ذوي ودي ويا من عنفوني — Abn Zakur

ذَوِي وُدِّي وَيَا مَنْ عَنَّفُونِي

سَمَاعاً لِي عَسَاكُمْ تَعْذِرُونِي

You who love me, and you who have rebuked me,

Listen to me; perhaps you will excuse me.

أُحَدِّثُكُمْ بِأَنِّي مُسْتَهَامٌ

وَكَائِنْ مِنْ حَدِيثٍ ذُو شُجُونِ

I tell you that I am love-stricken,

And many a tale is full of sorrows.

وَأَنِّي قَدْ جَفَانِي مَنْ سَبَانِي

فَنَادَى الْوَجْدُ حَيَّ عَلَى الأَنِينِ

And the one who captivated me has forsaken me;

So passion cried, “Come to moaning!”

وَأَغْرَى الشَّوْقُ بِي لَيْلَ التَّصَابِي

وَأَغْرَى الْهَجْرُ بِي جُنْدَ الْحَنِينِ

Longing set the night of youthful dalliance against me,

And separation set the army of yearning against me.

فَرُمْتُ تَخَلُّصاً مِمَّا عَرَانِي

بِمَا قَدْ يَطْرُدُ الأَحْزَانَ دُونِي

So I sought release from what had afflicted me,

Through something that might keep sorrows away from me.

فَنَادَى الرُّشْدُ وَيْحَكَ رُمْ خَلاَصاً

بِمَدْحِ الْمُصْطَفَى طَهَ الأَمِينِ

Then sound judgment called, “Alas for you! Seek release

Through praising the Chosen One, Taha the trustworthy:

مُحَمَّدٍ الرَّسُولِ لِكُلِّ إِنْسٍ

وَجِنٍّ جَاءَ بِالنُّورِ الْمُبِينِ

Muhammad, the Messenger to every human

And jinn, who came with the clear light.”

عَلَيْهِ اللهُ مُرْسِلُهُ إِلَيْنَا

لِيُنْقِذَنَا يُصَلِّي كُلَّ حِينِ

Upon him God—who sent him to us

To rescue us—bestows blessings at every moment.

أَلاَ فَاقْصِدْ عُلاَهُ فَنِعْمَ مَنْ قَدْ

جَلَى ظُلَمِ الْخُطُوبِ عَنِ الْحَزِينِ

Take heed: seek his exalted rank; excellent is he who has

Dispelled calamities’ darkness from the sorrowful.

مَتَى تَأْتِ ابْنَ عَبْدِ اللهِ تَظْفَرْ

بِحَوْلِ اللهِ بِالْحَبْلِ الْمَتِينِ

Whenever you approach the son of Abd Allah, you attain,

Through God’s power, the firm rope.

مَتىَ تَقْصِدْ أَجَلَّ بَنِي لُؤَيٍّ

أَجَلِّ النَّاس ِ تُقْصَدْ بِالْيَقِينِ

Whenever you seek the noblest of Lu’ayy’s sons,

The noblest of people, you will surely be sought out.

مَتَى صَافَحْتَ كَفَّ مَدِيحِ طَهَ

تُصَافِحْكَ السَّعَادَةُ بِالْيَمِينِ

Whenever you shake the hand of praise for Taha,

Happiness shakes your hand with its right hand.

فَلَبَّيْتُ النِّدَاءَ وَكَانَ فَرْضاً

جَوَابُ فَتىً بِهَدْيٍ مُسْتَعِينِ

So I answered the call; it was a duty—

The response of a young man seeking help through guidance.

مُقِرّاً بِالْقُصُورِ لِأَنَّ مَدْحِي

يُقَصِّرُ عَنْ مَدَائِحِ جَبْرَئِينِ

Acknowledging my inadequacy, for my praise

Falls short of Gabriel’s praises.

مُمِدَّ أَكُفِّ مُعْتَذِرٍ إِلَى مَنْ

أُجِلَّ وَآدَمُ فِي مَا وَطِينِ

Extending an apologetic man’s hands toward him

Who was exalted while Adam was still water and clay.

