الحَمدُpraise لِلّهِto God الشَهيدthe Witness الحاضرthe Present One
الحَمدُ لِلّهِ الشَهيد الحاضر
الواحدthe One الملكthe King العزيزthe Mighty الغافرthe Forgiver
الواحد الملك العزيز الغافر
Praise be to God, the Witness, the Ever-Present,
Praise be to God, the Witness, the Present One,
the One, the King, the Almighty, the Forgiver,
The One, the King, the Mighty, the Forgiver,
مبدىoriginator البَراياthe creatures كُلَهاall of them وَمعيدهاand their restorer
مبدى البَرايا كُلَها وَمعيدها
بِالبَعثthrough resurrection فيon اليَومthe day العَبوسthe grim الآخرthe last
بِالبَعث في اليَوم العَبوس الآخر
Originator of all creation and its Restorer
Originator of all creatures and their Restorer,
through resurrection on the grim Last Day,
Through resurrection on the grim Last Day,
وَمُخَلدand keeping forever الفجارthe wicked فيin نيرانِهِHis fires
وَمُخَلد الفجار في نيرانِهِ
وَجِوارand proximity to إِبليسIblis اللعينthe accursed الخاسرthe loser
وَجِوار إِبليس اللعين الخاسر
who leaves the wicked forever in His fires,
And who keeps the wicked forever in His fires,
beside Iblis, accursed and lost.
And beside Iblis, accursed and ruined.
سُبحانglory be to رَبكyour Lord مِنhow (exclamatory) عَظيمmighty قادرpowerful
سُبحان رَبك مِن عَظيم قادر
مُتَصرفgoverning بَأَوائلover beginnings وَأواخرand endings
مُتَصرف بَأَوائل وَأواخر
Glory be to your Lord—how tremendous, how mighty,
Glory be to your Lord—how mighty and powerful!
sovereign over beginnings and endings alike.
Governing beginnings and endings.
كُلall الخَلائقthe creatures ساجِدونprostrating لِوَجهِهِbefore His Face
كُل الخَلائق ساجِدون لِوَجهِهِ
طَوعاًwillingly وَكُرهاand unwillingly بِالأَصيلin late afternoon وَباكرand early morning
طَوعاً وَكُرها بِالأَصيل وَباكر
All creatures prostrate themselves before His Face,
All creatures prostrate themselves before His Face,
willingly or unwillingly, at evening and at dawn.
Willingly and unwillingly, in late afternoon and early morning.
مَلأتhave filled بَدائعهHis wonders العُقولthe minds وَأَشرَقَتand shone forth
مَلأت بَدائعه العُقول وَأَشرَقَت
أَنوارُهُHis lights بِظَواهرthrough outward forms وَسَرائرand inward secrets
أَنوارُهُ بِظَواهر وَسَرائر
His marvels have filled all minds, and radiant
His wonders have filled minds, and there have shone
are His lights in outward forms and inward mysteries.
His lights through outward forms and inward secrets.
خَصsingled out الرِجالthe men العارِفينthe gnostics بِقُربِهِwith His nearness
خَص الرِجال العارِفين بِقُربِهِ
وَبِأُنسِهِand with His intimacy أَهلthe people of المَقامthe station العاشرthe tenth
وَبِأُنسِهِ أَهل المَقام العاشر
He singled out the gnostic men for nearness to Him,
He favored the men who know Him with His nearness,
and the people of the tenth station for intimacy with Him.
And the people of the tenth station with His intimacy.
شَغفواwere enamored بِهِof Him وَاِستَغرَقواand were immersed فيin ذِكرِهِHis remembrance
شَغفوا بِهِ وَاِستَغرَقوا في ذِكرِهِ
طُولthroughout الزَمانtime بِكُلwith every روحspirit طائرsoaring
طُول الزَمان بِكُل روح طائر
Enamored of Him, they sank deep into His remembrance,
They were enamored of Him and immersed in His remembrance,
all their days, with every spirit soaring—
Throughout time, with every spirit soaring.
