ما زلت بين الورى حيران ذا كلف — Shabrawy

I remained among humankind, bewildered and possessed by longing,

Drawn to one of lofty resolve, to whom I might lament my anguish,

Until the steed of resolve carried me, answering the call,

Toward a man who shone as a full moon upon the heights of honor.

I stretched out my palm; when he saw my sorrow,

With lofty resolve he called, “Come forward, and do not fear.”

May his eminence endure! How often has his palm quenched

One parched by care: his care fled, and he banished it.

Through him I saw the light of benevolence spreading,

After I had said, “The lamp of generosity has gone out.”

He revived guidance; through him doom vanished, and through him

Bounty returned after standing on the brink of destruction.

You were healed, O soul, by meeting him; so hold fast

To him, and pluck from the plantings of his favors.

If you desire pearls, dive into him and gather

Pearls; otherwise, here is the sea—draw from it.

He shot his enemies with an arrow from his eminence, and did not

Miss; some complain, while others concede.

When you see his wondrous countenance appear,

Do not marvel; all beauty resides only in

A patron whose palm repelled harm and sufficed.

What a palm! It sufficed for whoever came to him—and sufficed.

O soul, if you seek a fortress where you may be safe,

Here you are in the chambers of noble deeds; remain.

And do not say, “The gardens of generosity have grown barren,”

Or, “The star of glory’s light has departed and vanished.”

Hardship has vanished; glad tidings are mine on seeing one

Without whose protection my sorrow would not have ended.

O you who seek a station exalted beyond compare,

Behold with your own eye what is pure in him, and describe it.

His hands narrated generosity’s account from ʿAta,

With a chain proven sound, from Bishr and from Khalaf.

With his might he erased every affliction from

The one who hopes in him, who is thus sheltered from evils.

I directed the resolve of my hopes toward him, and did not

Err in my quest, and my hopes did not halt.

I raised my complaint, hoping for the pearls of his aid;

And a seeker of pearls is not deceived by shells.

I drew near, striving to find refuge in a sanctuary of yours,

O Kaaba, around no other has my gaze circled.

May God keep you in honor and well-being,

Blessed with joy that never departs.

Who have I but you? In every matter, you are seen—

You are the man of means, and faithful in making pledges.

I marveled at an envious eavesdropper in the sky,

Who saw your eminence and turned away, yet was not snatched away.

I adorned the maiden of my praise of you; she is therefore

A maiden attended in the forenoon, among the finest gifts.

If I seek him, record the date: “A perfume grew fragrant and precious”;

Or for his troops, record the date: “How many a virtuous Hanafi!”

Let the ignoramus who prolonged reproaches against him be rebuffed, for

My praise of him is no excess; rather, that price is my honor.

If you are born blind to the radiance of his countenance,

Leave me be; a faulty palate does honey no harm.

Not everyone who pronounces judgment brings about a sound

Judgment, nor does everyone whose fidelity is hoped for keep faith.

His palm’s gifts, since they recorded his date for them:

“Guidance appeared; through it doom vanished and disappeared.”