أحِنُّ لأرْبابِ المَعارفِ بالتُّرْبِ

وأرْجو بِهِم شَفْعَ الصّنيعَة بالرّب

I yearn for the masters of sacred knowledge, laid in the dust,

and through them I hope for intercessors to win favor with the Lord.

مكانَ اعتمادِي واعتدادِي جَعلتهم

وتُدَّخَر الأعلاقُ للحِقَبِ الشُّهْب

I have made them the ground of my reliance and my pride;

precious treasures are stored against bleak ages.

وَهل دَرَكٌ في أن تَقَربْتُ مِنهم

بأسْنَى أناسٍ أحرَزوا دَرَكَ القُرْب

What attainment is mine? Through them I have drawn near

to the most exalted of men, who attained the goal of nearness.

تَلَقّوا جنى القُرآن غُضّاً عنِ الذي

أتَى خاتِماً للرُّسل في خاتم الكُتب

They received the Qur’an’s fruit, still fresh, from the one who

came as the Seal of the Messengers in the final Book.

أطوف بِناديهِم رَجَاءَ نَداهُم

كذاكَ انتظامُ الطّير في مَنثَر الحَب

I circle their gathering, hoping for their bounty,

just as birds gather where grain is scattered.

هُم القوْمُ لا يَشْقى جَليسُهُمُ بِهم

وَحسْبِيَ أن يَغْشَى مَجالِسَهُم قَلبِي

They are the people whose companion never comes to grief among them;

and it is enough for me that my heart should frequent their gatherings.

نضِيتُ لإخْلاصي لَهُم وتَخلّصي

بإرْشادِهِم مِنْ حَيْرةِ الرّفْض والنّصْب

I wore myself thin in pure devotion to them, and found release

through their guidance from the bewilderment of rejection and hostility.

وَيا بِأبي المُخْتَارُ من سرِّ هاشِم

ومَنصِبُه المُختارُ من صَفوَةِ العُرْب

Ah, may my father ransom the Chosen One, of Hashim’s inmost essence,

whose chosen lineage is from the purest of the Arabs—

مُحَمَّدٌ المَنصورُ بِالرُّعبِ وَالصّبا

فَبَيْنَ الصَّبا طاحَتْ أعاديهِ والرُّعب

Muhammad, made victorious by dread and the east wind;

between the east wind and dread, his enemies fell.

رَوَى أنَسٌ ما فيه أنْسٌ مُجدّدٌ

لِمْستَوحِشٍ من فادحِ الوِزْر والذَنب

Anas related what contains ever-renewed solace

for one made desolate by the crushing burden of transgression and sin.

فَأتْبَعْتُ حُبَّ اللّهِ حُبّ رَسولِهِ

ولَيسَ مَتابُ الواصِلين سِوى الحُب

So I followed love of God with love of His Messenger;

for those who attain, there is no return but love.