هَبّ النّسيمُ معَطَّرَ الأراجِ

فشَفَى لَواعِجَ قَلْبي المُهْتاجِ

The gentle breeze carries fragrant aromas,

Healing the turmoil in my restless heart.

وافَى يُحدِّثُ عن أحِبّتيَ الأَلى

أصْبَحتُ أكْني عنْهُمُ وأُحاجي

It brings tidings of my beloved friends,

Though I've grown silent, still longing for them.

فاشْرَبْ علَى ذِكْرِ الحَبيبِ وسَقِّني

صَهْباءَ تُشْرِقُ في الظّلامِ الدّاجِي

Drink to the memory of the beloved, and pour me

A draft to illuminate the engulfing darkness.

مِنْ خَمرَةِ السِّرّ المُقدّسَةِ التي

كَلِفَتْ بِطاسَتِها يَدُ الحلاّجِ

From that sacred chalice of mystery

Entrusted to the hand of al-Hallaj.

وأرَت لهُ الأشياءَ شيئاً واحداً

فَغَدا يُخاطِبُ نَفْسَهُ ويُناجِي

It showed all things as one,

So he began conversing with his soul.

ورأى ابْنُ أدْهَمَ لَمْحةً منْ نورِها

تَلْتاحُ بينَ مَخارِمٍ وفَجاجِ

And ibn Adham glimpsed an instant of its light,

Gleaming amid ruins and ravines.

فَغَدا ومِنْ صوفِ الصّفاءِ شِعارُهُ

واعْتاضَهُ مِنْ لِبْسَةِ الدِّيباجِ

So his creed became the wool of purity,

His cloak embroidered with gold brocade.

رَفَعُوا لَها قَبَساً بجانِبِ طُورِهِمْ

فعَشَوْتُ نحْوَ سِراجِهِ الوهّاجِ

Beside their monastery they held up a torch,

So I turned toward its flaring blaze.

وبَحَثْتُ عَنْها خَمْرَةً لمّا تَزَلْ

سَبَبَ النّجاةِ لِطالِب أوْراجِي

I searched for a wine that still

Offers hope and healing for the seeker.

لمّا عَلِمْتُ مَكانَها وزَمانَها

أعْمَلْتُ في لَيْلِ السُّرَى إدْلاجي

When I learned its time and place,

I walked by night with hidden purpose.

وأتَيْتُ رَبَّ الدّيْرِ في مِحْرابِه

فبَثَثْتُ إفْلاسي إليْهِ وَحاجِي

I came to the monastery's sheikh in his shrine,

Laying bare my poverty, voicing my need.

نادَيْتُهُ مُترَحِّماً واللّيلُ قدْ

رَجَعَتْ كتائِبُهُ علَى الأدْراجِ

I called to him, sighing, as night

Was drawing in its edges.

ما لي سِواكَ فَلا تُخَيّبْ مَقْصَدي

ما خابَ فيكَ رَجاءُ عَبْدٍ راجِي

None but You, so do not deny my quest.

No servant's hope in You has gone unmet.

وافَيْتُ منْ أرْضٍ بَعيدٍ خَطْوُها

مِنْ بَعْدِ طولِ تخَبُّطٍ ولَجاجِ

From a distant land my steps stretched out

After much stumbling and distress.

مهْما ضَحَيْتُ فظِلُّ حُبِّكَ ملْجإي

ومتَى مَرِضْتُ فَفي يَدَيْكَ عِلاجي

Whatever I sacrificed, Your love remained my shelter,

And when sick, in Your hand was my cure.

ومَدَدْتُ كفَّ الفَقْرِ أسْألُهُ فَيا

عِزَّ الغَنيِّ وذِلّةَ المُحْتاجِ

I extended the palm of poverty to ask,

O Splendor of the wealthy, Disgrace of the destitute!

فرأَى افتِقارِي في يديْهِ فَجادَ لي

منْ جُودِهِ بالوابِلِ الثّجّاجِ

He saw my need and generously opened his hand

To shower me with cascading gifts.

وأحَلّني منْ دَيْرِهِ في هَضْبَةٍ

تنْحَطُّ عَنْها الشُّهْبُ في الأبْراجِ

He lodged me in a cloister on a hillside

Where stars rain down into the towers.

وجَلا عَلَيّ الرّاح في أكْواسِها

فشَرِبْتُها صِرْفاً بغَيْرِ مِزاجِ

The wine wafted over me in its cups

And I drank it pure, without mixing.

تَخْفَى عن الإدْراكِ إلاّ أنّها

يَهْدي سَناها راحَةَ المُزّاجِ

Unknowable to the mind, yet

Its ease reveals the pleasure it brings.

فتَرى زُجاجَتَها بغَيْرِ مُدامَةٍ

وتَرى مُدامَتَها بغيْرِ زُجاجِ

You see its flasks though they contain no wine,

And see the wine though there are no flasks.

