سر بطريق الله حتى المنتهى — Bahaa Al Sayadi

سرْ بطريقِ اللهِ حتَّى المُنْتَهى

إذْ ليس للإَنسانِ إِلاَّ ما سعَى

Walk God's path to its furthest end,

for a person has only what he has striven for.

وقفْ على البابِ الإِلهِيِّ وكنْ

مُقتفِياً بالصِّدقِ إِثرَ المُصْطفى

And stand at the divine door, and be

sincerely following in al-Mustafa's footsteps.

وصحِّحِ النيَّةَ في الدِّينِ فما

للعبدِ عند الرَّبِّ إِلاَّ ما نوَى

And make your intention sound in religion, for

a servant has with the Lord only what he intended.

وسلسِلِ الدَّمعَ على الخدِّ دُجًى

فكم جرَى الخيرُ إذا الدَّمعُ جرَى

And let tears stream down your cheek in the darkness,

for how often goodness flows when tears flow!

وحاذِرِ الغفلَةَ أنْ تُبلى بها

فما مُحِبٌّ حاذِقٌ كمن سهَا

And beware of heedlessness, lest you be afflicted by it,

for a discerning lover is not like one who is heedless.

وكنْ مع الشَّرعِ ولازِمْ حكمَهُ

فظُلمَةُ القبرِ جَزاءُ من عدَا

And abide by sacred law and keep to its ruling,

for the grave's darkness is the recompense of one who transgresses.

وإِنْ دُعيتَ لكلامِ المُصْطَفى

أَطِعْ وحاذِرِ لا تكنْ كمن طغَى

And if you are called to al-Mustafa's words,

obey and beware; do not be like one who rebels.

فأَمرُهُ عن ربِّهِ وإنَّهُ

لم يَنْطِقَنْ وحقِّهِ عن الهوَى

For his command comes from his Lord, and indeed he

never spoke from desire—by his honor!

وجانِبِ الهَوَى ولا تركَنْ له

فكم له مُنْصَرِعٌ على القَفَا

And shun desire and do not incline toward it,

for how many it has felled flat on their backs!

ودعْ حِمى العِصيانِ يوشَكُ الفتَى

يعثُرُ إِنْ حامَ الفَتَى حولَ الحِمَى

And leave disobedience's preserve; a young man may soon

stumble if he circles round the preserve.

وكحِّلِ العينَ بإِثْمَدِ التُّقَى

فإنَّما الوِزْرُ إلى العينِ عَمَا

And line your eye with the antimony of piety,

for sin is blindness to the eye.

وخذْ معاني الغيبِ عن شريعَةٍ

منْهَجُها لربِّنا النَّهجْ السِّوَى

And take the meanings of the unseen from a sacred law

whose way to our Lord is the straight path.

ولا ترَ النَّفسَ فإنَّ الدَّاءَ أَنْ

يُكابِرَ المرءُ أوِ النَّفسَ يَرَى

And do not hold yourself in high regard, for the malady is

that a person grows arrogant or holds himself in high regard.

وفارِقِ الخِلَّ الذي طريقُهُ

مُجْتَذِبٌ زِمامَهُ إلى الغَوَى

And part from the friend whose path

draws his reins toward error.

ورافِقِ التَّقيَّ واغْنَمْ وقتَهُ

فلذَّةُ العيشِ بأَصحابِ التَّقَى

And keep company with the pious man and make the most of time with him,

for life's delight lies in companions of piety.

وارْوِ كلامَ المُصْطَفى مُحَقَّقاً

ما كُلُّ راوٍ إِنْ روَى القولَ رَوَى

And transmit al-Mustafa's words with due verification;

not every narrator who relates a saying has truly related it.

واسْرِ مع القومِ على آدابِهِمْ

عندَ الصَّباحِ يحمدُ القومُ السُّرَى

And travel by night with the company, observing their manners;

at dawn the company praises the night journey.

وسلِّمِ الأمرَ لمولاكَ وكنْ

مُعتصِماً بحبلِهِ عن السِّوَى

And entrust the matter to your Master, and be

clinging to His rope, apart from all else.

ولازِمِ البيتَ بخُلقٍ رَيِّضٍ

كم آفةٍ تأتي الفَتَى إذا مَشَى

And keep to your house with a well-disciplined character;

how many a calamity comes upon a young man when he goes out!

وصنْ بنيَّ العينَ لا تنظرْ بها

إِلاَّ مُباحاً وبه الشَّرعُ أَتَى

And guard your eye, my son; do not look with it

except at what is permitted and sanctioned by sacred law.

ورِجلَكَ احفظْها فلا تبعَثْ بها

لغيرِ ما يُرضي أَساطينَ النُّهَى

And guard your foot; do not send it

toward anything but what pleases the pillars of understanding.

وباعِدِ الكِبْرَ ولا تحفَلْ به

فالكِبْرُ قاطِعٌ أساليبَ العُلَى

And keep pride far away and pay it no heed,

for pride cuts off the paths to loftiness.

