سدرة المنتهى — Hassan Alhadary

دعاكَ مِن غُلَّةِ الأشواقِ داعيها

فالقلبُ يكتمُها حينًا ويُبديها

From longing's burning thirst, its summons called you;

So the heart conceals it for a time, then reveals it.

وقمتَ تَسفَحُ دمْعَ العينِ في وجَلٍ

وبِتَّ تحتَ نجومِ الليلِ تُحصيها

And you rose, shedding tears from your eyes in fear,

And spent the night beneath the night's stars, counting them.

أرسلتُ شِعريَ أبياتًا منمَّقةً

وبتُّ أنسجُ ما جادت قوافيها

I sent forth my poetry in embellished verses,

And spent the night weaving what their rhymes bestowed.

ماذا تقدِّمُ أشعاري لِمَنْ وقفتْ

تَحارُ في وصفِه أحلَى معانيها

What can my poems offer one before whom stand

Their sweetest meanings, bewildered in describing him?

أمْ ما أسطِّرُ فيه بعدما نزلتْ

آياتُ ربِّكَ بالتعظيمِ نتلوها

Or what can I write about him after the descent of

Your Lord's verses of exaltation, which we recite?

يا سيِّدَ الثَّقَلَيْنِ اشتدَّ بي ظَمَئِي

وعذَّبَ النفسَ آمالٌ أمنِّيها

O master of humankind and jinn, my thirst has grown intense,

And hopes I hold out to my soul have tormented it.

هل لي بِحَوضِكَ أُسقَى عذبَ موردِه

قد فاز واردُ حوضٍ أنتَ ساقيها

May I be given a drink at your pool, from its sweet source?

Whoever comes to a pool where you give drink has indeed triumphed.

لمَّا رأيتُكَ في نومي تبشِّرُني

هنَّأتُ نفسي وقد وافتْ أمانيها

When I saw you in my sleep giving me glad tidings,

I congratulated my soul, for its wishes had been fulfilled.

وقلتُ صبرًا لنفسي بعدَ ما سمعتْ

فكلُّ ما هو مكتوبٌ سيأتيها

And I told my soul, after what it had heard, 'Be patient,'

For all that is decreed will come to it.

يا رحمةً ربُّكَ الرحمنُ أرسلَها

فقام يتْبَعُها مَن كان يرجوها

O mercy sent forth by your Lord, the All-Merciful,

Whoever hoped for it rose to follow it.

ودعوةً مِن خليلِ اللهِ أطلَقَها

أكرِمْ بِسائلِها أعظِمْ بِمُعطيها

And a prayer uttered by God's intimate friend—

How noble its petitioner, how great its Giver!

بكَ النهارُ تجلَّى يستضيءُ به

مَن قام يرجو سبيلَ الحقِّ يَحْدوها

Through you the day shone forth; by it is illumined

Whoever rises, hoping the path of truth will lead them onward.

في لحظةٍ شَهِدَ التَّاريخُ رَوعتَها

فقام يسجدُ شكرًا في نواحيها

In a moment whose splendor history witnessed,

It rose to prostrate itself in gratitude throughout its reaches.

والأرضُ قد كشفتْ عن حُسنِ زِينتِها

تَؤُمُّ رحمةَ ربٍّ أنتَ مُهدِيها

And the earth had unveiled the beauty of its adornment,

Seeking a Lord's mercy, which you bestow.

والكائناتُ بِثَوبِ الشُّكرِ ساجدةٌ

للهِ ربِّكَ والآمالُ تَحْدوها

And all created beings, robed in gratitude, prostrate themselves

Before God, your Lord, with hopes urging them onward.

والطَّيرُ في جوِّها تشدو بأغنِيَةٍ

إيقاعُها الحمدُ، والتَّسبيحُ تاليها

And the birds in their sky sing a song

Whose rhythm is praise, followed by glorification.

والوحشُ تمرحُ في البيداءِ مُوقِنةً

أنَّ الذي فطرَ الأكوانَ كافيها

And wild beasts gambol in the wilderness, certain

That the One who created the worlds suffices them.

وأنتَ فوق النَّبِيِّينَ الكرامِ لهم

إمامُ صدقٍ إلى الخيراتِ تَهديها

And you stand above the noble prophets, for whom you are

A true leader, guiding them toward good deeds.

هُم قدَّموكَ بأمرِ اللهِ إذْ علِموا

بأنَّكَ الخاتَمُ المبعوثُ مُزْجيها

They placed you foremost by God's command, knowing

That you are the Seal, sent forth to urge them onward.

