باسمك يا الله ربي ابتدي — Omar Alyafi

باسمك يا الله ربّي ابتدي

وبسنا نور الدعاء أهتدي

In Your name, O God, my Lord, I begin,

And by the radiance of prayer's light I am guided,

توسّلاً بصاحب الوسيلةْ

ذي الحوض واللواء والفضيلةْ

Seeking intercession through the possessor of the means of approach,

Master of the Basin, the Banner, and excellence,

أصلِ الوجود بحر فيض المددِ

وصل الشهود المصطفى محمّدِ

The root of existence, the ocean of outpouring aid,

The bond of witnessing, the Chosen One, Muhammad.

أرفع بالخفض أكُفّي معربا

ضمير شأني إذ بنا الفتحُ نبا

I raise my palms in humility, expressing

My innermost state, since the opening has eluded us.

مستغفراً أتيت بالأسحارِ

مستمطراً غيث العطا المدرارِ

Seeking forgiveness, I come in the predawn hours,

Seeking the abundant rain of giving.

أدعوك بالنور القديم الأوّلِ

وسرّك الساري العظيم الأزلي

I call upon You by the ancient, primordial light,

And Your pervasive, mighty, eternal mystery,

الأوّل الاليّ في الوجود

في المشهد الغيبيّ والشهود

The First, al-āliyy, in existence,

In unseen vision and in witnessing;

بذاتك القدسيّة العليّهْ

وبصفات مجدها الجليّهْ

By Your holy, exalted Essence,

And the manifest attributes of its majesty,

بما لها فينا من المظاهرِ

لدى المجالي في عُلى الحضائرِ

By the manifestations it has within us,

At the places of unveiling in the heights of the sanctuaries,

من سرّ فيض باطنٍ وظاهرِ

ونور غيبٍ غائبٍ وحاضرِ

Of the mystery of an inward and outward outpouring,

And the light of the unseen, absent and present;

وباسمك السامي السماك الأسمى

وكلّ رسمٍ أبرزته الأسما

And by Your lofty, Simāk-high, most exalted name,

And every form the Names have brought forth;

بمَظهَر الأسماء في التجلّي

ومُظهِر الإيماء في التدلّي

By the manifestation of the Names in self-disclosure,

And the revealer of intimations in descent;

بمنزل الهباء من نقا اللقا

ومنهل الفناء من وِرد البقا

By the abode of dust, from the dune of encounter,

And the watering place of annihilation, from the draught of abiding;

بالهُوتِ باللاهوت بالناسوتِ

بمعتلى سكينة التابوت

By Hūt, by the divine realm, by the human realm,

By the exalted seat of the Ark's tranquility;

بعالم الأرواحِ بالملائكِ

بقائمٍ جنحَ الظلام الحالكِ

By the realm of spirits, by the angels,

By one standing beneath the wing of pitch-black darkness;

بمشهد هبّاته مجتمعهْ

أشهد كان الله لا شيء معهْ

By the vision of His gifts gathered together:

I bear witness: God was, with nothing beside Him.

وبتجلّي جاء يجلي أثرَهْ

من عينِ كنتُ سمعه وبصرَهْ

And by a self-disclosure that came to unveil His trace,

From the very essence of 'I was his hearing and his sight';

بخبرٍ منّا إلينا مبتدا

حديثه القديم أضحى مسندا

By a report, begun from us and addressed to us,

His eternal discourse has become a transmitted account.

وكان ختم المبتدا البدايهْ

وأولاً ومنتهى النهايهْ

And he was the seal of the outset, the beginning,

And the first, and the ultimate end;

الجامع الشؤون وهو البرزخُ

مَن شرعُه المكنون حاشا ينسخُ

The gatherer of all affairs, and he is the isthmus,

Whose hidden law can never be abrogated;

بليلة الإسراء والمعراج

بلذّة الخطاب في النتاج

By the night of the Night Journey and the Ascension,

By the delight of the address in its fruition;

كقاب قوسين تدلّى ودنا

من المنى بقوله إنّي أنا

As at two bow-lengths, he descended and drew near

To the object of longing, through His words, 'Indeed, I am';

برؤية عينيّةٍ جمالا

جلَت وجلّت في العلا مثالا

By a vision of beauty with one's own eyes,

That revealed a likeness and grew sublime in the heights;

بسرّ ما كان من المحادثهْ

قديمةً عند اللقا وحادِثَهْ

By the mystery of the conversation that took place,

Eternal at the encounter, and newly uttered;

