ما للقُلوبِ عن الحبيبِ غِطاءُ
إِلاَّ إذا سكَنَتْ بها الأشياءُ
Veils cannot cloak love of the beloved,
Save when indwelling things do quell the soul.
يبدو الحِجابُ عن الحبيبِ بنظرةٍ
لسِواهُ إنَّ الحادِثاتُ عَمَاءُ
At but a glance the veil's lifted from the loved one-
Other-than-he is dust that to the winds is blown.
من كان يقصُدُ حُبَّهُ لم يلتفِتْ
للفانِياتِ إذِ الجميعُ هَباءُ
Who follows love cares not for fleeting things,
For all is gossamer, and to naught will roll.
مزِّقْ إذْاً حُجْبَ الوُجودِ بهمَّةٍ
من دونِها الغَبْراءُ والخَضْراءُ
Rend then the veils of being with resolve,
Verdant, or dusty, to thy might they bow.
واهْجُرْ أناساً قَيْدُ دِينهمِ الهَوى
دهراً فهم والميِّتونَ سَواءُ
Leave men whose creed is but caprice,
Long has their reasoning been dust, like bones decayed.
فالعبدُ سيِّدُهُ مُناهُ وقصدُهُ
لم تُلْهِهِ النَّعماءُ والآلاءُ
The devotee rules o’er his Lord’s domain and quests,
Unmarred by blessing and beguile of gift bestowed.
وانْهَجْ على أَثرِ النَّبيِّينَ الأُولى
فهُمُ يَنابيعُ الهُدى العُقَلاءُ
Follow the loyal and obedient prophets’ path,
Those founts of wisdom and sagacity.
لفتوا عن الأغيارِ عزمَ قُلوبِهِمْ
ولأمرِهِ بصَحيحِ حالٍ فاءوا
They turned their hearts from strangers, by His order steeled,
And to His summons did with full hearts flow.
تبِعَتْهُمُ السَّاداتُ ساداتُ الورَى
العارِفونَ الخُلَّصُ النُّجَباءُ
The saints pursued, the noble and elect,
Discerning in mind, untainted in creed.
وأقامَ دولَتَهُمْ وأكملَ شأنَهُمْ
طهَ الذي ضاءتْ يه الظَّلْماءُ
He raised their nation up and perfected their affair,
Though gloom once reigned through night that hung like cowl.
أَحيى قُلوبَ المؤمنينَ بنورِهِ
فانْجابَ عنها ساتِرٌ وغِشاءُ
He brought to life believers’ hearts with His light,
Which once obscured, from their midst did lift the veil.
عمَّتْ هدايَتُهُ وضاءتْ شمسُهُ
فلها إلى يومِ القيامِ ضياءُ
Universal is the guidance He revealed, the sun He raised,
Its light till Judgement Day shall never fail.
أخذتْ مُزَمْزِمَةً على منهاجِهِ
آلٌ وصَحبٌ سادَةٌ حُنَفاءُ
Those of His house followed His path without relent,
A folk of probity, devotion's zeal.
هامُوا بذكرِ اللهِ جلَّ جلالُهُ
وقُلوبُ أَصحابِ الجُحودِ هَواءُ
With God's remembrance they were occupied, Tremendous His Perfection!
While hearts of unbelievers were but ashen grey.
قومٌ إمامُهُمُ الرَّسولُ المُصطفى
من تستَظِلُّ بظلِّهِ الشُّفَعاءُ
A folk whose foremost guide was that Embodiment of virtue sought,
Beneath whose shade the pleaders find their goal.
روحُ الوُجودِ مَنارُ كُلَّ حقيقةٍ
سامي الجَنابِ اللَّمْعَةُ البيضاءُ
He was the soul of existence, splendour of all truth,
That noble spirit pure of hue like snow.
المُنْتقى من لُبِّ عُنصُرِ هاشمٍ
إِبناً سمتْ بفَخارِهِ الآباءُ
Chosen kernel from the heart of Hashim's line,
Of whom sires were ennobled by his fame.
هو نورُهمْ في كَنْزِ نشأَةِ كونِهِمْ
والطِّينُ لم يُعجَنْ لهم والماءُ
He was their light within the store of their beginnings,
Ere clay was kneaded, and the water flowed.
وافَى بدينٍ قيِّمٍ ذلَّتْ به
ضِمنَ العُقولِ بطبعِها العَوْجاءُ
He came with flawless creed; by which
Were bent the uprighteous minds that once were bent.
وبدَتْ لنا من برجِ طالِعِ بدْرِهِ
رغمَ العُماةِ محجَّةٌ سمْحاءُ
And by his moon's arising we saw clear, despite the blind,
Evidence brilliant and serene of brow.