وَأَرْسَلَهُ الإِلَهُ لَنَا بَشِيراً

نَذِيراً بِالذِي بَعْدَ الْمَنُونِ

God sent him to us as a bearer of good tidings,

A warner of what comes after death:

بِأَنَّا إِنْ أَطَعْنَاهُ أُثِبْنَا

بِحُورٍ فِي حِنَانِ الْخُلْدِ عِينِ

That if we obey him, we shall be rewarded

With wide-eyed houris in the gardens of eternity;

وَإِنَّا إِنْ عَصَيْنَاهُ جُزِينَا

بِنِيرَانٍ تَهُدُّ قُوَى الْحَُزُونِ

And if we disobey him, we shall be requited

With fires that shatter the strength of rugged heights.

فَبَلَّغَ وَالإِلَهُ بِهِ حَفِيٌّ

رِسَالَتَهُ لِمُخْتَلِفِ الشُّؤُونِ

So he conveyed—while God cherished him—

His message concerning the various affairs.

فَآمَنَ مَنْ رَآهُ بِعَيْنِ عِزٍّ

وَعَانَدَ مَنْ رَآهُ بِعَيْنِ هُونِ

Those who regarded him with an eye of honor believed,

And those who regarded him with an eye of contempt resisted.

رَسُولٌ قَدْ زَكَى خَلْقاً وَخُلْقاً

وَقُدِّسَ فِي الظُّهُورِ وَفِي الْبُطِونِ

A messenger pure in form and character,

And sanctified in loins and wombs.

وَلاَ يَجْزِي عَلَى سَيْءٍ بِسَيْءٍ

نَعَمْ يَجْزِي عَلَى غِلْظٍ بِلِينِ

He does not repay evil with evil;

Indeed, he repays harshness with gentleness.

وَقَالَ اللهُ فِي الْقُرْآنِ صَلُّوا

عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا يَا أَهْلَ دِينِي

God said in the Qur’an, “Invoke blessings

Upon him, and greet him with peace, O people of My faith.”

صَلاَةُ اللهِ وَهْوَ أَجَلُّ شَيْءٍ

عَلَى الْمُخْتَارِذِي الْعَقْلِ الرَّزِينِ

God’s blessing—He is the most exalted of all—

Upon the Chosen One of sober mind.

عَلَى ذِي الْحِلْمِ وَالْعِلْمِ الْمَتِينِ

عَلَى ذِي الذِّكْرِ وَالسِّرِّ الْمَصُونِ

Upon him of forbearance and steadfast knowledge.

Upon him of renown and the guarded secret.

عَلَى ذِي الْبِشْرِ بَرَّاقِ الثَّنَايَا

عَلَى ذِي النُّورِ وَضَّاحِ الْجَبِينِ

Upon the cheerful one with gleaming front teeth.

Upon him of light and radiant brow.

عَلَى غَمْرِ الْمَوَاهِبِ وَالْعَطَايَا

عَلَى مَنْ لاَ يُضَافُ إِلَى ضَنِينِ

Upon him lavish in gifts and bounties.

Upon him who cannot be reckoned a miser.

عَلَى كَهْفِ الأَرَامِلِ وَاليَتَامَى

وَحَامِلِ ثِقْلِ أَرْبَابِ الدُّيُونِ

Upon the refuge of widows and orphans,

And bearer of the burden of those in debt.

عَلَى مَنْ لاَ يُكَدِّرُ مَنْ أَتَاهُ

وَلاَ يُحْصَى بِتَكْدِيرِ الْمَنُونِ

Upon him who does not distress anyone who comes to him,

Nor can death’s embittering take his measure.

عَلَى مَنْ قَاتَلَ الْكُفَّارَحَتَّى

عَلاَ دِينُ الْمُهَيْمِنِ كُلَّ دِينِ

Upon him who fought the unbelievers until

The Guardian’s religion rose above every religion.

عَلَى مَنْ لَيْسَ يَضْجَرُ مِنْ قِتَالٍ

إِذَا اشْتَعَلَتْ لَظَى الْحَرْبِ الزَّبُونِ

Upon him who does not weary of fighting

When the flames of fierce war blaze.

عَلَى مَنْ كَلَّمَتْهُ وُحُوشُ قَفْرٍ

وَلاَذَتْ مِنْهُ بِالْحِصْنِ الْحَصِينِ

Upon him to whom wilderness beasts spoke,

And sought from him refuge in an impregnable fortress.

