رعى الزمان فرأى العجائبا

رعى الزمان فرأى العجائبا

وردَّ سهماً للخفايا صائبا

وردَّ سهماً للخفايا صائبا

He watched time and thus saw wonders,

Time shepherded and saw wonders,

And directed an unerring arrow toward hidden mysteries.

And shot an arrow hitting the hidden.

فتىً مضى بمرطه مختبئاً

فتىً مضى بمرطه مختبئاً

يضربُ عن كلِّ الوجود جانباً

يضربُ عن كلِّ الوجود جانباً

A youth who went his way, concealed in his cloak,

A young man passed by, hiding his mace,

Turning aside from all existence.

Turning away from all existence.

أثابهُ الزهدُ الحقيق حكمةً

أثابهُ الزهدُ الحقيق حكمةً

واتحفته الحكمةُ المواهبا

واتحفته الحكمةُ المواهبا

True asceticism rewarded him with wisdom,

Asceticism endowed him with true wisdom,

And wisdom bestowed gifts upon him.

And wisdom gifted him talents.

فحفظ الناس على علاتهم

فحفظ الناس على علاتهم

وما رأى سوى الحفيظ صاحبا

وما رأى سوى الحفيظ صاحبا

So he cared for people despite their faults,

He protected people in their lofty states,

And saw no companion but the Preserver.

And saw none but the All-Watchful as companion.

ولم يكذِّب صادقاً لزفرةٍ

ولم يكذِّب صادقاً لزفرةٍ

في نفسه ولم يصدِّق كاذبا

في نفسه ولم يصدِّق كاذبا

Nor did he disbelieve a truthful man because of a sigh

He did not deny the truthful out of bitterness,

Within himself, nor did he believe a liar.

Nor believe the liar in his soul.

وصدَّ عن ذي الفانياتِ ناسياً

وصدَّ عن ذي الفانياتِ ناسياً

وجودها لها الفناء ناسيا

وجودها لها الفناء ناسيا

And turned away from these perishing things, forgetting

He blocked out ephemeral things, forgetting

Their existence, forgetting the extinction that is theirs.

Their existence, their ephemerality forgetting.

وذرع الأَرض يسيرُ ماشياً

وذرع الأَرض يسيرُ ماشياً

معتبراً ولو سرى مغاضبا

معتبراً ولو سرى مغاضبا

And traversed the earth, traveling on foot,

He roamed the land walking,

Taking heed, even if he traveled by night in anger.

Contemplating, even if traveling angrily.

ومحق الأَكوان عن فوآده

ومحق الأَكوان عن فوآده

أَباعدَ الذرات والأقاربا

أَباعدَ الذرات والأقاربا

And erased the created worlds from his heart,

He erased universes from his heart,

The remotest particles and the nearest.

Estranging atoms and kin.

لم يعتصب وينتخب لذاته

لم يعتصب وينتخب لذاته

غير الهدى وأهلهُ عصائِبا

غير الهدى وأهلهُ عصائِبا

He joined no faction, nor chose for himself

He wore no crown, selecting for himself

Any fellowship but guidance and its people.

Only guidance and its people as bodyguards.

يروح للناس المدا مسامحاً

يروح للناس المدا مسامحاً

وينبرى لنفسه محاسبا

وينبرى لنفسه محاسبا

He goes his way, ever forgiving toward people,

He goes to people gently forgiving,

And sets about holding himself to account.

And holds himself strictly accountable.

وينصر الحدود لله ولا

وينصر الحدود لله ولا

يرى الموالين ولا الأَجانبا

يرى الموالين ولا الأَجانبا

And upholds the prescribed bounds for God's sake, without

He upholds God's limits and sees

Regard for allies or outsiders.

Neither loyalists nor foreigners.

ماغرَّهُ طيشُ الأُلى يوم سروا

ماغرَّهُ طيشُ الأُلى يوم سروا

وأرسلوا إثرهم الجنائبا

وأرسلوا إثرهم الجنائبا

He was not beguiled by those men's recklessness when they traveled by night,

He was not tempted by the frivolity of the arrogant,

And sent spare mounts in their wake.

When they marched and sent their prides after them.

ولا القصورُ شيَّدوها فعلت

ولا القصورُ شيَّدوها فعلت

تزعم أن تسامت الكواكبا

تزعم أن تسامت الكواكبا

Nor by the palaces they built, which rose aloft,

Nor the palaces they erected, pretending

Claiming to rival the stars in height.

To rival the stars in loftiness.

ولا الجيادُ الصافنات حولهم

ولا الجيادُ الصافنات حولهم

قد نسقوا صفوفها مواكبا

قد نسقوا صفوفها مواكبا

Nor by the noble steeds standing poised around them,

Nor the sleek steeds around them,

Whose ranks they had arranged in processions.