مثلlike الشَريفthe noble one السَيدthe master الغَوثthe succoring saint الَّذيwho
مثل الشَريف السَيد الغَوث الَّذي
يُسمىis named إِذاwhen يَدعىhe is called بِعَبدas ʿAbd (servant of) القادرal-Qadir (the All-Powerful)
يُسمى إِذا يَدعى بِعَبد القادر
such as the noble sayyid, the succoring saint who
Like the noble master, the succoring saint, who
is known, when named, as Abd al-Qadir;
Is named, when called, ʿAbd al-Qadir;
وَالعارفand the gnostic القُطبthe spiritual Pole المُقدَمthe foremost فيamong الوَرىhumankind
وَالعارف القُطب المُقدَم في الوَرى
شَيخmaster of الشَيوخthe masters المُستَقيمthe upright الصابرthe patient
شَيخ الشَيوخ المُستَقيم الصابر
the gnostic Pole, foremost among humankind,
And the gnostic Pole, foremost among humankind,
the shaykh of shaykhs, upright and steadfast;
Master of masters, upright and patient;
وَالحجةand the Proof الغَزاليal-Ghazali أُستاذteacher of المَلاthe people
وَالحجة الغَزالي أُستاذ المَلا
مُحييreviver of عُلومthe sciences of الدِينreligion كَمhow many مِنof دائرone who goes about
مُحيي عُلوم الدِين كَم مِن دائر
and the Proof of the Faith, al-Ghazali, teacher of all,
And the Proof, al-Ghazali, teacher of the people,
reviver of religion’s sciences—how many a wanderer!
Reviver of the sciences of religion—how many a wanderer!
وَاِبنand the son of الرِفاعيal-Rifaʿi أَحمَدAhmad الحبرthe learned scholar الَّذيwho
وَاِبن الرِفاعي أَحمَد الحبر الَّذي
قَدindeed كانَwas كَالبَحرlike the sea الخَضمthe vast الزاخرthe overflowing
قَد كانَ كَالبَحر الخَضم الزاخر
And Ahmad ibn al-Rifa‘i, that learned master,
And Ibn al-Rifaʿi, Ahmad, the learned scholar who
who was like the vast and swelling sea.
Was indeed like the vast, overflowing sea.
هَذاthis وَكَمand how many كَمhow many غَيرَهُمbesides them مِنof سادةmasters
هَذا وَكَم كَم غَيرَهُم مِن سادة
مِمَنamong those who تَصوفpracticed Sufism فيin الزَمانthe time الغابرpast
مِمَن تَصوف في الزَمان الغابر
These—and how many, many other masters besides,
These—and how many, how many masters besides them,
among those who walked the Sufi path in ages gone.
Among those who practiced Sufism in times gone by.
فَاللَهso God يَنفَعُناbenefit us وَيَحفظناand protect us بِهُمthrough them
فَاللَه يَنفَعُنا وَيَحفظنا بِهُم
مِنfrom شَرthe evil of كُلevery مُخالفopponent وَمُناكرand denier
مِن شَر كُل مُخالف وَمُناكر
May God, through them, benefit us and preserve us
So may God benefit us and protect us through them
from the evil of every adversary and gainsayer.
From the evil of every opponent and denier.
ياO رَبLord وَاختمand seal our end بِاليَقينwith certainty وَتَوبةand repentance
يا رَب وَاختم بِاليَقين وَتَوبة
مَقبولةaccepted لِأَصاغرfor the lesser وَأَكابرand the greater
مَقبولة لِأَصاغر وَأَكابر
O Lord, seal our lives with certainty and repentance
O Lord, seal our lives with certainty and repentance,
accepted for young and old alike.
Accepted, for small and great.
ثُمَthen الصَلاةblessings عَلىupon النَبيthe Prophet مُحَمدMuhammad
ثُمَ الصَلاة عَلى النَبي مُحَمد
ماas long as لاحَflashes برقlightning فيin سَحابa cloud ماطرrain-bearing
ما لاحَ برق في سَحاب ماطر
Then blessings be upon the Prophet Muhammad
Then blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad,
whenever lightning flashes in a rain-filled cloud,
As long as lightning flashes in a rain-bearing cloud,
وَالآلand the family وَالصَحبand the companions الكِرامthe noble وَتابعand a follower
وَالآل وَالصَحب الكِرام وَتابع
مِنamong كُلِevery صبارever-patient one مُنيبone turning to God شاكرgrateful
مِن كُلِ صبار مُنيب شاكر
and upon his noble family and Companions, and every follower
And his family, his noble companions, and each follower
who is steadfast, penitent, and grateful.
Among all who are ever-patient, repentant, and grateful.