وكنْ وَقوراً رَبَّ خُلْقٍ رَيِّضٍ

ما خفَّ في مجلِسِهِ رَبُّ حِجَا

And be dignified, possessed of a well-disciplined character;

no man of wisdom behaves frivolously in his gathering.

واجعلْ نِظامَ الدِّينِ حُكماً قاطِعاً

لا تقضِ بالرَّأيِ إذا الدِّينُ قَضَى

And make religion's order a decisive judgment;

do not judge by opinion when religion has judged.

وخالِفِ المُعْوَجَّ في مذهبِهِ

إِنْ سَفُلَ الشَّأنُ به وإِنْ عَلا

And oppose the crooked man in his doctrine,

whether his standing through it is low or high.

ولدِفاعِ الكَرْبِ باللهِ استغِثْ

فإنَّ ربِّي لم يخيِّبْ من دَعا

And to ward off distress, seek help from God,

for my Lord has never disappointed one who calls upon Him.

وخذْ من الخَشْيَةِ دِرعاً صَيِّناً

واذْكُرْ بها مُوسى وسيناءَ طُوَى

And take from reverent fear a protective shield,

and through it remember Moses, Sinai, and Tuwa.

فالأَمرُ لله تعالى راجِعٌ

وعندَهُ سُبحانَهُ كلُّ المُنَى

For the matter returns to God, exalted is He,

and with Him—glory be to Him—are all hopes.

واسَتقْصِرِ الأَوقاتَ واعملْ ضمنَها

للهِ مشغولاً بفكْرِ المُلْتَقَى

And deem the hours short, and work within them

for God, occupied with thoughts of the meeting.

وعامِلِ الدُّنيا على مشرَبِها

فإنَّما الدُّنيا قصيرَةُ المَدَى

And deal with this world according to its nature,

for this world has but a short span.

إِن خادَعَتْكَ رُحْ بها معتبِراً

ما صَنَعَتْ بغشِّها فيمَنْ مَضَى

If it deceives you, move through it, taking heed

of what its deceit did to those who went before.

وخُذْ من اللَّيلِ زَماناً طيِّباً

الصُّبحُ لا تغفَلْ به ولا الضُّحَى

And take a wholesome portion of the night;

do not be heedless at dawn, nor in the forenoon.

ولاحِظِ الأَنفاسَ في مُرورِها

فليسَ بالفتَى المُحِبُّ إِنْ لَهَا

And watch the breaths as they pass,

for a lover is no true youth if he dallies.

وطيِّبِ الفقيرَ واجبُرْ قلبَهُ

لكلُّ ما يمكِنُ واترُكْ ما نأَى

And comfort the poor man and mend his heart

in every possible way, and leave what is beyond reach.

وصافِ من صافاكَ واحفَظْ وُدُّهُ

ولا تكنْ محتفِلاً بمن قَلَى

And be sincere with one who is sincere with you, and preserve his affection,

and do not concern yourself with one who hates you.

وعظِّمِ الخِلَّ الوَفِيَّ باطِناً

وخلِّ بالإِهمالِ قلباً من جَفَا

And honor the faithful friend inwardly,

and neglect in your heart whoever turns away.

وإِنْ علوْتَ كنْ لطيفَ مشرَبٍ

ما أقبَحَ الفَظَّ الغَليظَ إِنْ عَلا

And if you rise in rank, be gentle in disposition;

how ugly is the harsh, coarse man when he rises!

وصِرْ رَؤوفَ القلب بالنَّاسِ وكنْ

مُخالِفاً لربِّ لؤْمٍ قد قَسَا

And become compassionate in heart toward people, and be

opposed to a base man who has grown hard-hearted.

وكنْ سخِيًّا من حلالٍ وارِدٍ

إليكَ من إِحسانِ رافِعِ العُلَى

And be generous with lawful wealth that comes

to you from the bounty of the Raiser of the heights.

إِنَّ السَّخِيَّ بحرامٍ نَكِدٌ

مع البخيلِ المُفرِطِ الشُّحِّ استوَى

Indeed, one who is generous with unlawful wealth is wretched,

equal to the miser whose stinginess is extreme.

وقاطِعِ الكَذوبَ في فِرْيَتِهِ

فإنَّما المَلعونُ عادٌ افْتَرَى

And break with the habitual liar over his fabrication,

for the accursed one is a transgressor who fabricates lies.

وخَلِّ من رابَى وخذْهُ جانِباً

فالجائعُ الفقيرُ آكِلُ الرِّبا

And leave the usurer and keep him at a distance,

for the devourer of usury is hungry and poor.

وخادِشُ الأَعراضِ لا تقرَبْ له

دهراً فذاكَ دربُهُ دربُ لَظَى

And one who wounds people's honor—do not go near him

ever, for his path is the path of the Blaze.

ورُدَّ للنَّمَّامِ ما يأتي به

لوجهِهِ فذاكَ مأسورُ الهَوَى

And throw back at the tale-bearer what he brings

in his face, for he is captive to desire.

وإِنْ ترَ المُطيعَ فاقْبِضْ ذيلَهُ

وفارِقَنْ وجهاً وقلباً من عَصَى

And if you see the obedient man, grasp his hem,

and part, in face and heart, from one who disobeys.