شهِدَ العِدى طوعاً بعزَّةِ أمرِهِ
والفضلُ ما شهِدَتْ به الأَعداءُ
Though foes bore witness to his might, by awe compelled,
Merit lies only with attestors from one's foes.
نسخَ الشَّرائعَ كلَّها بشريعَةٍ
خضعتْ لحكمَةِ نصِّها الحُكَماءُ
He superseded creeds, prescribing one wherein
Reasons' wise ones did obedience avow.
واتَى بتوْحيدٍ فنزَّهَ رَباًهُ
وهو المُنَزَّهُ ما له شُرَكاءُ
Singling God out, he lauded Him; that Lofty One,
Who has no partner, peer, nor mate as thou.
العقلُ يشهدُ أنَّ فوقَ فُهومِهِ
معنًى عليه من الوُجودِ رِداءُ
Though the mind bears witness that beyond its ken
There lies a meaning robed in being's gown
وحِّدْ بذوقِكَ ذاتَ ربِّكَ عارفاً
فالشِّرْكُ وصفاً نقطةٌ سوْداءُ
Unite in sense the Essence of your Lord, wise,
For to liken Him, the Ugliest Blot!
يحتاطُ منكَ الرَّأيُ فيكَ ولم تكنْ
تفقَهْ فكيف تصَرَّفُ الآراءُ
Opinion is unsure of you; how can thoughts define?
Or what approach can grasp imagination now?
من أيِّ زاوِيَةٍ أتاكَ خيالُهُ
أو أيُّ ظرفٍ للخيالِ وِعاءُ
What thought has fathomed You, from any point or plane?
Seen, You're corporeal; veiled, hidden from view.
إنْ كان مرئيًّا يكونُ مُجسَّماً
أوْ كان مطموساً فذاكَ خَفاءُ
This emergence both apparent and occult,
Whereby the eloquent were plunged in doubt.
هذا الحُدوثُ به خَفِيٌّ ظاهِرٌ
وبسرِّهِ قد حارَتِ البُلَغاءُ
You hold within you treasuries of all such things,
Whose pages those reciters yet endow.
وحَفِظْتَ أخْباراً بسرِّكَ كلُّها
منها صُفوفٌ ضِمنَهُ وبِناءُ
This being and not-being leaves sages perplexed,
Abashed where knowledge cannot pierce, they bow.
وتظلُّ مُزْواةً فإنْ راجعتَها
كرَّتْ عليكَ هُنالِكَ الأَنباءُ
Transcendent He determines, present, absent too,
Beyond your sight that Lofty Entity.
ووصفْتَ أشكالاً وطبعُكَ شاهِدٌ
وذكرْتَ ألواناً ولا اسْتِجْلاءُ
Creation's secrets lead back to His order's realm,
Whereby things' motion does His decree allow.
فكأَنَّ فيك خِزانَةً لجميعِها
ولها صَحائفُ ضِمنَها قُرَّاءُ
The mystics' secret cure is their conviction sure,
While ignorance in truth's eye is the blight and bane.
هذانِ موجودٌ ومفقودٌ فقِفْ
خجِلاً هناكَ تُجَهَّلُ العُلماءُ
Follow the secret coursing through Muhammad,
Those names ennobled by his presence fair.
جلَّ المُهَيْمِنُ حاضرٌ هو غائبٌ
عن دَرْكِ عينِكَ ذاتُهُ علياءُ
Open the seekers’ eyes with ardour,
Where to his spirit's light they signal bow.
ورَقائقُ الأَشياءِ إنْ سَلْسَلْتَها
رجعَتْ لدولةِ أمرِهِ الأَشْياءُ
Leave those enviers to their misery,
No cure is there, my lads, that can heal their pain.
ودواءُ سِرِّ العارفينَ يقينُهُمْ
والجهلُ في عينِ الحقيقةِ داءُ
They vary with desires, for their misguidance,
Fickle as the chameleon does colours change.
خذْ إثْرَ سِرِّ الكائناتِ محمَّدٍ
من شرِّفَتْ بجنانِهِ الأَسماءُ
stubborn hatred has trussed them up,
To bigotry's abyss as fools deranged.
وافْتحْ عُيونَ السَّالكينَ بهمَّةٍ
فيها لنورِ جَنابِهِ إِيماءُ
They sneered at Holy Law, what ails their minds,
Deeming themselves the learned men so sage!
واترُكْ صُنوفَ الحاسِدينَ بدائِهِمْ
ما للحواسِدِ يا بنيَّ دواءُ
They raved, from their corrupted minds deducing,
Vain fabrications, minds that truth evade.
يتلَوَّنونَ مع الهَوى لضلالِهِمْ
طَيْشاً كما تتلَوَّنُ الحِرْباءُ
It's as though their minds were fire ablaze,
And in them, water, flames' rage to assuage.