بلطف ما جاء به إلينا

مباركاً فينا كما علينا

By the gentleness of what he brought to us,

Blessed within us, as upon us;

بالآي بالسبع من المثاني

نوراً أرانا وحدة المثاني

By the verses, by the seven oft-repeated ones,

A light that showed us the unity of pairings;

بشمس حقٍّ من سماءٍ أشرقت

ومحقت سجفَ الردى ومزّقت

By a sun of truth that shone from a heaven,

And effaced and tore apart the veils of ruin;

بكلّ من بنوره قد اهتدى

ومن به بجامع الرشد اقتدى

By everyone guided by his light,

And those who followed him in comprehensive right guidance;

لا سيّما الصديق ثاني اثنينِ

من خُصّ منه بالعهود العيني

Especially al-Siddiq, the second of two,

Who was singled out by him for covenants of direct vision,

من عين جسر القرب والرصافه

فحاز أُولَى رتبِ الخلافه

From the very bridge of nearness and firm union,

Thus attaining the first rank of the caliphate;

بالجامع الفاروق في عرفانهِ

من دار قولُ الحقّ في لسانهِ

By al-Faruq, all-embracing in his knowing,

On whose tongue the word of truth revolved;

بذي الحيا عثمان والإيمانِ

رفيقه في غرف الجنانِ

By ‘Uthman, endowed with modesty and faith,

His companion in the chambers of the gardens;

وبابن عمّه العليّ ذي الرضا

المرتضى السيف اليماني المنتضَى

And by his exalted cousin, endowed with favor,

Al-Murtada, the unsheathed Yemeni sword;

بالحسنينِ الأحسنينِ من هما

ريحانتاه لهما طيب النما

By Hasan and Husayn, the two most excellent, who are

His two sweet basils, blessed with fragrant growth;

وسائر الصحب الكرام البررهْ

ومَن لآلي فضلهم منتشرهْ

And the rest of the noble, righteous companions,

And those whose pearls of merit lie scattered,

من أحكموا في حبّه وثقى العُرى

علماً بأنّ الصيد في جوف الفرا

Who fastened the firmest bonds in loving him,

Knowing that the quarry is in the wild ass's belly;

بسالك منتظمٍ في سلكهم

وناشقٍ نفحَ ختامِ مسكهم

By a wayfarer threaded into their thread,

And one inhaling the fragrance of their musk's seal;

وكلّ تابعٍ لهم السير

وجامعٍ بهم صنوفَ الخير

And every follower who walks their path,

And one gathering through them the varieties of goodness;

وبأبي حنيفةِ النعمان

شقيق روض الفضل ذي الإتقان

And by Abu Hanifa al-Nu‘man,

The anemone in excellence's garden, possessed of mastery;

بمالكٍ والشافعيّ حبّذا

من اقتدى بهم وعنهم أخذا

By Malik and al-Shafi‘i—how excellent is

Whoever follows them and learns from them;

وبابن حنبل صحيح السندِ

وكلّ شهمٍ في الورى مجتهدِ

And by Ibn Hanbal, sound in transmission,

And every noble independent jurist among humankind;

بما لنا قد أوضحوا من مسلكِ

يرقى بسالكيه أوجَ الفلكِ

By the path they have made clear to us,

Which raises its travelers to the celestial sphere's zenith;

بسيّدي غوث الحمى الجيلاني

ليث الشرى ذي المشهد العياني

By my master al-Jilani, the succor of the sanctuary,

The lion of al-Shara, endowed with direct witnessing;

بالبدويّ والرفاعي والدسو

قيّ بمن من العيوب قُدّسوا

By al-Badawi, al-Rifa‘i, and al-Dusu—

—qi; by those purified of faults;

بالمحيوي ذي السرّ نجل حاتمِ

ومن لفتح الغيب خير خاتمِ

By al-Muhyawi, possessor of the mystery, scion of Hatim,

And he who is the finest seal upon the opening of the unseen;

بالعارف النابُلُسي عبدِ الغني

روض الهبات زهرة الفتح الجني

By the knower al-Nabulusi, ‘Abd al-Ghani,

The garden of gifts, the ready-picked blossom of unveiling;

بقطب أهل الاصطفا والمعرفهْ

المصطفى مَن سبلُهُ منكشفهْ

By the pole of the people of election and knowledge,

Mustafa, whose paths lie open,

أستاذِنا البكريّ ذي الحقائقِ

من اجتنى أزاهرَ الطرائقِ

Our teacher al-Bakri, master of spiritual realities,

Who gathered the blossoms of the paths;