وأينَ مِثلُكَ تأتمُّ الهداةُ به

إذَا تجرَّدَ للرحمنِ داعيها

And where is your like, whom the guides take as their leader,

When their caller devotes himself wholly to the All-Merciful?

فكلُّ غايةِ خيرٍ أنتَ سابِقُها

وكلُّ آيةِ مجدٍ أنتَ قارِيها

Every goal of goodness—you reach it first,

And every sign of glory—you are its reader.

أعمَى بصائرَهم ربُّ البريَّةِ إذْ

رامُوا به غُدرةً خابتْ مساعيها

The Lord of creation blinded their inner sight when

They sought to betray him, but their treacherous efforts failed.

ما كذَّبوكَ ولكنْ بالهُدَى جحَدوا

كذاك يحجَدُ أهلَ الفضلِ باغيها

They did not call you false, but denied the guidance;

Thus does its oppressor deny people of virtue.

الجِذعُ حنَّ وهذِي الشاةُ قد حلبتْ

وسبَّحتْ حَصَيَاتٌ باسمِ ناشِيها

The tree trunk yearned, and this ewe gave milk,

And pebbles uttered praise in the name of their Maker.

والجِنُّ قد أيقنتْ أنَّ القضاءَ جرَى

بِأعظَمِ الأمرِ فانهدَّتْ مَراقيها

And the jinn knew for certain that the decree had come to pass

Concerning the greatest matter, and their paths of ascent collapsed.

جاءتكَ مُنصتةً تُصغي لِمَا استمعتْ

مِن وحيِ ربِّكَ ذي الغفرانِ هاديها

They came to you, silent, listening to what they heard

Of revelation from your Lord, the Possessor of Forgiveness, their Guide.

لولاكَ ما خلقَ الأكوانَ خالِقُها

سبحانَ ربِّكَ ربِّ العرشِ مُحصيها

Were it not for you, their Creator would not have created the worlds.

Glory to your Lord, Lord of the Throne, who numbers them all.

وفِي الشهادةِ باسمِ اللهِ مقترنٌ

أعظِمْ بها نعمةً قد جَلَّ مُعطيها

And in the testimony of faith, your name is joined to God's name;

How great a blessing it is; exalted indeed is its Giver!

وشَقَّ صدرَكَ إعلاءً وتَزكِيَةً

فأنتَ أنقَى وأتقَى مَن يوافيها

And He split open your breast, to exalt and purify you,

So you are the purest and most God-fearing of those who come to it.

وأنتَ أطهرُ مَن في ظِلِّها نَسَبًا

وأنتَ أكرَمُ مَن يمشي بأرْضيها

And you are the purest in lineage of those beneath its shade,

And you are the noblest of those who walk upon its lands.

وقاكَ مِن شرِّ ما تصبو النفوسُ له

فلستَ تصبو إلى شيءٍ يرَدِّيها

He protected you from the evil of what souls yearn for,

So you do not yearn for anything that brings them to ruin.

تلك السحابةُ إذْ جاءتْ تظلِّلُه

قد أيقنتْ أنَّ هذا خيرُ مَن فيها

That cloud, when it came to shade him,

Knew for certain that this one was the best of all within it.

إليه تُنمَى حصونُ المجدِ أجمعُها

والمَكرُماتُ به تمَّتْ معانيها

To him are ascribed all the fortresses of glory,

And through him the virtues attained their fullest meanings.

سبحانَ ربِّكَ مَن أسرَى به فسَرَى

في ليلةٍ وقفَ التاريخُ يَقْفُوها

Glory to your Lord, who took him by night, and he journeyed

On a night whose trail history stood following.

وسِدرةُ المنتهَى بُلِّغتَ غايتَها

وما لِغيرِكَ منهم أنْ يُرَجِّيها

And the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary—you were brought to its farthest reach;

And no one else among them may aspire to it.

لا أنتَ بالفَظِّ بينَ الناسِ قد علِموا

ولا الغليظِ إذا فاضتْ مآقيها

You are not harsh among people; they know this,

Nor hard-hearted when their eyes overflow.

ولستَ تَغضبُ إلَّا للذي عظُمتْ

آلاؤُه فجميعُ الخَلقِ تَدرِيها

And you grow angry only for the One whose immense

Bounties are known to all creation.

أنقذتَ قومًا دَنَوا مِن سُوءِ خاتمةٍ

وقُمتَ للناسِ باسمِ اللهِ تَهديها

You saved a people who had drawn near an evil end,

And you rose in God's name to guide humankind.