وَلاَحَ لِضَرْبِهِ الصَّفْوَانَنُورٌ

رَأَى مِنْهُ الْبَعِيدَ مِنَ الْحُصُونِ

A light shone when he struck the flint;

By it he saw the distant fortresses,

كَبُصْرَى وَالْعِرَاقِ وَذَا شَهِيرٌ

لَدَى الأَقْوَامِ مِنْ عَالٍ وَدُونِ

Such as Busra and Iraq; this is renowned

Among peoples, high and low.

وَأَنْزَلَ بِالدُّعَاءِ غَزِيرَ قَطْرٍ

عَلَى مَنْ ضَرَّهُ شُهْبُ السِّنِينِ

Through prayer he brought down abundant rain

Upon those afflicted by gray, barren years.

فَصَابَ عَلَيْهِمْ سَبْتاً إِلَى أَنْ

تَهَدَّمَتِ الدِّيَارُ مِنَ الْهُتُونِ

It poured upon them for a week, until

Homes collapsed from the downpour.

فَقَالَ وَقَدْ أَرَادُوا الصَّحْوَ قَوْلاً

بَلِيغاً مُعْشِياً فَهْمَ الْفُطُونِ

Then, when they wanted clear skies, he spoke words

Eloquent, dazzling the understanding of the keen-witted.

حَوَالَيْنَا يَقُولُ وَلاَ عَلَيْنَا

عَلَى الآكَامِ رَبِّي وَالْحُزُونِ

“Around us,” he says, “and not upon us;

Upon the hills, my Lord, and the rugged heights.”

فَأَقْلَعَ عَنْهُمُ يَهْمِي عَلَى مَا

حَوَالَيْهِمْ وَسَلْ غُرَرَ الْمُتُونِ

So it ceased over them, pouring down upon what

Lay around them; consult the choicest texts.

وَفَاضَ الْكَفُّ مِنْهُ بِكُلِّ فَضْلٍ

كَمَا قَدْ فَاضَ بِالْمَاءِ الْمَعِينِ

His palm overflowed with every bounty,

Just as it had flowed with running water.

فَرَوَّى جَيْشَهُ أَلْفاً وَنِصْفاً

وَأَفْضَلَ فَضْلَ هَاتِيكَ الْعُيُونِ

So he gave his army drink—a thousand and a half—

And left an abundance such as those springs provide.

وَحَنَّ الْجِذْعُ لَمَّا بَانَ عَنْهُ

إِلَيْهِ حَنِينَ مَفْقُودِ الْجَنِينِ

The trunk yearned when he parted from it,

For him, with the yearning of one bereft of its unborn young.

فَقَرَّبَهُ إِلَيْهِ وَكَانَ بَرّاً

رَؤُوفاً حِينَ أَبْدَعَ فِي الرَّنِينِ

So he drew it close to him, being kind,

Compassionate, when it wailed wondrously.

وَبَشَّرَهُ بِأَنْ سَيَنَالُ غَرْساً

بِدَارِ الْخُلْدِ مُخْضَرَّ الْفُنُونِ

He gave it glad tidings that it would be planted

In the abode of eternity, with green branches.

عَلَى مَنْ لاَ يُحِيطُ بِمَا حَوَاهُ

سِوَى الرَّحْمَانِ جَلَّ مِنَ الْفُنُونِ

Upon him whose attainments none can encompass

In all their kinds, save the All-Merciful—exalted is He.

عَلَى يَعْسُوبِ أَرْوَاحِ الْبَرَايَا

وَأَصْلِ الأَصْلِ وَالِدِ ذِي الْقُرُونِ

Upon the king bee of the souls of creation,

And root of the root, father of him of the generations.

فَذَا الْمَخْلُوقُ مِنْ عِرْضٍ وَجُرْمٍ

تَفَرَّعَ مِنْ سَنَاهُ الْمُسْتَبِينِ

For this creation, of accident and body,

Branched out from his manifest radiance.

وَكُلُّ الْعَالَمِينَ بَنُو سَنَاهُ

وَعَرْشُ اللهِ جَلَّ مِنَ الْبَنِينِ

All the worlds are sons of his radiance,

And God’s Throne—exalted is He—is among those sons.