عقدَ العِنادُ غُبارَهُمْ فتوسَّدوا
لُجَجَ العِنادِ وكلُّهُمْ سُفَهاءُ
State your absurdities and minds' inanities,
That we examine them you fools outraged.
غَمَزوا الشَّريعةَ يا لسقْمِ عُقولِهِمْ
وبزَعمِهِمْ جَهلاً همُ العُرَفاءُ
The truth lights up from its words a light,
Radiant over horizons afar outstretched.
وتبجَّحوا واسْتنتَجَتْ آراؤُهُمْ
زوراً ومُقلةُ عقلِهِمْ زَوراءُ
You erred headstrong; when the veil is lifted,
Its covering will clothe you, fools enmeshed.
فكأنَّما الأَمْواهَ جمرٌ لاهبٌ
وكأنَّما النِّيرانُ فيها الماءُ
You saw inception plainly possible,
And likewise rendering and inception.
هاتوا مَزالِقَكُمْ وقُبْحَ فُهومِكُمْ
لنقيسَها يا أيُّها السُّقَماءُ
A feat unveiled from One Eternal, Agent,
Inception, rendering His Actions matched.
الحقُّ يُجلى من خلالِ حُروفِهِ
نورٌ تُضيءُ بشَعِّهِ الأَرْجاءُ
O you! We see you comprehend your being's realm as stumped,
While your own place and state you cannot gauge.
رُحتمْ على طيشٍ إذا انْكشفَ الغِطا
ءُ يحُفُّكُمْ بالدَّاهياتِ غِطاءُ
Each part within you is confounded by your circumstances,
So spare us your pretensions and their weight!
فرأيْتُموا الإِبْداءَ يُمكِنُ ظاهِراً
وكذلك الإِرْجاعُ والإِبْداءُ
Existence you witness, its forms you perceive,
By your eyes a blurred and sightless waste.
صُنُعٌ تجلَّى من قديمٍ فاعلٍ
من شأنِهِ الإِبْداءُ والإِخْفاءُ
All time makes a ruin of your house entire,
Stripping you of every aspect and trait.
والطَّيُّ والنَّشرُ المُقيمُ لخلقِهِ
وإِماتَةُ الأَحداثِ والإِحْياءُ
Like yourself your house's wall is ignorant, dumb,
Your words about God flounder in this strait.
يا من نراكَ بفهمِ كونِكَ عاجِزاً
وبشأنِ ذاتِكَ ما لَكَ اسْتيفاءُ
You felt shame when censured by one who railed,
Yet censuring yourself you have no shame to date.
عن كلِّ شخصِكَ في شُؤُنِكَ قاصِرٌ
فاقْصِرْ فزَعْمُكَ فوقَ ذاك عَناءُ
Unify and ponder perplexed, legitimately,
Thus prophets came, bewildered, in their wake.
هذا الوُجودُ وأنت تشهَدُ شكلَهُ
منه بعينِكَ بُرْدَةٌ طَمْساءُ
We're confused but not confused; and in this bewilderment
Knowledge secretes the clarities that daybreak.
تُمضي الزمانَ بعقْرِ بيتِكَ كلَّهُ
وتُماطُ عنك بكلِّهِ أَجْزاءُ
Hallowed, Sanctified, His Name recalled,
Besides Him, no earth exists, no heavenly sphere.
بجدارِ بيتِكَ مثلُ شخْصِكَ جاهِلٌ
إِخْرَس فقولُكَ في الإِلهِ بَلاءُ
Resign all matters to him in full servanthood,
For His is mighty command and ordain.
أنتَ اسْتَحَيْتَ إذا أساءَكَ شاتِمٌ
من شتْمِ نفسِكَ ما لديكَ حَياءُ
In every state for devotees, a new beginning
With God, for affairs, is tutelage.
وَحِّدْ ورُحْ في حَيْرَةٍ شرعِيَّةٍ
الأَنْبياءُ بمثلِها قدْ جاءوا
He is the Knower, and all knowledge falls short.
He the Almighty, while we are all poor.
حِرْنا وما حِرْنا وحَيْرَتُنا به
علمٌ وجَلْجَلَةُ الظُّهورِ خَفاءُ
سبحانَهُ قَدِّسْهُ واذْكُرْ إسمهُ
ما ثَمَّ أرضٌ غيرَهُ وسَماءُ
سلِّمْ له كلَّ الشُؤُنِ تَبَتُّلاً
فلهُ عَزيزُ الأمرِ والإِقْضاءُ
في كلِّ حالٍ للعِبادِ ونَشْأَةٌ
لله سِينٌ في الشُؤُنِ وراءُ
وهو العَليمُ وكلُّ علمٍ قاصِرٌ
وهو الغنيُّ وكُلُّنا فُقَراءُ
