ومريد لشيخه ناذر عجلا — أحمد الكاشف

ومريدٍ لشيخه ناذر عج

لاً سميناً به إليه تقربْ

A disciple vowed a calf to his sheikh—

a fat one—and sought to draw near to him through it.

كلما قدَّم الطعام له كب

بر مستبشراً به وتأدبْ

Whenever he offered it food, he cried,

"God is greatest!"—rejoicing in it and showing respect.

وسطا اللص في الدجى فتلقا

ه ابنه فانثنى وما نال مأربْ

The thief struck in the darkness, but was met

by the disciple's son; the thief turned back without attaining his aim.

ودرى الوالد الجهول بما كا

ن فأثنى على الولي وأطنبْ

The ignorant father learned what had

happened, and praised the saint at length,

قائلاً إنني رأيت مغيثي

في منامي على جواد أشهبْ

saying, "I saw my rescuer

in my dream, astride a gray steed,

حارساً منزلي يرد مغيراً

بالحسام المنصور في كل مضربْ

guarding my house and repelling a raider

with a sword victorious at every stroke."

فأهان ابنه بنسبته الفض

ل إلى شيخه البعيد وأغضبْ

So he slighted his son by giving the credit

to his distant sheikh, and angered him.

فنأى عنه تاركاً بل مبيحاً

داره بعده لمن يتوثبْ

So the son withdrew from him, leaving—indeed, laying open—

his father's house, once he was gone, to anyone who would pounce.

وأتى اللص ثانياً ومضى بال

عجل لا يتقي خفيراً ويرهبْ

The thief came a second time and left with

the calf, neither wary of a watchman nor afraid.

ثم هب المريد لا يجد العج

ل وعاد ابنه إليه وأنّبْ

Then the disciple rose and could not find the calf,

and his son returned to him and rebuked him.

فدعا أهله وقال لهم ما

أخذ العجل غير شيخي المحببْ

So the disciple summoned his household and told them, "None

but my beloved sheikh has taken the calf.

فلقد خاف أن يفاجئنا اللص

ص فلم يرض أن نهان ونسلبْ

For he feared the thief might take us by surprise,

and would not have us humiliated and robbed.

وأرانيه وهو يأكل في مر

عاه في صادق المنام ويشربْ

And he showed it to me as it ate in

its pasture, in a true dream, and drank."