مَا لَذَّةُ الْعَيْشِ إِلَّا صُحْبَةُ الفُقَرَا
هُمُ السَّلَاطِينُ وَالسَّادَاتُ وَالْأُمَرَا
mā ladhdhatul ʿayshi illā ṣuḥbatul fuqarā
humus salāṭīnu was sādātu wal umarā
What delight is there in life other than the companionship of the fuqara?
They are the sultans, lords, and princes.
فَاصْحَبْهُمُو وَتأدَّبْ فِي مَجَالِسِهِمْ
وخَلِّ حَظَّكَ مَهْمَا قَدَّمُ وكَ وَرَا
fa āṣḥabhumū wa taddab fī majālisihim
wkhalli ḥaẓẓaka mahmā qaddamu wka wa rā
So befriend them and learn the ways of their assemblies,
And keep your obligations, even if they ignore you.
وَاسْتَغْنِمِ الْوَقْتَ وَاحْضُرْ دَائِمًا مَعَهُمْ
وَاعْلَمْ بِأنَّ الرِّضَا يَخْتَصُّ مَنْ حَضَرَا
wa staghnimil waqta wa ḥḍur dā'iman maʿahum
wa ʿlam biannar riḍā yakhtaṣṣu man ḥaḍarā
Profit from your time and participate always with them,
And know that Divine satisfaction distinguishes one who is present
وَلَازِمِ الصَّمْتَ إِلَّا إِنْ سُئِلْتَ فَقُلْ
لَا عِلْمَ عِنْدِي وَكُنْ بِالجَْهْلِ مُسْتَـتِرَا
wa lāzimiṣ ṣamtaillā in su'ilta faqul
lā ʿilma ʿindī wa kun bil jahli mustatirā
Make silence obligatory unless you are questioned, then say:
‘No knowledge have I’, and conceal yourself with ignorance.
وَلَا تَرَ الْعَيْبَ إِلَّا فِيكَ مُعْتَقِدًا
عَيْبًا بَدَا بَيِّنًا لَكِنَّـهُ اسْتَتَرَا
wa lā taral ʿayba illā fīka muʿtaqidan
ʿayban badā bayyinan lakinnahu āstatarā
Regard not any fault, but that acknowledged within yourself
As a manifest, clearly apparent fault, though it be concealed.
وَحُطَّ رَأْسَكَ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ بِلَا سَبَبٍ
وَقُمْ عَلَى قَدَمِ الْإِنْصَافِ مُعْتَذِرَا
wa ḥuṭṭa rāsaka wa staghfir bilā sababin
wa qum ʿalā qadamil inṣāfi muʿtadhirā
Lower your head and seek forgiveness without apparent cause,
And stand at the feet of Justice, making excuses in your own behalf.
وَإِنْ بَدَا مِنْكَ عَيْبٌ فَاعْتَرِفْ وَأَقِمْ
وَجْهَ اعْتِذَارِكَ عَمَّا فِيكَ مِنْكَ جَرَى
wa in badā minka ʿaybun fa āʿtarif wa aqim
wa jha āʿtidhārika ʿammā fīka minka jarā
If a fault appears in you, acknowledge it, and direct
Your pleas toward that within you which comes from you.
وَقُلْ عُبَيْدُكُمُ أَوْلَى بِصَفْحِكُمُ
فَسَامِحُوا وَخُذُوا بِالرِّفْقِ يَا فُقَرَا
wa qul ʿubaydukumu awlā biṣafḥikumu
fasāmiḥū wa khudhū bir rifqi yā fuqarā
Say: ‘Your slaves are more worthy than ourselves of your forgiveness
So excuse us and be kind to us, Oh Fuqara
هُمْ بِالتَّفَضُّلِ أَوْلَى وَهْوَ شِيمَتُهُمْ
فَلَا تَخَفْ دَرَكًا مِنْهُمْ وَلَا ضَرَرَا
hum bit tafaḍḍuli awlā wa hwa shīmatuhum
falā takhaf darakan minhum wa lā ḍararā
By giving preference to others they are exalted, for it is in their nature,
So do not fear that they will punish or harm you
وَبِالتَّفَتِّي عَلَى الْإِخْوَانِ جُدْ أَبَدًا
حِسًّا وَمَعْنًى وَغُضَّ الطَّرْفَ إِنْ عَثَرَا
wa bit tafattī ʿalāl ikhwāni jud abadan
ḥissan wa maʿnan wa ghuḍḍaṭ ṭarfa in ʿatharā
And in magnanimity toward the brothers be forever limitless,
Out of feeling or understanding, and avert your gaze if one of them stumbles.
وَرَاقِبِ الشَّيْخَ فِي أَحْوَالِهِ فَعَسَى
يُرَى عَلَيْكَ مِنَ اسْتِحْسَانِهِ أَثَرَا
wa rāqibish shaykha fī aḥwālihi faʿasā
yurā ʿalayka mina āstiḥsānihi atharā
Observe the Shaykh attentively in his states, for perhaps
A trace of his approval will be seen upon you.
