لم اسودت الدنيا ولم يك غاسق — Mufti Fathallah

لِمَ اِسوَدَّتِ الدّنيا وَلَم يَكُ غاسِقُ

وَأَظلَمَتِ الآفاقُ حَتّى المَشارِقُ

Why has the world turned black, though no night has fallen?

And why have the horizons darkened, even the eastern skies?

خَليلي رَعاكَ اللَّه قُل ليَ ما الّذي

لَقَد صارَ في الدُّنيا فَإنّكَ صادقُ

My friend—may God guard you—tell me what

has happened in the world, for you speak the truth.

فَهَل آنَ خِلِّي للقِيامَةِ وَقتها

وَنَفخٌ بِصورٍ ثمَّ يَصعَقُ صاعِقُ

Has the Resurrection's hour arrived, my friend,

with a blast upon the Trumpet, then someone falling senseless,

وَبَعثُ الوَرى وَالحَشرُ ثَمَّ وَإِنّهُ

تَقومُ لِربِّ العالَمينَ الخَلايِقُ

and mankind's resurrection and the gathering there? Indeed,

all creatures stand before the Lord of the worlds.

أَرى الكَونَ مُسوَدّاً أَرى الشَّمسَ لَم تَبِنْ

أَرى البَردَ لَم يُسفِرْ وَما هُوَ شارِقُ

I see the universe blackened; I see the sun has not appeared.

I see the cold has not cleared, nor is it radiant.

وَأَنّ نُجومَ الأُفقِ غَير طَوالعٍ

فَلَم يَبدُ مَسبوقٌ وَلَم يَبدُ سابِقُ

And the stars of the horizon are not rising:

neither a latecomer nor a forerunner appears.

وَأَينَ السّما غَير الظّلام فَلا يَرى

وَلَو جَدَّ بِالتّحديقِ وَالومقِ وامِقُ

Where is the sky, beyond the darkness? None can see it,

though a lover strives with intent gaze and longing.

أَزالَت وَإِلّا بِالظّلامِ تَحَجَّبَت

فَما شَأنُها قُل لي فَصدرِيَ ضائِقُ

Has it vanished, or else veiled itself in darkness?

What is its plight? Tell me, for my breast is constricted.

وَما لي أَرى الأَطوادَ لَيسَت بِحالِها

فَكَم قَد هَوَى طَودٌ وَكَم دُكَّ شاهِقُ

Why do I see the mountains no longer as they were?

How many mountains have fallen, how many lofty peaks been crushed!

وَما لي أَرى الأَطيارَ خُرساً وَلَم يَكُن

عَنِ الصّدحِ وَالتَّغريدِ يَسكتُ ناطِقُ

Why do I see the birds mute, when never

would a vocal creature fall silent from song and warbling?

وَما لي أَراها لا تَطيرُ وَإِنَّها

وَإِنْ هِيَ قَد قُصّت جَناحاً خَوافِقُ

Why do I see them not flying, though they,

even if clipped of wing, still beat their wings?

فَما الخَبَرُ الشّافي خَليلي بِهِ اِشفِني

فإِنِّيَ بِالتَّحديثِ مِنك لَواثِقُ

What is the healing news? My friend, heal me with it,

for I surely trust the account that comes from you.

فَأَنتَ أَبو الأَخبارِ يَروي صَحيحها

أَخو الثّقَةِ الثّبتُ الصّدوقُ المصادقُ

You are the father of reports, whose true accounts are related by

a man of trust, reliable, truthful, and sincere in friendship.

وَها لَم أَزَل فيهِ إِلى أَن أَجابَني

وَأَدمُعُه مِن مُقلَتَيهِ دَوافِقُ

And behold, I persisted in this until he answered me,

his tears streaming from his two eyes,

بِصَوتٍ خَفِيٍّ قَد يدقّ سَماعهُ

إِجابَةَ باكٍ وَهوَ بِالدّمعِ شارِقُ

in a faint voice, scarcely audible:

the answer of a weeping man, choking on tears.

وَقالَ نَعَم أَودى خَليفةُ مالِكٍ

وَمالِكُ هَذا العَصرِ مَن لا يسابقُ

He said, 'Yes: Malik's successor has perished,

the Malik of this age, whom none can rival.

إِمامُ ذَوي التّحقيقِ قدّمَ فيهِمُ

وَتَقديمُهُ فيهِم عَلَيهِ تَوافَقوا

Leader of men of rigorous inquiry, placed foremost among them,

they agreed upon his precedence among them.

وَجيهِ أُولي التّدقيقِ وَهوَ أَميرُهُم

لَهُ نشرَت فيهِم لَديهِ البَيارِقُ

The eminent man among those of precision, and their commander,

for whom banners were unfurled among them in his presence.