والَى عليَّ بِها وقالَ هيَ التي

فِيها سَمَحْتَ بخَيْرِها النّسّاجِ

He held it out to me saying, "This

Is where you'll find the Vintner's bounty."

فاشْرَبْ وبُحْ باسْمي جِهاراً لا تَخَفْ

في الدّيْرِ منْ نَصَبٍ ولا إحْراجِ

"Drink, and cry out my name openly, fear no

Persecution or shame in the monastery."

يا صاحِبَيَّ وما أرَى لي صاحِباً

غيْري أُعاطِيهِ الهَوى وأناجِي

"My friend, I see no friend but You

To whom I give my love and confide my secrets."

عُوجا علَى طَلَلِ الوُجودِ وبلِّغا

عنّي السّلامَ فلاتَ حينَ مَعاجِ

"Turn to the ruins of existence and convey

Greetings from me in the days of tribulation."

للّهِ إخْوانُ الصّفاءِ فإنّهُمْ

سَلَكوا الطّريقَ الواضِحَ المِنْهاجِ

"God's brethren of purity, for they

Have walked the clear, guided path."

منْ كلِّ ذي طِمْرَينِ أشْعَثَ أغْبَرٍ

عبِثَت بشَمْلَتِهِ يَدُ الإنْهاجِ

"Not those hopelessly lost, covered in the dust

Of upheaval, their gowns rent and frayed."

وقَفوا بأبْوابِ اليَقينِ وفتّحوا

ما كانَ منْها قبْلُ ذا إرْتاجِ

"They stood at the doors of certainty and opened

What had before been closed and sealed."

حتّى إذا كادَت سِماتُ طَريقِهِمْ

تَخْفَى بكُلِّ مُمَوِّهٍ ومُداجِي

"Until the marks of their way were nearly

Hidden by every deceiver and fraud."

نادَتْ هَلُمّوا جَدِّدوا عهْدَ الرِّضى

أيّامَ مَولانا أبي الحَجّاجِ

"It called: Come renew your pact of contentment

In the days of our master, Abu al-Hajjaj."

فاسْتَقْبَلوا داعِي المَقام كأنّما

أتتِ المَقامَ رَكائِبُ الحُجّاجِ

"So they turned to the caller of the station as though

The cavalry of pilgrims had come."

أحْيَى الإلاهُ بهِ رُسومَ طَريقِهمْ

وحَماهُمُ منْ مُلْكِهِ بسِياجِ

"God revived the customs of their path

And protected them in His sanctuary."

ملِكٌ يَحُثُّ الصّالِحينَ ويَقْتَدي

في الدِّينِ منْ أنْوارِهِم بسِراجِ

"A King who rouses the righteous and follows

Their light, taking their lamps as his guide,"

ويُواصِلُ اللّيْلَ التّمامَ مُسَهَّداً

للّهِ بيْنَ مُراقِبٍ ومُناجِي

"Continuing the vigils of the night, prostrating

Himself to God in contemplation and intimate discourse."

أبْدَى رُسومَ العِلْمِ بعْدَ عَفائِها

وأعادَ وَجْهَ الحَقِّ ذا إبْهاجِ

"He revived the forms of knowledge after their extinction,

And restored the face of Truth, radiant and joyful."

وغَدا الزّمانُ بسَيْفِهِ وبِسَيْبِه

يَوْمَينِ يوْمَ نَدىً ويومَ هِياجِ

"The times advanced by his sword and his whip

Becoming a day of dew and a day of tumult."

وأحَقُّ مَنْ مَلَكَ الخِلافَةَ ناصِرٌ

يَنْمِيهِ صاحِبُ صاحِبِ المِعْراجِ

"None more deserving of the Caliphate than the Victorious One

Raised up by the companion of the night journey."

كُلُّ الفَضائِلِ لمْ تُحَلَّ بحَمْدِهِ

لَبّاتُها فتَمامُها بخِداجِ

"Not one virtue adorned his praise,

Though it gleamed with gems and jewels."

خُذْها أميرَ الُسْلِمينَ قَوافِياً

ثارَت عَجاجَتُها على العَجّاجِ

"Take these verses, Commander of the Faithful,

Their passion surges against the passions."

أنا جَوهَريُّ اللّفظِ لا عَجَبٌ إذا

جَمْعي مُنَظِّمُها بهَذا التّاجِ

"I am Johar, artful in words, no wonder

That I string them together in this crown."

أبْقَيْتُ بالذِّكْرِ الجَميلِ مَدائِحاً

لكَ في فَمِ الرّاوي وقَلْبِ الرّاجي

"I perpetuated through fine words eulogies to you

In the mouth of the reciter and the heart of the hopeful."

واخْلُدْ ونَصْرُ الله جلّ جلالُه

يأْتيكَ أفْواجاً علَى أفْواجِ

"Endure, and God's victory—Glorious is He—

Will come to you in waves, upon waves."