحق عنده سبب
Nothing but Sacred Law counts as right conduct to him,
For him, proper conduct is nothing but the sacred law.
And nothing but truth serves him as a bond.
Nor, for him, is there any means but the Truth.
كمhow often ترجفtremble الاسدthe lions حولaround سدتهhis threshold
كم ترجف الاسد حول سدته
وهوwhile he بطيwithin the folds of الظلامthe darkness ينتحبsobs
وهو بطي الظلام ينتحب
How often lions tremble around his threshold,
How often the lions tremble around his threshold,
While deep in darkness he sobs.
While he sobs within the folds of darkness.
وكمand how often طوىfolded away نفسهhis soul وذللهاand humbled it
وكم طوى نفسه وذللها
والعجمand the non-Arabs قدalready اعظمتهheld him in high esteem والعربand the Arabs
والعجم قد اعظمته والعرب
How often he restrained his soul and humbled it,
And how often he folded away his soul and humbled it,
Though non-Arabs and Arabs held him great.
While non-Arabs and Arabs have held him in high esteem.
ومدand extended طهTaha يمينهhis right hand علناopenly
ومد طه يمينه علنا
لهto him فحطتso fell short عنof قدرهاits worth الرتبthe ranks
له فحطت عن قدرها الرتب
Taha openly extended his right hand
And Taha openly extended his right hand
To him—and ranks fell beneath his worth.
To him, and every rank fell short of its worth.
حاكيresembled الترابthe dust الوضيعlowly منكسراhumbled
حاكي التراب الوضيع منكسرا
ومنهand from him للمصطفىto the Chosen One علاascended النسبthe lineage
ومنه للمصطفى علا النسب
He emulated the lowly earth, broken in humility,
Humbled, he resembled the lowly dust.
Though through him lineage rose to al-Mustafa.
And his lineage ascended from him to the Chosen One.
وقامand he stood كالعبدlike a servant فيin شمائلهhis manners
وقام كالعبد في شمائله
والقومand the people طراall without exception عليهupon him تنسحبare drawn along
والقوم طرا عليه تنسحب
He stood with the bearing of a servant,
And he stood like a servant in his bearing,
While all the people followed in his wake.
While all the people, without exception, were drawn toward him.
خصالqualities طهTaha قامتdwelt ببضعتهin his flesh
خصال طه قامت ببضعته
سبحانهglory be to Him الخالقthe Creator الذيwho يهبbestows
سبحانه الخالق الذي يهب
Taha’s virtues stood embodied in a part of him—
Taha's qualities dwelt in his flesh.
Glory be to the Creator who bestows.
Glory be to Him, the Creator who bestows.