تَأَمَّر فيهِم بِالعلومِ وَضَبطِها

وَأَبرزَها كَيفَ اِقتَضَتها الحَقائِقُ

He became their commander through the sciences and their mastery,

and set them forth as the realities required.

تَأَمَّر حتّى أَن تَسمّى الأمير في ال

وَرى وَعَلى التلقيبِ فيهِ تَصادَقوا

He led until he was named al-Amir among the

people, who agreed upon bestowing that title on him.

هُوَ الشّمسُ شَمسُ الدّين وَالهدى ضوؤها

فَكَم فيهِ أُفقٌ قَد أَضاءَ وَخافِقُ

He is the sun, the sun of religion, with guidance its light;

how many a horizon and distant region shone through him!

وَكَم قَد مَحا جنحاً مِنَ الجَهلِ داجِياً

فَزالَ وَلَم يَظهَر مِنَ الجَهلِ غاسقُ

How many a dark stretch of ignorance's night he erased,

so it vanished, and no darkness of ignorance appeared.

سَمِيُّ أَجَلِّ المُرسَلينَ محمّدٍ

عَلَيهِ صَلاة اللَّهِ ما لاحَ بارِقُ

Namesake of the most exalted of messengers, Muhammad—

God's blessings be upon him whenever lightning flashes.

هوَ البحرُ عِلماً عنهُ حَدِّثْ مُبالِغاً

فَأَنتَ عَلى التّحديثِ عنهُ مُوافَقُ

He is the ocean in knowledge; speak of him with exaggeration,

for you will be agreed with when speaking of him.

هُوَ الحَبرُ ينبوعُ المَعارِفِ رائِقاً

عَلى سَطحهِ ماءُ المَعارِفِ دافِقُ

He is the learned scholar, a clear spring of knowledge,

upon whose surface the waters of knowledge flow.

هوَ العالِمُ النّحريرُ وَالجَهبذُ الّذي

عَلى كُلّ نحريرٍ سَما هوَ فائِقُ

He is the consummate scholar and discerning master who

rose above every expert, surpassing them all.

هُوَ العَلَمُ المَشهورُ في كُلِّ جانِبٍ

فَلَيسَت تَفوقُ الغَرب فيهِ المَشارِقُ

He is the renowned beacon in every region;

the eastern lands do not surpass the West in knowing him.

وَخَيرُ شُهودِ المَرءِ بِالفَضلِ في الوَرى

وَعِندَهمُ فيِه اِشتِهارٌ يُطابِقُ

The best witnesses to a man's excellence are among mankind,

and his renown among them accords with that.

تَصَدَّرَ لِلتأليفِ مِن زَمَنِ الصِّبا

وَدانَت لَهُ فيهِ الصّعابُ الدقائِقُ

He took the foremost place in authorship from his youth,

and difficult, subtle matters yielded to him in it.

تَآليفُهُ جَلَّت وَتِلكَ بَديعةٌ

وَحَلَّت عَلى التّحقيقِ فيها الرّقائِقُ

His writings are exalted, and they are wondrous;

fine subtleties dwell in them, grounded in exact inquiry.

فَلا فَنَّ إِلّا وَهوَ فيهِ إِمامُه

وَلا مُشكِلَ إِلّا لَهُ هُوَ سابِقُ

There is no field in which he is not its leader,

and no difficult question in which he is not foremost.

عَلى فَضلِهِ كُلُّ الأَفاضِلِ أَجمَعوا

وَمِنهُم بِدونِ الخلفِ تَمَّ التّوافقُ

All eminent men unanimously agreed on his excellence,

and their agreement was complete, without dissent.

وَقَد أَذعَنوا طُرّاً فَلَم يَأبَ مِنهُمُ

صَديقٌ صَدوقٌ أَو صَديقٌ مُنافِقُ

They all acknowledged it; none among them refused,

whether a truly sincere friend or a hypocritical friend.

وَقَد أَجمَعوا أَن لا يُجارى مسابقاً

وَأَنْهُ يَحوزُ السّبقَ حينَ يُسابِقُ

They agreed that he could not be matched in competition,

and that he wins precedence whenever he competes.

وَقَد رَضِيَت مِنهُ سَجاياهُ كلّها

وَقَلَّ الّذي تُرضيكَ مِنهُ السّلائِقُ

All his character traits found approval,

and rare is one whose innate dispositions please you.