من أرتجي دون البرايا فضلَهُ

عساه يسقي نهله وعلَّهُ

Whose bounty I hope for rather than that of other creatures,

May he pour his first draught and his second,

من ورد أورادٍ لنا قد أوردت

صدر التداني بالمنى قد أسعدت

From a draught of litanies that have led us

To the forefront of nearness and gladdened us with our desires;

بنجله الكمال عمدتي الّذي

أنشقني من رشده العرفَ الشذي

By his son al-Kamal, my support, who

Let me inhale the sweet fragrance of his guidance;

بكلّ سالكٍ على طريقتِهْ

وكلّ آخذٍ عهود بيعتِهْ

By every wayfarer upon his path,

And everyone taking the covenants of his pledge;

لا سيّما الحفنيِّ ذي الخلافهْ

مِن بعده ولم يرد خلافهْ

Especially al-Hifni, possessor of the succession

After him, who did not wish to oppose him;

بكلّ أصحاب الطرائق العُلى

أهل الجلا بين الملا والاجتلا

By all the companions of the exalted paths,

People of unveiling and beholding amidst the assembly:

جد لي إلهي منك بالتوفيقِ

والصدق والسلوك في الطريقِ

Be generous to me, my God, with success from You,

And truthfulness and wayfaring upon the path.

وامنح عبيداً غيثَ فيض المددِ

ليرتدي ثوب الهدى ويهتدي

And grant a little servant the rain of outpouring aid,

So he may don the garment of guidance and be guided.

وأره محاسنَ الأسفارِ

إذ تنجلي عرائس الأسحارِ

And show him the beauties of journeys,

When the brides of the predawn hours are unveiled.

واكشف إلهي رينَهُ وحجبَهُ

حتّى يرى عند التجلّي قربَهُ

And remove, my God, his rust and his veils,

Until, at self-disclosure, he beholds His nearness,

ويشهد العين بغير حاجبِ

وللحمى يسير كالكواكبِ

And witnesses the Essence without a veil,

And journeys to the sanctuary like the stars.

من قلبه افتح مقفل الأقفاصِ

كي يلق ذات الحسن في الأقفاصِ

Open from his heart the locked cages,

So he may meet the essence of beauty within the cages.

وامنن عليه ربّ بالخلاصِ

من ربقة الإشراك بالإخلاصِ

And favor him, Lord, with deliverance

From the fetter of associating partners, through sincerity.

واعطف عليه منه بالتيسيرِ

والطف به يا ربّ في التقديرِ

And turn kindly toward him with ease from Yourself,

And be gentle with him, O Lord, in what You decree.

واسلك به مسالكَ الفضائلِ

واجنبهُ فضلاً مسلك الرذائلِ

And lead him along the paths of virtue,

And graciously keep him from the path of vices.

واحفظه في تقلّبات الدهرِ

والحظه في السرّ كذا في الجهرِ

And protect him through the vicissitudes of time,

And watch over him in secret, and likewise in public,

من كلّ ما أهمّ من غمٍّ وهمّْ

وألَمٍ به أحاط وألمّْ

From all that burdens him with sorrow and care,

And pain that surrounds him and descends upon him.

خلّصه ممّا ساء كن كافلَهُ

فأنت في أموره كافي لَهُ

Deliver him from what harms him; be his guardian,

For You are sufficient for him in his affairs.

بلّغه منّاً منك ما أمّلهُ

من كلّ خير سيّدي أمّ لهُ

By Your favor, let him attain what he has hoped for,

Of every good, my master, that he has sought for himself.

واجعله بالطاعات والعبادهْ

قد فاز بالحسنى مع الزيادهْ

And make him, through obedience and worship,

One who has won the finest reward, with increase.

وانظمه في سلسلة الوجودِ

ليشهد الوجودَ للموجودِ

And string him into the chain of existence,

So he may witness existence as belonging to the Existent.

حسن متاب أعطه ربّي كما

إليك أحسن المآبَ وانتمى

Grant him good repentance, my Lord, just as

He has made a good return to You and attached himself to You.

وصحّح الأوبة والإنابهْ

إليك حتّى يسمع الإجابهْ

And make sound his turning back and his repentance

To You, until he hears the answer,

ليغدُ في حماك مستقيما

وفي رضاك أبداً مقيما

That he may become upright in Your sanctuary,

And dwell forever in Your good pleasure.

جنّبه ما يقصي عن التداني

من حسن مجلَى الخُرَّد الحسان

Keep him from what drives him away from nearness

To the beautiful manifestation of the lovely maidens.