محوتَ عنهم ظلامَ الجهلِ فانقلَبوا

بِنعمةٍ مِن عطاءِ اللهِ يُسديها

You erased from them the darkness of ignorance, and they were transformed

By a blessing from God's bounty, which He bestows.

واختاره اللهُ أمِّيًّا يعلِّمُهم

لَمْ يَتلُ مِن كُتبٍ أو كان قارِيها

And God chose him, unlettered, to teach them;

He had not recited from books, nor been their reader.

والغيثُ يَهطلُ فيهم بعدما قَنَطُوا

حتى استجارَ مِن الأشطانِ واديها

And rain poured down among them after they had despaired,

Until its valley sought relief from the rain's long ropes.

والماءُ مِن أصبُعَيْهِ فاض مُنبجسًا

فقام يَشهدُ قاصِيها ودانِيها

And water poured from his two fingers, gushing forth,

So those far away and close at hand rose to bear witness.

يا بْنَ العواتكِ مِن صُلبٍ إلى رَحِمٍ

بالطُّهرِ زيَّنها الرحمنُ حاميها

O son of the ʿAwātik, from loins to womb,

The All-Merciful, their Protector, adorned them with purity.

أنتَ الذي أشرقتْ شمسُ السلامِ به

مِن بعدِ أنْ كاد زَيغُ البغيِ يُطفيها

You are the one through whom the sun of peace shone,

After tyranny's crookedness had almost put it out.

أقمتَ دولةَ عدلٍ أنتَ قائدُها

واللهُ هادٍ إليها مَن يوافيها

You established a state of justice, whose leader you are,

And God guides to it whoever comes to it.

والأمرُ شُورَى وعينُ اللهِ راصدةٌ

وأنتَ خيرُ دليلٍ حين نَقْفوها

And affairs are settled by consultation, while God's eye keeps watch,

And you are the best guide when we follow it.

أنتَ النَّجاةُ لِمَنْ ضلَّتْ سفينتُه

إذا تشبَّثَ باسمِ اللهِ حاديها

You are salvation for one whose ship has lost its way,

If its helmsman clings to God's name.

وأنتَ يومَ الوغَى دِرعٌ تلُوذُ بها

فوارسُ القومِ حين الخَطبُ يُشقيها

And on the day of battle, you are a shield that shelters

The people's horsemen when calamity torments them.

أنتَ الشِّفاءُ لِنفسٍ غالَها سَقَمٌ

وكاد يُهلِكُها جُرمٌ ويُردِيها

You are healing for a soul ravaged by sickness,

And sin had almost destroyed it and brought it to ruin.

بَسطتَ عفوكَ يومَ الفتحِ مُقتدرًا

ولو أردتَ لَعَمَّ القتلُ مَن فيها

You extended your pardon on the day of conquest, though in full command,

And had you wished, killing would have engulfed everyone within it.

لكنْ أبيتَ سِوى الإحسانِ يصحبُه

فيضٌ مِن العفوِ والغفرانِ يُرضيها

But you refused all but kindness, accompanied by

An outpouring of pardon and forgiveness that pleases them.

أنتَ الرحيمُ بهِم بعدَ الذي صنعوا

ولو تشاءُ لَذَلُّوا في أقاصيها

You are merciful toward them after what they did,

And if you willed, they would be humbled in its farthest reaches.

هلْ بعدَ هذا يرُومُ الناسُ مِن خُلُقٍ

وهلْ سِواكَ به ازدانتْ مَرافيها

After this, can people seek any further virtue?

And has anyone but you adorned its harbors with that virtue?

أنتَ المشفَّعُ حينَ الكلُّ منشغلٌ

بنفسِه ودواعي الناسِ تُلْهيها

You are the intercessor whose plea is granted, when all are preoccupied

With themselves, and people's concerns distract them.

صلَّى عليكَ إلهُ الناسِ ما طلعتْ

شمسٌ وما قام بالأفلاكِ حاديها

May the God of humankind bless you for as long as rises

A sun, and as long as the spheres' guide is at work among them.

هذِي إليكَ قصِيدِي أنتَ غايتُها

في نَظمِها الصِّدقُ باسمِ اللهِ أُهديها

This is my poem for you; you are its goal.

Sincerity is in its verse; in God's name I offer it.

فاقبَلْ فديتُكَ نفسي أنتَ قائدُها

إلى النَّجاةِ بأمرِ اللهِ باريها

So accept it—may I ransom you with my soul, whose guide you are—

Toward salvation, by the command of God, its Creator.