Arranged in ranks of processions.

ولا الغواني الناعماتُ خلتها

ولا الغواني الناعماتُ خلتها

غزلان روضٍ تضربُ السباسبا

غزلان روضٍ تضربُ السباسبا

Nor by the delicate beauties, whom I took for

Nor the melodious singers they kept,

Gazelles of a meadow, ranging over the open plains.

Like gazelles of a meadow clapping cymbals.

ولا صنوف العالمين خضعت

ولا صنوف العالمين خضعت

تروم من آلائهم مناصبا

تروم من آلائهم مناصبا

Nor by the world's diverse peoples, bowing down,

Nor the varieties of the two worlds submitting,

Seeking posts through their favors.

Seeking through their riches, high stations.

الكلُّ فانٍ و البقاءُ للذي

الكلُّ فانٍ و البقاءُ للذي

أقامها مراتباً مراتبا

أقامها مراتباً مراتبا

All passes away, and permanence belongs to Him

All is vanishing, and permanence is for He

Who established them, rank upon rank.

Who established them in degrees, on degrees.

أبصر بنيَّ وتر من جاء في

أبصر بنيَّ وتر من جاء في

ثوب فناءٍ بالفناء ذاهبا

ثوب فناءٍ بالفناء ذاهبا

Look, my dear son, and you will see whoever came in

See, my son, the string of one who came

A robe of transience, departing through annihilation.

In a robe of ephemerality, bound for ephemerality.

لم تنفع الكتائبُ الصمُّ فكم

لم تنفع الكتائبُ الصمُّ فكم

سيَّرَ قومٌ قبلها كتائبا

سيَّرَ قومٌ قبلها كتائبا

The unyielding battalions availed nothing—for how many

The deaf hordes did not benefit, though many

Battalions had people sent forth before them!

A horde had marched before them.

ولا الدنانير فكم كنَّزها

ولا الدنانير فكم كنَّزها

خبلٌ ووافاها الزمان ناهبا

خبلٌ ووافاها الزمان ناهبا

Nor did dinars avail—how often were they hoarded

Nor did riches, though many a fool amassed them,

By a fool, only for time to arrive and plunder them!

Only for time to rob them away.

وليس إلا الله يرجى أبداً

وليس إلا الله يرجى أبداً

إذا الليالي أدجت المتاعبا

إذا الليالي أدجت المتاعبا

And none but God is ever looked to in hope,

None but God is hoped in forever,

When the nights grow dark with troubles.

When nights thicken with woes.

فاجعل رسول الله باباً موصلاً

فاجعل رسول الله باباً موصلاً

لله واطرح حاضراً وغائبا

لله واطرح حاضراً وغائبا

So make God's Messenger a gate leading

So make God's Messenger a portal

To God, and cast aside the present and the absent.

To God, present and absent.

واحفظ حقوق الأنبياء كلهم

واحفظ حقوق الأنبياء كلهم

والأولياء واسبر المذاهبا

والأولياء واسبر المذاهبا

And uphold the rights of all the prophets

And uphold the rights of all prophets,

And the saints, and examine the schools of thought.

And saints, traversing the methods.

وخذ بشرع الهاشمي مذهباً

وخذ بشرع الهاشمي مذهباً

وانشر به في طيِّكَ المناقبا

وانشر به في طيِّكَ المناقبا

And take the Hashimite's law as your path,

Take the Hashimi's law as your creed,

And through it unfold the virtues folded within you.

And spread through your fold his virtues.

وخَلِّ حُبَّه وحُبَّ إلَهِ

وخَلِّ حُبَّه وحُبَّ إلَهِ

وصحبه عليك فرضاً واجبا

وصحبه عليك فرضاً واجبا

And make love for him and love for God

Make loving him, loving his God,

And for the Prophet's companions a duty binding upon you.

And his company an obligation upon you.

واعمل بنهج ابن الرفاعيِّ الذي

واعمل بنهج ابن الرفاعيِّ الذي

عن جدِّهِ النبيِّ قام نائبا

عن جدِّهِ النبيِّ قام نائبا

And follow the way of Ibn al-Rifa‘i, who

Act by the approach of the son of Rifa'ah,

Stood as deputy for his forefather, the Prophet.

Who represented his grandfather the Prophet.

وقل بقولي واتَّبع طريقتي

وقل بقولي واتَّبع طريقتي

تعطى المنى وتبلغُ المآربا

تعطى المنى وتبلغُ المآربا

And say as I say, and follow my path;

Say my words and follow my way,

You will be granted your wishes and attain your aims.

You will attain your wishes and objects.