ورقّه معراج سعد الإرتِقا

واحفظه بالألطاف من درك الشقا

And raise him up the ladder of joyful ascent,

And guard him, through kindnesses, from the depths of misery.

يا من له الشؤون في التجلّي

وحاجب العيون في التدلّي

O You to whom belong the modes of self-disclosure,

And the veiler of eyes in descent,

ويا مفيض فيضِه المدرارِ

لمن أتى حماك بانكسارِ

And O Pourer of His abundant outpouring

Upon those who come to Your sanctuary brokenhearted:

عبدٌ أتى فيضَ رضاك يسألُ

فاقبله يا من للدعاء يقبلُ

A servant has come asking the outpouring of Your pleasure;

Accept him, O You who receive prayer.

إن لم يكن أهلاً لنيل الرحمهْ

فأنت أهلٌ للعطايا الجمّهْ

If he is not worthy to obtain mercy,

You are worthy to bestow abundant gifts.

عمّم بمحض الجود غيداق العطا

لجمعنا واكشف عن القلب الغطا

Spread the copious gift through pure generosity

Over our gathering, and lift the covering from the heart,

كي لا يرى الأغيار في الأكوانِ

بمقتضى شهوده الإحساني

So it sees no other-than-You in the worlds,

In keeping with his witnessing in spiritual excellence.

وما له في حاله من وَقْصِ

عن السوى قد أحرز التقصّي

And no stumbling mars his state;

He has attained withdrawal from all else.

وافتح له مغالق الأبوابِ

كي يلق سرّ اليسر في الأسبابِ

And open for him the locked doors,

So he may find the secret of ease in the means.

واجعل غناه من حلال الرزقِ

معمّماً بالستر بين الخلقِ

And make his sufficiency come from lawful provision,

Enveloped in protective covering among creation.

ولا تكلهُ للسوى في الزمنِ

فأنت ذو الإكرام مولي المنن

And do not leave him to others as time passes,

For You possess honor and bestow favors.

صن وجهه من ذلة السؤالِ

وامنحه حسنَ الحال في المآلِ

Shield his face from the humiliation of begging,

And grant him a good state at journey's end.

حسّن بفضلٍ سيّدي عواقبَهْ

وأعل جاهاً في الورى مراتبهْ

By Your grace, my master, make his outcomes good,

And exalt his ranks in esteem among people.

واحفظه والأوالادَ والعيالا

ممّا لسوء الحال فيهم آلا

And protect him, his children, and his dependents

From whatever leads them to an evil state.

وانهج بهم نهج التقى من بعدهِ

كيما تقرّ عينُه بوُلْدِهِ

And guide them along the path of piety after him,

So his offspring may bring coolness to his eyes.

لا تشمت الأعدا به إلهي

بجاه أحمد العظيم الجاهِ

Do not let his enemies gloat over him, my God,

By the standing of Ahmad, whose standing is great.

سلّمه ربّنا من القطيعهْ

أورده نهل مورد الشريعهْ

Keep him safe, our Lord, from estrangement;

Bring him to the first draught at the spring of the Sacred Law.

واقبضه يا ربّي على الإيمانِ

أسكنه دار الخلد في الجنانِ

And take him, my Lord, in faith;

Settle him in the everlasting abode in the gardens.

متّعه بالعيون والآماق

بنور وجهٍ كاشفٍ عن ساقِ

Let him delight with his eyes and their inner corners

In the light of a Face unveiling a shin.

واجعله من رفاق طه الهادي

في جنّة الخلود والإسعاد

And make him one of the companions of Taha, the guide,

In the garden of immortality and happiness.

صلّى عليه الله ما الصبّ سعى

ممتطياً إلى الحمى عَنْقا الدُّعا

May God bless him as long as the lover strives,

Riding the phoenix of prayer toward the sanctuary,

مسلّماً ما فاح معطارُ القبولْ

وما بدت شمول ألطاف الشمولْ

And grant him peace as long as acceptance's perfume diffuses,

And the wine of all-embracing kindnesses appears;

وآلِه وصحبِه الأجلّهْ

زُهر النجوم هالةُ الأهلّهْ

And his family and his most noble companions,

The bright stars, the halo of crescent moons,

وتابعيهم في الرشاد أبدا

ومن بنهج هديهم قد اهتدى

And their followers in right guidance forever,

And whoever has been guided by the path of their guidance,

ما رفعت أصابع المكارمِ

بالفتح ترجو أحسنَ الخواتمِ

As long as the fingers of noble deeds are raised,

Hoping, through an opening, for the finest endings.