وَطابَ بِحُسنِ الخلقِ وَالخلقِ سيرَةً

وَصيتاً كَما قَد طابَ مِنهُ الخَلائِقُ

He was pleasing in conduct through beauty of form and character,

and in renown, just as his qualities were pleasing:

كَجودٍ وَحلمٍ ثمّ حسنِ تَواضُعٍ

وَفي حُسنِ خلقٍ لِلأَنامِ يخالقُ

generosity, forbearance, and fine humility,

and the good character with which he treated people.

وَرَفعِ الأَذى وَالضرِّ وَالنّفعِ شَأنُهُ

وَقَد أُمِنَتْ في الدّهرِ منه البَوائِقُ

Removing injury and harm, and bringing benefit, was his way;

throughout his days, people were safe from harm at his hands.

دَعاهُ إِلى الجَنّاتِ داعي إلَهه

فَلَبّى مُجيباً لَم تَعُقْه العَوائِقُ

His God's summoner called him to the Gardens,

and he answered the call; no obstacles hindered him.

وَسارَ يَجدُّ السّيرَ وَهوَ مَشوقُها

وَيا قُربَ مَقصودٍ لَهُ سارَ تائِقُ

He went, hastening his journey, longing for them;

how near the goal toward which a yearning man traveled!

وَقَد ساقَهُ رضوانُ مَولاهُ نَحوَها

وَيا فَوزَ مَنْ رِضوان مَولاهُ سائِقُ

His Lord's good pleasure led him toward them;

how triumphant is one led by his Lord's good pleasure!

وَسارَ إِلى الفِردَوسِ أَرِّخ بِجدّهِ

وَنالَ خُلوداً وَالنبيَّ يُرافِقُ

He journeyed earnestly to Paradise—record the date:

and gained immortality, accompanying the Prophet.

وَبُشراهُ بِالفَوزِ العَظيمِ وَإِنَّهُ

يُجاوِرُ مَولاهُ وَلَيسَ يُفارِقُ

Glad tidings to him of the mighty triumph! For he

dwells beside his Lord and does not depart.

وَلَكنّنا فيهِ أَصَبنا مُصيبَةً

تَجِلُّ كَما قَد عَظمتها الخَلائِقُ

But in losing him we suffered a calamity,

immense, as all creatures have deemed it.

بِها قُصِمَت مِنّا الظّهورُ وَقَد وَهَت

كَواهِلُنا عَن حَملِها وَعَواتِقُ

It broke our backs, and weakened

our upper backs and shoulders against its burden.

قِفا نَبكِهِ حتّى القيامة أَدمُعاً

تَسيلُ بِها الأَحداقُ وَهيَ زَواهِقُ

Stand, you two: let us weep for him until the Resurrection, with tears

streaming from eyes that are perishing.

وَتَبدو بِها الأَرواحُ صاعِدَةً لَها

وَتَنزِلُ مِثلَ الودقِ وَالودقُ وادِقُ

Through them souls appear, ascending toward them,

and descending like rain, as rain pours down.

وَحقّ عَلَينا أَن تُشَقّ قُلوبُنا

وَأَكبادُنا لا أَن تُشقّ البَنائِقُ

Our hearts ought to be torn apart,

and our livers—not the gussets of our shirts.

فَكَم شوهِدَت إِذْ ماتَ مِنهُ كَرامةٌ

عَياناً وَأَمرٌ لِلعَوائِدِ خارِقُ

How many saintly wonders were witnessed from him at his death,

with one's own eyes, events defying the ordinary!

فَبَسمَلَ عندَ الغَسلِ أَسمَعَ حاضراً

وَعِندَ نُزولِ القبرِ وَالنقلُ صادِقُ

He uttered 'In the name of God' during the washing, making a bystander hear,

and when lowered into the grave—the report is true.

فَيا لَيتَهُ يُفدى وَكنّا فِداءَهُ

وَأَنْ لَم يَكُن مِمّن لَهُ المَوتُ لاحِقُ

If only he could be ransomed, and we were his ransom,

and he were not among those whom death overtakes!

وَلَكِنَّما بِالمَوتِ رَبِّي قَد قَضى

وَمَن كانَ ذا نَفسٍ فَلِلمَوتِ ذائِقُ

But my Lord has decreed death,

and everyone possessed of a soul must taste death.

وَإِنْ كانَ ذاقَ المَوتَ وَالقبرُ حازهُ

فَما زالَ حَيّ الدّهرَ ما بانَ شارِقُ

Though he has tasted death and the grave has enclosed him,

he remains alive for all time, as long as the rising sun appears.

فَقَد خَلَّف الصيتَ الحَميدَ وَإِنَّهُ

لأذفَرُ مِسكٍ مالئ الكَونِ عابقِ

For he left behind praiseworthy renown, and it

is pungently fragrant musk, filling the universe with scent.