أعظِمْ شُؤُنَ الصَّحبِ طُرًّا إنَّهم

أَئمَّةٌ والكُلُّ منهم مُقْتَدَى

Hold all the Companions' affairs in high esteem, for they

are leaders, and each of them is an exemplar.

والآلُ آلُ المُرْتَضى فاحْبِبْهُمُ

حبًّا لذاتِ المُصْطَفى والمُرْتضَى

And the family is al-Murtada's family, so love them

out of love for al-Mustafa himself and al-Murtada.

واحْبِبْ رجالَ اللهِ للهِ وقفْ

ببابِهِمْ والله خيرُ من هَدَى

And love God's men for God's sake, and stand

at their door; God is the best of guides.

وكنْ لهم لأَجلِهِ مُصْطفِياً

قد يصطَفي العبدُ من الله اصْطَفَى

And for His sake, be one who chooses them;

a servant may choose those whom God has chosen.

ولا ترَ التَّأثيرَ فيهم إنَّه

شِرْكٌ بلِ الفَعَّالُ يُمضي ما مَضَى

And do not attribute causal power to them; that

is associating partners with God; rather, the All-Acting One brings about what comes to pass—

آثارَ أسرارٍ بهم أَودَعَها

كاللَّيلِ قد أودَعَهُ عتمَ الدُّجَى

the effects of secrets He has placed within them,

just as He has placed the gloom of darkness within the night.

واحْفَظْ لهم حُقوقَهُمْ لأَجلِهِ

أهلُ العُقولِ تَرْتَضي من ارْتَضى

And preserve their rights for His sake;

people of understanding approve those He has approved.

وهم لَعَمْري لو عرَفْتَ من هُمُ

أَتباعَ طَهَ التَّابِعونَ من قفَا

And they, by my life, if you knew who they are,

are Taha's followers, following those who followed him.

من قالَ إنِّي منهمْ ولم يكنْ

مقيَّداً بالشَّرعِ ضلَّ وغَوَى

Whoever says, "I am one of them," yet is not

bound by sacred law has strayed and fallen into error.

بيِّنةٌ ظاهِرةٌ فخُذْ بها

ودعْ سبيلَ كاذِبٍ قدِ ادَّعَى

The evidence is manifest, so take hold of it,

and leave the path of a liar who makes pretensions.

واعطِفَ على الجَارِ وكنْ عزًّا له

واستعمِلِ العفوَ إذا الجارُ اعْتَدَى

And be kind to your neighbor and be a source of strength to him,

and practice forgiveness if your neighbor transgresses.

وصلْ أُولي الأَرحامَ مهما قاطَعوا

عن قطعِهِمْ نبيُّنا الطُّهْرُ نَهَى

And keep ties with your kin, however much they cut you off;

our pure Prophet forbade cutting them off.

للوالِدَيْنِ احفَظْ حُقوقاً جَمَّةً

حالَ الحياةِ أَو هُما تحت الثَّرَى

Preserve your parents' many rights,

while they live, or while they lie beneath the earth.

واحفَظْ وِداداً من أَحبَّاهُ وكنْ

ممتَثِلاً في ذاكَ أَمرَ المُجْتَبَى

And maintain affection for those they both loved, and be

obedient in this to the command of the Elect.

وارْعَ بنيَّ العهدَ لا تهمِلْ له

أَمراً فحكْمُ العهدِ ديناً يُبْتَغَى

And honor the covenant, my son; do not neglect

any of its terms, for keeping a covenant is required by religion.

وصُنْ حُقوقَ النَّاسِ لا تعبَثْ بها

بذلك السَّطرُ على اللَّوحِ جَرَى

And safeguard people's rights; do not trifle with them;

so ran the writing upon the Tablet.

ينكشِفُ الغِطاءُ بالموتِ وقدْ

يُسأَلُ عن أَفعالِهِ من قد بَغَى

The veil is lifted by death, and indeed

one who has transgressed is questioned about his deeds.

واكْظِمِ الغيظَ وطِبْ قلباً ولا

تسترسِلِ النَّبْلَ متى الذِّئبُ عَوَى

And restrain anger and be kind at heart; do not

let fly arrows whenever the wolf howls.

وخُذْ من القلبِ سلاحاً ماضِياً

على العدوِّ إِنْ بِلا حقٍّ سَطَا

And take from the heart a keen weapon

against the enemy if he attacks without right.

اقْرَبَ للتَّقوى ترى العفوَ فكنْ

عند بُروزِ قُدرةٍ ممَّن عَفَا

You will find forgiveness nearer to piety, so be,

when your power becomes manifest, among those who forgive.

وإِنْ دَهى طامِسُ كربٍ فاعْتَصِمْ

باللهِ كم كربٍ بذا الشَّأْنِ انْجَلَى

And if blinding distress strikes, hold fast

to God; how many a distress has cleared in this way!

وإِنْ تناهَى فادِحٌ بشدَّةٍ

قلْ حسبيَ اللهُ تعالى وكَفَى

And if a crushing affliction reaches its utmost severity,

say, "God Most High is enough for me, and He suffices."