وَقَدِّمِ الجِدَّ وَانْهَضْ عِنْدَ خِدْمَتِهِ
عَسَاهُ يَرْضَى وَحَاذِرْ أَنْ تَكُنْ ضَجِرَا
wa qaddimil jidda wa nhaḍ ʿinda khidmatihi
ʿasāhu yarḍā wa ḥādhir an takun ḍajirā
Display earnestness and be eager in his service;
Perhaps he will be pleased, but beware lest you see annoyance.
فَفِي رِضَاهُ رِضَى الْبَارِي وَطَاعَتِهِ
يَرْضَى عَلَيْكَ وَكُنْ مِنْ تَرْكِهَا حَذِرَا
fafī riḍāhu riḍāl bārī wa ṭāʿatihi
yarḍā ʿalayka wa kun min tarkihā ḥadhirā
For in his satisfaction is that of the Creator and obedience toward Him,
He has granted you His good pleasure, so beware lest you forsake it!
وَاعْلَمْ بِأنَّ طَرِيقَ الْقَوْمِ دَارِسَةٌ
وَحَالُ مَنْ يَدَّعِيهَا الْيَوْمَ كَيْفَ تَرَى
wa ʿlam bianna ṭarīqal qawmi dārisatun
wa ḥālu man yaddaʿīhāl yawma kayfa tarā
Know that the Way of the Folk is now decadent,
And that the state of the one who preaches it today is as you see.
مَتَى أَرَاهُمْ وَأَنَّـى لِي بِرُؤْيَتِهِمْ
أَوْ تَسْمَعُ الْأُذْنُ مِنِّي عَنْهُمُ خَبَرَا
matā arāhum wa anna lī biruyatihim
aw tasmaʿul udhnu minnī ʿanhumu khabarā
When shall I see the true Folk of God, and how am I to have sight of them,
Or my ears to hear news of them?
مَنْ لِي وَأَنَّـى لِمِثْلِي أَنْ يُزَاحِمَهُمْ
عَلَى مَوَارِدَ لَمْ أُلْفِ بِهَا كَدَرَا
man lī wa anna limithlī an yuzāḥimahum
ʿalā mawārida lam ulfi bihā kadarā
How can I or one like me dispute with them
Over spiritual experiences about which I am not familiar?
أُحِبُّهُمْ وَأُدَارِيهِمْ وَأُوثِرُهُمْ
بِمُهْجَتِي وَخُصُوصًا مِنْهُمُ نَفَرَا
uḥibbuhum wa udārīhim wa ūthiruhum
bimuhjatī wa khuṣūṣan minhumu nafarā
I love them, am courteous to them, and follow them,
With my innermost soul- especially one person among them.
قَوْمٌ كِرَامُ السَّجَاَيَا حَيْثُمَا جَلَسُوا
يَبْقَى الْمَكَانُ عَلَى آثَارِهِمْ عَطِرَا
qawmun kirāmus sajāayā ḥaythumā jalasū
yabqāl makānu ʿalā āthārihim ʿaṭirā
They are a folk noble in character; wherever they sit,
That place remains fragrant from their traces.
يُهْدِي التَّصَوُّفُ مِنْ أَخَلَاقِهِمْ طُرَفًا
حُسْنُ التَّأَلُّفِ مِنْهُمْ رَاقِنِي نَظَرَا
yuhdīt taṣawwufu min akhalāqihim ṭurafan
ḥusnut taallufi minhum rāqinī naẓarā
Sufism guides one quickly by means of their conduct;
A fitting harmony is theirs, delightful to my sight.
هُمْ أَهْلُ وُدِّي وَأَحْبَابِي الَّذِينَ هُمُ
مِمَّنْ يَجُرُّ ذُيُولُ الْعِزِّ مُفْتَخِرَ
hum ahlu wuddī wa aḥbābīl ladhīna humu
mimman yajurru dhuyūlul ʿizzi muftakhira
They are my loved ones, my family, who
Are among those who proudly hold up the Helms of Glory.
لَا زَالَ شَمْلِي بِهِمْ فِي اللهِ مُجْتَمِعًا
وَذَنْبُنَا فِيهِ مَغْفُورًا وَمُغْتَفَرَا
lā zāla shamlī bihim fī Allahi mujtamiʿan
wa dhanbunā fīhi maghfūran wa mughtafarā
I am united with them still, brought together in God,
And through Him our transgressions are pardoned and forgiven.
ثمَُّ الصَّلَاةُ عَلَى الْمُخْتَارِ سَيِّدِنَا
مُحَمَّدٍ خَيْرِ مَنْ أَوْفَى وَمَنْ نَذَرَا
thmmauṣ ṣalātu ʿalāl mukhtāri sayyidinā
muḥammadin khayri man awfā wa man nadharā
So may blessings be upon the Chosen One, our Lord
Muhammad, the best of those who fulfill their vows.