من في العراق من الخطوب يقيني

من في العراق يزيد فيه يقيني

Who in Iraq will shield me from calamities?

Who in Iraq can make my trust in him grow?

إني يئست من النصير وكيف لا

واليأس أصبح شعبة من ديني

I have despaired of a helper—and how could I not?

For despair has become a branch of my faith.

يا لهف نفسي قد غُبِنت وأصعب ال

أرزاء رزء العالمِ المغبون

Alas for my soul! I have been wronged; the hardest

of calamities is the affliction of a wronged scholar.

ضُيِّعت في بغداد بين مخرطمٍ

فدمٍ وبين مُعمَّمٍ مجنون

I have been neglected in Baghdad, between a snout-faced

dullard and a turbaned madman.

ذهبت أهاليها وإني منهمُ

لكنهم لشقاوتي أبقوني

Its inhabitants have departed, and I am one of them,

but, to my misery, they left me behind.

إن حطّ منزلتي الزعانف ما دروا

ذكري غداً في قنّة الراهون

If the riffraff lower my station, they do not know

that tomorrow my name will reach Rahun's summit.

يا ليتهم لمّا أطاعوا غيّهم

وعَصَوا هداي عن الحمى طردوني

If only, when they obeyed their waywardness

and defied my guidance, they had expelled me from the sanctuary!

إن كان منزلتي لديهم كالقذى

بعيونهم فعلامَ لم ينفوني

If my standing among them is like a speck

in their eyes, why did they not banish me?

لو أستطيع هزيمةً لهربت من

أنكادهم في أفسح الأرضين

If I could take flight, I would flee from

their vexations into the widest lands.

لكنهم قد أطلقوا غاراتهم

من عن شمالي تارةً ويميني

But they have unleashed their raids

from my left at times, and from my right.

كثرا فعزّوا وانفردت وقد بدا

زلّي لهم فلو إنهم رحموني

They grew many and mighty; I stood alone, and there appeared

my stumbling to them—if only they had pitied me!

ومُنِعت عن رحلي ورؤية ناقتي

حتى جفتني للمنام جفوني

I was barred from my saddle and from seeing my she-camel,

until my eyelids denied me sleep.

أصبحت في بغداد أمشي مطلقاً

لكن ذا الإطلاق عين سجوني

In Baghdad I came to walk unfettered,

yet this freedom is my imprisonment itself.

وغدَوت في جمع الأنام مضيّعاً

لما عدِمت من الكرام قريني

Amid the throng of humankind I became neglected,

for I lacked a companion among the noble.

من لي بعاصف شمألٍ تحنو على

ضعفي فتحملني ولا تلقيني

Who will bring me a raging north wind, tender toward

my weakness, to carry me without casting me down,

حتى تبلّغني مدينة سيدٍ

غوث الصريخ أنيس كل حزين

until it brings me to the city of a master,

succor of those crying for help, companion to every sorrowful soul?

جار الكرام من استجار ببيته ال

معمور آمنَ من عثار حرون

Protector of the noble: whoever seeks refuge in his

well-peopled house is safe from a balking steed's stumbling.

بالدين والدنيا تفوز وفوده

غيث يمدّ الناس من بحرين

His visitors prosper in faith and worldly life;

a life-giving rain, he supplies people from two seas.

مُدّت على أفق السما أطنابه

وعماد قبّته على النِسرَين

His tent-ropes are stretched across heaven's horizon,

and his dome's pillar rests upon the two Eagle stars.

وتباشَرَ الأملاك في ميلاده

والكل قد أضحى قرين العين

The angels rejoiced at his birth,

and all became gladdened of eye [reading uncertain].

والكون أصبح زاهراً في نزهة

والجدب أدبر عن حمى الحرَمين

The universe grew radiant with delight,

and drought withdrew from the precincts of the Two Sanctuaries.

نور الإله وعين رحمته التي

نثرت على الأملاك والثقلين

God's light, and the very essence of His mercy,

which was showered upon the angels, humankind, and jinn.

روحٌّ مقدسة تكوّن في حُلى ال

إنسان كم حِكَم بذا التكوين

A sacred spirit took form in the adornments of

humankind—how much wisdom lies in this embodiment!

وأتى أخيراً وهو أول ظاهر

قبل الجنان وقبل حور العين

He came last, yet was the first to appear,

before Paradise's gardens and before the wide-eyed maidens.

من قبل آدمَ قد بدت أنواره

فهو الأب الأعلى لكل مكين

Before Adam, his lights had already appeared;

he is the highest father of every being of rank.

عمّت رسالته لما كملت به

دون الانام حقيقة الجهتين

His message embraced all, for in him was perfected,

alone among humankind, the reality of the two aspects.

