قد طال شوقي إلى الأحباب والفكر — Binsaadi

قَدْ طالَ شَوقِي إِلى الأَحْبابِ والفِكَرُ

وقَدْ عَرانِي لِذاكَ الهمُّ والسَّهَُر

Long have I yearned for loved ones and dwelt on them in thought.

And grief and sleeplessness have befallen me because of it.

وَكَم يَجيشُ الهوَى قَلبِي فَيَترُكُنِي

لا أَسْتَفِيقُ لِما آتِي وما أذَرُ

How often passion stirs my heart, leaving me

Unable to regain my senses about what I do or leave undone.

وكَم نَصيحٍ أتَى يَومًا لِيعْذِلَنِي

فَصَارَ يَعْذُرُنِي فِيهِمْ وَيَعْتَذِرُ

How many a sincere adviser came one day to reproach me,

Only to excuse my love for them and apologize.

يَا لائِمًا في الهوَى صَبًّا أَضَرَّ بِهِ

طُولُ البِعادِ عَنِ الأَحْبابِ مُذ هَجَرُوا

O you who blame a lovesick man for passion, wounded by

Long separation from loved ones ever since they departed.

فَبَاتَ يَرعَى الذَّرَارِي مِنْ تَشوُّقِهِ

قَدْ بَاتَ مِنْهُ الحَشَا وَالقَلْبُ يَنْفَطِرُ

So he spent the night watching the stars in his yearning;

From it, his breast and heart kept splitting through the night.

لَو كُنْتَ تَدْرِي الهوَى أَوْ قَدْ بُلِيتَ بِهِ

وَذُقْتَ آلامَهُ كَالنَّارِ تَستَعِرُ

Had you known love, or been afflicted with it,

And tasted its pains, blazing like fire,

لَما نَطَقْتَ ولَمْ تَنطِقْ بِلائِمَةٍ

لَوْمُ المُحِبِّينَ ذَنْبٌ لَيسَ يُغتَفَرُ

You would not have spoken, nor uttered a reproach.

Blaming lovers is a sin that is not forgiven.

دَعْ عَنْكَ ذِكْرَ الهَوى والمُولَعِينَ بِهِ

وَانْهَضْ إِلَى مَنْزِلٍ عَالٍ بِهِ الدُّرَرُ

Set aside talk of love and those infatuated with it,

And rise to a lofty station where pearls lie.

تَسْلُو بِمَرْبَئِهِ عَنْ كُلِّ غَالِيَةٍ

وَعَنْ نَعِيمٍ لِدُنْيا صَفْوُهُ كَدرُ

Its lofty height will make you forget every precious beloved,

And worldly bliss, whose very clarity is murk,

وَعَنْ نَدِيمٍ بِهِ يَلْهُو مُجالِسُهُ

وَعَنْ رِيَاضٍ كَسَاها النَّوْرُ وَالزَّهَرُ

And a boon companion who entertains whoever sits with him,

And gardens clothed in blossoms and flowers.

اِنْهَضْ إِلَى الْعِلْمِ فِي جِدٍّ بِلا كَسَلٍ

نُهوضَ عَبْدٍ إِلَى الْخَيْراتِ يَبْتَدِرُ

Rise to knowledge with diligence, without sloth,

As a servant rises, hastening toward good deeds.

وَاصْبِرْ عَلَى نَيْلِهِ صَبْرَ المُجِدِّ لَهُ

فَلَيْسَ يُدْرِكُهُ مَنْ لَيْسَ يَصْطَبِرُ

And persevere in gaining it with a diligent seeker's patience;

For none attains it who will not persevere.

فَكَمْ نُصوصٍ أَتَتْ تُثْنِي وَتَمْدَحُهُ

لِلطَّالِبِينَ بِها مَعْنًى وَمُعْتَبَرُ

How many texts have come extolling and praising it!

For seekers, they hold meaning and a lesson.

َمَا نَفَى اللهُ بَيْنَ الْعَالِمِينَ بِهِ

وَالْجَاهِلِينَ مُسَاوَاةً إِذا ذُكِرُوا

Has God not denied, between those who know Him

And the ignorant, equality whenever they are mentioned?