يَمِيناً بِالذِي أَسْدَى إِلَيْهِ

مُفَضِّلُهُ وَحَسْبُكَ مِنْ يَمِينِ

I swear by what was bestowed upon him

By his Benefactor—and that is oath enough for you—

كَتَسْبِيحِ الْحَصَا فِي رَاحَتَيْهِ

وَشَقِّ الْبَدْرِ وَالْجِذْعِ الْحَنُونِ

Such as the pebbles’ glorification in his palms,

The splitting of the full moon, and the yearning trunk,

وَرَدِّ الشَّمْسِ لِلْمَوْلَى عَلِيٍّ

وَقَدْ غَرُبَتْ فَصَلَّى عَنْ يَقِينِ

And the returning of the sun for the master Ali

After it had set, so he prayed with certainty,

وَإِشْبَاعِ الْمَلاَ مِنْ مِلْءِ كَفٍّ

وَمَا قَدْ قَلَّ مِنْ شِبْعِ الْبَطِينِ

And feeding the multitude from a palmful,

And from less than would fill a potbellied man,

وَمَا قَدْ فَاتَ مِنْهَا الْحَصْرَ نَثْراً

وَأَعْجَزَ كُلَّ ذِي قَلَمٍ وَنُونِ

And those among them beyond recounting in prose,

Which baffled every possessor of pen and inkwell.

لَقَدْ أَسْرَى بِهِ ذُو الْعَرْشِ لَيْلاً

إِلَى الأَقْصَى بِرَغْمِ ذَوِي الْمُجُونِ

The Lord of the Throne indeed took him by night

To al-Aqsa, despite the wanton folk.

وَأَرْقَاهُ إِلَى الأَعْلَى وَرَقَّى

مَزِيَّتَهُ لَدَى الْمَلإِ الْمَكِينِ

He raised him to the highest realm and elevated

His distinction before the high-ranking assembly.

فَأَوْحَى وَالذِي أَوْحَى إِلَيْهِ

عَظِيمٌ فَوْقَ تَكْيِيفِ الظُّنُونِ

Then He revealed; and what He revealed to him

Is mighty, beyond what conjecture can conceive.

مَلاَذِي يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إنِّي

هَمَى هَمِّي وَأَشْجَتْنِي شُجُونِي

My refuge, O Messenger of God, truly,

My care pours down, and my sorrows have grieved me.

وَنَفْسِي وَهْيَ لِي أَعْدَى عَدُوٍّ

تُحَارِبنِي فَهَلْ لِي مِنْ مُعِينِ

My soul, which is my fiercest enemy,

Wages war on me; is there any helper for me?

إِذَا أَلْقَتْ إِلَيَّ زِمَامَ طَوْعٍ

فَأَيّاً شِئْتِ يَا دُنْيَايَ كُونِي

If it hands me the reins in willing obedience,

Then be whatever you wish, O my world.

فَإِنْ شِئْتِ الْوِصَالَ فَلاَ تَحِيفِي

عَلَى قَلْبِي وَإِلاَّ فَارِقِينِي

If you wish for union, do not wrong

My heart; otherwise, leave me.

أَقُولُ لَهَا وَقَدْ جَشَأَتْ وَجَاشَتْ

كَمَوْجِ الْبَحْرِ يَرْجُفُ بِالْسَّفِينِ

I tell it, when it heaves and surges

Like the sea’s waves that shake the ships:

ثِقِي بِاللهِ لَيْسَ لَهُ شَرِيكٌ

وَكُونِي بِالْمَكَارِمِ ذَكِّرِينِي

“Trust in God; He has no partner.

And keep reminding me of noble virtues.

وَإِنْ أَبْصَرْتِ حُسَّادِي فَلِينِي

وَأَيُّ الدَّهْرِ ذُو لَمْ يَحْسُدُونِي

If you see those who envy me, be gentle—

And when, in all time, have they not envied me?

وَلاَ تَنْسَيْ نَصِيبَكِ مِنْ صَلاَةٍ

عَلَى الْمُخْتَارِ مَعْدُومِ الْقَرِينِ

Do not forget your share of blessings

Upon the Chosen One, who has no equal.”

عَلَيْهِ صَلاَةُ رَبِّي مَعْ سَلاَمٍ

يَفُوقُ شَذَاهُ نَشْرَ الْيَاسَمِينِ

Upon him be my Lord’s blessing, with peace

Whose fragrance surpasses the scent of jasmine,

وَآلِهِ وَالصِّحَابِ وَتَابِعِيهِمْ

شُمُوسِ الْهُدَى آسَادِ الْعَرِينِ

And upon his family, the Companions, and their followers:

Suns of guidance, lions of the lair.