والرسل كلهم له تبعٌ وإن

سبقوا حلاه الآدميَّ بحين

All the messengers are his followers, although

they preceded his human guise by a span of time.

فلذاك أمَّ جميعهم بعروجه ال

سبع الطباق مصاحباً لأمين

Thus he led them all in prayer during his ascent through the

seven layered heavens, in company with a trustworthy one.

هادٍ ولم أكذب بقولي إنه

هادي الصفيّ لير أم النجدين

A guide—and I do not lie when I say that he

guides the chosen one ... the two paths [wording unclear].

غير الألوهة فيه قل ما شئت من

وصفٍ جميل في علاه قمين

Except divinity, ascribe to him whatever you wish of

beautiful qualities befitting his exalted station.

ما بعد ربك من عظيم يرتجى

غير الرسول الصادق المأمون

After your Lord, there is no great one to hope in

except the truthful, trusted Messenger.

نوِّه به في كل حُطبٍ لائذاً

بجنابه تلقى حمى الدارين

Invoke him in every calamity [reading uncertain], seeking refuge

in his presence; you will find protection in both abodes.

واستنزل البركات في ذكر اسمه

عند الصلاة عليه في العصرين

Seek to bring down blessings by mentioning his name

when invoking blessings upon him, morning and evening.

إن الصلاة عليه للدنيا لها

نفع فتنفع من عمى العينين

Sending blessings upon him brings, in this world,

benefit: it helps against blindness in both eyes.

وبها تُردُّ الموبقات ويُدفعُ ال

مكروه من غرقٍ ومن طاعون

Through them, ruinous sins are repelled, and one is spared

the harm of drowning and plague.

وبها من النار الحراق تحصُنٌ

وبها لدى عُسرٍ قضاء الدَّين

Through them comes protection from the searing Fire,

and through them, in hardship, debts are discharged.

وبها منافع لا تُعد وإنها

ترقى بصاحبها لعِلّيين

They bring benefits beyond counting, and they

raise their devotee to 'Illiyyin.

فأدِم صلاتك ما استطعت مصلياً

فهي العبادة لا تُشان بشَين

So keep invoking blessings, praying as much as you can;

this is worship unmarred by any blemish.

واربط بها الإيمان وانج بها لدى

متن الصراط من العذاب الهون

Bind your faith to them, and through them escape, on

the span of the Sirat, from humiliating torment.

وابعد بها عن هول مزدحم الورى

في الحشر واسلم من عنا سجّين

Through them keep far from the terror of humanity's throng

at the Gathering, and be safe from Sijjin's suffering.

صلّى عليه اللَه ما ذكَر الحمى

صبٌّ مشوقٌ مولعٌ بحنين

May God bless him as long as the sanctuary is remembered

by a lovesick soul, yearning and consumed with longing.

وكذا السلام من السلام عليه ما

هزّ المحبّ الشوقُ كالنسرين

And likewise, peace from the Source of Peace be upon him, as long as

yearning sways the lover like a wild rose.

والآل والأصحاب من في نصر دي

ن اللَه قد ساروا على المسنون

And upon his family and companions, who, in support of

God's religion, followed the ordained path.

يا سيد الأرسال هذي دعوة ال

ملهوف هذي أنّةُ المسجون

O master of the messengers, this is the plea of

one in distress; this is a prisoner's groan.

قد أسلمته الموبقات إلى الردى

فغدا عديم اللبِّ كالمجنون

Ruinous sins have delivered him to destruction,

so he has become witless, like a madman.

وتسنّم الأعداء غارب عزمه

فوهى وحصن الصبر غير حصين

His enemies have mounted the withers of his resolve,

so it weakened, and patience's fortress was not secure.

فانصر فتىً خدم الحديث وأهله

ومن القديم يروم عِزّ الدين

So aid a young man who has served the Hadith and its people,

and who has long sought the honor of the faith.

وأعِن فتىً يرجوكم لملمّةٍ

ولأنت بعد اللَه خير معين

Help a young man who looks to you in calamity,

for after God you are surely the best helper.

للدين والدنيا أريدك ناصري

وأروم قربي منك يوم الدين

For faith and worldly life, I want you as my champion,

and I seek nearness to you on Judgment Day.

كُن لي إذا كُشِف الغطاء وجئت يو

م الجمع بين الناس كالمسجون

Be there for me when the veil is lifted and I come on the

Day of Gathering, among the people like a prisoner.

أخفي من الأوزار نفسي وهي لا

تنفكّ بين معارفي تُبديني

I hide myself because of my sins, yet they never

cease exposing me among my acquaintances.

لا زلت لي عوناً إذا ما أُجِّجت

نار الخطوب وكافلي وضميني

May you always be my aid whenever kindled is

the fire of calamities—and my guardian and guarantor.