وَقَالَ لِلْمُصْطَفَى مَعْ مَا حَبَاهُ بِهِ

اِزْدَدْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ فِي عِلْمٍ بِهِ بَصرُ

And He told the Chosen One, despite all He had bestowed on him:

Increase in knowledge—in learning that brings insight.

وَخَصَّصَ اللهُ أَهْلَ الْعِلْمِ يُشْهِدُهُمْ

عَلَى الْعِبَادَةِ والتَّوْحِيدِ فَاعْتَبرُوا

And God singled out the learned, calling them to witness

To worship and divine oneness—so take heed.

وَذَمُّ خَالِقِنَا لِلجَاهِلِينَ بِهِ

فِي ضِمْنِهِ مَدْحُ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ مُنْحَصِرُ

And our Creator's censure of those ignorant of Him

Contains within it praise of the people of knowledge.

وَفِي الْحَدِيثِ انْ يُرِدْ رَبُّ الْوَرَى كَرَمًا

بِعَبْدِهِ الْخَيْرَ والمَخْلُوقُ مُفْتَقِرُ

And in the hadith: if the Lord of creation, in generosity, wills

Good for His servant—and the creature is needy—

أَعْطَاهُ فِقْهًا بِدِينِ اللهِ يَحْمِلُهُ

يَا حَبَّذا نِعَمًا تَأْتِي وَتُنْتَظَرُ

He grants him understanding of God's religion, which he bears.

How excellent are blessings that come and are awaited!

أَمَا سَمِعْتَ مِثَالاً يُسْتَضَاءُ بِهِ

ويَسْتَفِزُّ ذَوِي الأَلْبَابِ إِنْ نَظَرُوا

Have you not heard a parable that gives light

And stirs those of understanding when they reflect?

بِأَنَّ عِلْمَ الهُدَى كَالْغَيْثِ يُنْزِلُهُ

عَلَى الْقُلُوبِ فَمِنْهَا الصَّفْوُ وَالْكَدَرُ

That knowledge of guidance is like rain He sends down

Upon hearts: some are clear, others murky.

أَمَّا الرِّيَاضُ الَّتِي طَابَتْ فَقَدْ حَسُنَتْ

مِنْهَا [الرُّبَى] بِنَبَاتٍ كُلُّهُ نَضِرُ

As for the fertile gardens, they have grown lovely,

Their hills adorned with plants, all fresh and green.

فَأَصْبَحَ الْخَلْقُ والأَنْعَامُ رَاتِعَةً

بِكُلِّ زَوْجٍ بَهيجٍ لَيْسَ يَنْحَصِرُ

So people and livestock came to graze freely

On every delightful kind, beyond all counting.

وَبَعْضُهَا سَبَخٌ لَيْسَتْ بِقَابِلَةٍ

إِنْبَاتَ عُشْبٍ بِهِ نَفْعٌ وَلاَ ضَرَرُ

And some are salty ground, incapable of

Growing grass that brings benefit and no harm.

يَكْفِيكَ بِالْعِلْمِ فَضْلاً أَنَّ صَاحِبَهُ

بِالْعِزِّ نَالَ الْعُلاَ وَالْخَيْرَ يَنْتَظِرُ

Enough proof of knowledge's merit is that its possessor

Attains the heights with honor and awaits good.

يَكْفِيكَ بِالْجَهْلِ قُبْحًا أَنَّ صَاحِبَهُ

يَنْفِيهِ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ وَالْعِلْم يبْتَكرُ

Enough proof of ignorance's ugliness is that its possessor

Disowns it, yet sets out early in pursuit of knowledge.

يَكْفِيكَ بِالْجَهْلِ قُبْحًا أَنَّ مُؤْثِرَهُ

قَدْ آثَرَ المَطلَبَ الأَدْنَى وَيَفْتَخِرُ

Enough proof of ignorance's ugliness is that whoever prefers it

Has chosen the lowest aim, yet boasts.