وَمَن عاشَ ذكراً فَهوَ حيّ حَقيقَةً

وَمَن لَم يَعِش ذِكراً فَذَلك وابِقُ

Whoever lives on in remembrance is truly alive;

whoever does not live on in remembrance is lost.

وَخَلّف فينا نَجلهُ الجهبذَ الّذي

عَلى فَضلِهِ أَهلُ العُلومِ تَطابَقوا

He left among us his son, the discerning master,

whose excellence the men of learning all agree on.

أَبو العِلمِ رَبّ الفَهمِ بَحر مَعارِفٍ

أَخو الحِذقِ يَبدو لا يُدانيهِ حاذِقُ

Father of learning, master of understanding, an ocean of knowledge,

a man of mastery, whom no adept comes close to.

تَصَدَّرَ للتدريسِ وَالنّفعِ بَعدهُ

تَصدُّرَ كُفؤ وهوَ أَهلٌ وَلائِقُ

He took the leading place in teaching and benefiting others after him,

taking the place of an equal, worthy and well-suited.

فَأَبدى مِنَ التَّحقيقِ كُلَّ عَجيبَةٍ

يَعزّ عَلى الأَفكارِ فيها الطرائِقُ

He revealed every marvel of exact inquiry,

whose paths prove elusive to thought.

وَجاءَ بِما لَم تَستَطِعهُ أَوائِلٌ

وَكَم مِن أَخيرٍ لا يُدانيهِ سابِقُ

He brought forth what earlier men could not accomplish;

how many a later man no predecessor can match!

وَإِن حازَ فَضلاً مِن أَبيهِ فَإِنَّهُ

وَبُشراكُم سامٍ عَلَيهِ وفائقُ

Though he acquired excellence from his father, he is—

glad tidings to you!—rising above him and surpassing him.

وَلا غَروَ فَاِبنُ اللّيثِ لَيثُ غَضَنفَرٍ

وَلا عَجب فَاِبنُ البَواشِقِ باشِقُ

No wonder: a lion's son is a lion, a mighty lion;

no marvel: the son of sparrowhawks is a sparrowhawk.

فَيا أَيّها المَولى الّذي قَلَّ مثلُهُ

فَكالشّمسِ لا مثلَ فَلا فَرق فارِقُ

O master, whose like is rare,

like the sun, you have no peer; no difference sets you apart from it.

لَئِن كُنتَ مَولانا أَصبتَ مُصيبَةً

عَلى هَولِها مِنّا تشيبُ المَفارِقُ

If, our master, you have suffered a calamity,

at whose horror the partings of our hair turn gray,

تَذَكَّر بِخَيرِ الرّسلِ أَعلى مُصيبَةٍ

يَقِلُّ لدَيك الخطبُ إِذْ أَنتَ ضائِقُ

recall the greatest calamity: losing the best of messengers;

your affliction will seem small when you are distressed.

وَصَبراً فَإِنّ الصّبرَ أَليَقُ بِالفَتى

وَعَن أَجرِهِ مَولايَ يَقصرُ ناطِقُ

Be patient, for patience better befits a man;

my master, no speaker can fully describe its reward.

وَفيكَ لَنا عَمّن أُصبت أَخا الحجى

بِهِ خَلف مِنهُ اِستطيبَ الخَلائِقُ

In you, O man of wisdom, we have, for the one whose loss afflicted you,

a successor whose qualities have been found pleasing.

وَأَسأَلُ ربّي اللَّهَ حُسنَ عَزائِكم

وَإِعظامه أَجراً بِهِ الفضلُ حائِقُ

I ask my Lord, God, to grant you good consolation,

and to increase your reward, encompassed by grace,

وَيُسكِنَهُ الفِردوسَ قُربَ جِوارِهِ

وَفيهِ لَهُ بالدّرِّ تُبنى الجَواسِقُ

and to lodge him in Paradise, near His presence,

where palaces of pearls are built for him,

وَيَسقِيَ قَبراً ضَمَّهُ غَيثُ رَحمَةٍ

يُقَلِّبُ فيه وَهوَ في ذاك غارِقُ

and may a rain of mercy water the grave that holds him,

turning him within it, while he is immersed in that mercy,

مَدى الدّهرِ ما هَبَّت رِياحٌ لَواقِحٌ

وَما أمطَرَت غبّ البروقِ البَوارِقُ

for all time, as long as fertilizing winds blow,

and flashing clouds rain after the lightning;

كَذا ما اِبنُ فَتحِ اللَّهِ يَسأَلُ قائِلاً

لِمَ اِسوَدَّت الدّنيا وَلَم يكُ غاسِقُ

likewise, as long as Ibn Fath Allah asks, saying:

Why has the world turned black, though no night has fallen?