يا صاح اياك السماع تأتيه

يا صاح اياك السماع تأتيه

فانه في الشرع مختلف فيه

فانه في الشرع مختلف فيه

O friend, beware of attending devotional listening sessions.

O friend, beware of listening to it

For it is disputed in religious law.

For in Islamic law there is disagreement about it

هو حاديا فانظر إلى أين حا

هو حاديا فانظر إلى أين حا

ديه لِلّه أو للحفظ والتماويه

ديه لِلّه أو للحفظ والتماويه

It is a camel-driver; consider where it is driving

It leads one astray so look to where it leads

him: toward God, or toward preservation and pretence?

Does it lead to Allah or to self-absorption?

تشابه الأبدال وأنت بطال

تشابه الأبدال وأنت بطال

وخاليا عن واردات الأحوال

وخاليا عن واردات الأحوال

You imitate the abdāl saints, yet you are an idler,

The substitutes resemble each other yet you are idle

and devoid of the visitations of spiritual states.

And devoid of spiritual states that come

اسمع إلى قول الجنيد ما قال

اسمع إلى قول الجنيد ما قال

ما يدخله من عاد نفسه فيه

ما يدخله من عاد نفسه فيه

Listen to the words al-Junayd spoke:

Listen to what al-Junayd said

No one whose ego is still within him enters it.

Nothing enters it if one accustoms himself to it

اياك اياك أن تتابع الطبع

اياك اياك أن تتابع الطبع

ارفضه واتبع ما يوافق الشرع

ارفضه واتبع ما يوافق الشرع

Beware, beware of following natural inclination.

Beware, beware of following your whims

Reject it, and follow what accords with religious law.

Reject them and follow what conforms to Islamic law

الشرع أصل والطريقة الفرع

الشرع أصل والطريقة الفرع

كن تابع امره مجتنب مناهيه

كن تابع امره مجتنب مناهيه

Religious law is the root; the spiritual path is the branch.

Islamic law is the foundation and spiritual path the branch

Follow its command, avoiding what it forbids.

Be a follower of its command, avoiding prohibitions

احرص على الطاعات غاية الحرص

احرص على الطاعات غاية الحرص

ما الدّين بالزعق الشنيع والرقص

ما الدّين بالزعق الشنيع والرقص

Pursue acts of obedience with the utmost zeal.

Be extremely eager to perform acts of obedience

Religion is not hideous shrieking and dancing.

Religion is not loud dancing and chanting

تظنه عزّا وغايته نقص

تظنه عزّا وغايته نقص

لو قيل لك ما الحال لست تدريه

لو قيل لك ما الحال لست تدريه

You think it glory, yet its outcome is loss.

You think it pride yet its essence is deficiency

If asked, 'What is the spiritual state?' you would not know it.

If you were asked about the state, you would not know

الدّين هو تقواك كل ساعه

الدّين هو تقواك كل ساعه

ثم اتباعك سنة الجماعه

ثم اتباعك سنة الجماعه

Religion is your fear of God at every hour,

Religion is your mindfulness every moment

then your following of the community's tradition—

Then following the way of the community

شريعة المختار واتباعه

شريعة المختار واتباعه

محمد ما مرسل يدانيه

محمد ما مرسل يدانيه

the Chosen One's sacred law, and following him:

The Law of the Chosen One and following him

Muhammad—no messenger comes close to him.

Muhammad, no messenger comes close to him