أَيُّ الْمَفاخِرِ تَرْضَى أَنْ تُزَانَ بِهَا

أَجَهْلُكَ النَّفْسَ جَهْلاً مَا لَهُ قَدَرُ

With which grounds for pride would you consent to be adorned?

Your ignorance of yourself—an ignorance of no worth?

أَمْ بِالجَهالَةِ مِنْكَ فِي شَرِيعَتِهِ

كَيْفَ الصَّلاةُ وَكَيْفَ الصَّوْمُ وَالطُّهُرُ

Or your ignorance concerning His law:

How to pray, how to fast, and how to purify yourself?

أَمْ كَيْفَ تَعْقِدُ عَقْدًا نَافِذًا أَبَدًا

كَيْفَ الطَّلاقُ وَكَيْفَ الْعِتْقُ يَا غُدَرُ

Or how to conclude a contract valid forever;

How divorce and manumission work, O faithless one?

أَمِ افْتِخارُكَ بِالجَهْلِ الْبَسِيطِ نَعَمْ

وَبِالمرَكَّبِ لَا تُبْقِي وَلَا تَذَرُ

Or do you boast of simple ignorance? Yes,

And of compound ignorance—you spare nothing and leave nothing.

تَبًّا لِعَقْلٍ رَزِينٍ قَدْ أَحَاطَ بِهِ

مَعَ الجَهَالَةِ دَيْنُ الذَّنْبِ وَالغَرَرُ

Perish a sober mind encircled

By ignorance, the debt of sin, and peril.

كَمْ بَيْنَ مَنْ هُوَ كَسْلانٌ أَخُو مَلَلٍ

فَمَا لَهُ عَن ضَيَاعِ الوَقْتِ مُزْدَجَرُ

What a gulf between a sluggard, brother to weariness,

With nothing to restrain him from wasting time,

قَدِ اسْتَلانَ فِرَاشَ الْعَجْزِ مُرْتَفَقًا

حَتَّى أَتَى المُضْعِفانِ الشَّيْبُ وَالْكِبَرُ

Who finds the bed of helplessness soft, reclining on it,

Until the two weakeners arrive: gray hair and old age;

وَبَيْنَ مَنْ هُوَ ذُو شَوْقٍ أَخُو كَلَفٍ

عَلَى الْعُلُومِ فَلا يَبْدُو لَهُ الضَّجَرُ

And one filled with yearning, a brother to devotion

To the branches of knowledge, never showing weariness.

يَرْعَى التَّوَقِّي وَيَرْعَى مِنْ تَحَفُّظِهِ

أَوْقَاتَهُ مِنْ ضَياعٍ كُلُّهُ ضَرَرُ

He heeds caution and, in his vigilance, guards

His hours against waste, which is all harm.

لا يَستَريحُ وَلا يَلْوي أَعِنَّتَهُ

عَنِ الْوُصُولِ إِلى مَطْلُوبِهِ وَطَرُ

He never rests, nor are his reins turned aside

From reaching his goal by any other desire.

تُلْفِيهِ طَوْرًا عَلَى كُتْبٍ يُطَالِعُهَا

يَحْلُو لَهُ مِنْ جَنَاهَا مَا حَوَى الْفِكَرُ

At times you find him poring over books;

What his thoughts grasp of their fruit is sweet to him.

تُلْهِيهِ عَنْ رَوضَةٍ غَنَّاءَ مُزْهِرَةٍ

أَطْيارُهَا غَرَّدَتْ وَالْمَاءُ مُنْهَمِرُ

They distract him from a lush and blossoming garden,

Whose birds sing and whose water pours forth.

وَبَاحِثًا تَارَةً مَعْ كُلِّ مُنْتَسِبٍ

يَبْغِي الرَّشَادَ فَلَا يَطْغَى وَيَحْتَقِرُ

And at other times in discussion with every fellow student,

Seeking right guidance, neither overstepping nor showing contempt.

وَاهًا لَهُ رَجُلًا فَرْدًا مَحاسِنُهُ

بِالْحَزْمِ وَالْعَزْمِ هَانَ الصَّعْبُ وَالْعَسِرُ

Ah, what a man he is, peerless in his virtues!

Through prudence and resolve, the difficult and arduous become easy.