ألا مبلغ عني بشير بن جمعة — Alluah

أَلا مبلغ عني بشير بن جمعة

نصيحة من لا زال لله ينصح

Will someone convey, on my behalf, to Bashir son of Jum‘ah

the counsel of one who never ceases to counsel for God's sake?

عليك بطرق المفلحين وسعيهم

لعلك في داريك بالفوز تفلح

Follow the paths of the successful and their striving,

so that you may triumph and prosper in both your abodes.

دع الشغل من دنياك في شغل غيرها

فشغلك بالأَخرى أَجلّ وأَربح

Leave your worldly occupation for occupation with the other life,

for your occupation with the hereafter is nobler and more profitable.

إِذا رمت في الدنيا صلاحاً معجلا

فجمعك للأَخرى الصلاح فأَصلح

If you seek immediate well-being in this world,

then store up righteousness for the other life, and set things right.

أَقُرَّة عيني أَنني باك مشفق

وعن سر قلبي مذودي فيك يفصح

O delight of my eye, I am weeping, full of concern,

and my tongue reveals my heart's secret concerning you.

فصاحب بنات الدَهر بالعلم والتُقى

وَدع عنكَ ما تدني الأَماني وتُنزح

Keep company with Time's daughters through knowledge and piety,

and leave aside what wishes bring near and carry far away.

فما يا لهوينا يدرك المرء ما ارتضى

فداء الهوينا لهو داء مبرِّح

For—alas for indolence!—a man does not attain what he desires;

for the disease of indolence is indeed an agonizing disease.

وما العلم مدروكاً بحتى ولا عسى

وعلّ ومهما سوف أُمسي وأَصبح

And knowledge is not attained by 'until' or 'perhaps,'

nor 'maybe,' 'whatever,' or 'I shall pass the evening and morning.'

فللطالب العلم الشريف أَدلة

تدل عليه وهي كالشمس توضح

The seeker of noble knowledge has signs

that mark him out and make things clear like the sun:

فبغض لجمع المال فوق معاشه

وحب لشرح الكتب من حيث تشرح

a dislike of amassing wealth beyond his livelihood,

and love of expounding books wherever they are explained;

وهجران طيب النوم والليل أَليل

ووصل الضحى بالليل تقرا وتصلح

forsaking sweet sleep when the night is darkest,

and joining forenoon to night as you read and make things right.

فلا يبلغ العليا ولا يدرك المنى

فتى جنبه فوق المطارح يطرح

The heights are not reached, nor are wishes attained,

by a youth who lays his side upon bedding;

بلا من له همّ يسوس وهمة

بتطلابه هام السماكين تنطح

rather, by one who directs his purpose, with resolve

that, in his quest, butts against the heads of the two Simak stars.

على الشمس تقرا والدجى في سراجه

إِذا جنحت ظلماء للسرج تجنح

By the sun you read, and in the darkness by his lamp;

when dark night descends, you turn toward the lamps.

فتمنحه الآثار ما في بطونها

ومن صدره يعطي الفضول ويمنح

Then the inherited texts grant him what their bellies hold,

and from his breast he gives and bestows the surplus of learning.

ويصطنع الاخوان في اللَه إنها

لاغلاق أَبواب المسائل تفتح

And he befriends brothers in God, for this

indeed opens the locks on the doors of questions.

وإِن خُلُوَّ البال في كل خلوة

مع الأخوة الأَبرار من حيث ينتح

And truly, an untroubled mind in every retreat

with righteous brothers is where learning wells forth.

وفي اللَه كن للعلم بالجد طالباً

فإِن المجد الطالب الشيء منجح

And for God's sake, seek knowledge earnestly,

for the diligent seeker of a thing succeeds.

ولا تهلك الدُنيا بكدحك فانيا

فإِنك فإن فان والَّذي أَنتَ تكدح

Do not ruin your worldly life with toil, mortal as you are;

for you are indeed mortal, and so is what you toil for.

أَخاف إِذا ما غص بالقوم محفل

وسوئلت عن جُل المسائل تكلح

I fear that when a gathering is choked with people,

and you are asked about most questions, you will grimace.

يكلفك الشيخ المؤيد جمعة

تحمل أَمرٍ ما له عنك منزح

The strengthened Shaykh Jum‘ah charges you

to bear a task from which you have no escape.

أَترضى بأَن العلم والحلم والتقى

وجم الندى من بعد جمعة يصرح

Would you accept that knowledge, forbearance, and piety,

and abundant generosity should depart after Jum‘ah,

وأَنتَ ابنه والغيث يعقب بعده

على الروض نبت الزهر والغُدر تطفح

though you are his son? And rain leaves behind it

flowers sprouting on the meadow, and pools overflowing.

كفى ببني مدّاد في الدَهر عبرة

لمن عقله كالطود أَو هو أَرجح

The sons of Maddad are lesson enough through time

for one whose intellect is like a mountain—or weightier still.

فمن مزج الدين الحنيفي بالهوى

غدا عبرة الدارين والعرض كسح

Whoever mingles the upright faith with desire

becomes a warning to both abodes, his honor swept away.

عليك بجاه الوالدين تطيعيني

فحاشا لشرواك امرؤ في يطفح

By your parents' standing, you must obey me;

far be it from a man like you to swell up against me.

فخذ في طلاب العلم جهدي واتكل

على من عليه الاتكال المنجح

So pursue knowledge with my earnest urging, and rely

on Him upon whom reliance brings success.

نصحتك يا برد الفؤاد فإِنني

لأجدر من في طاعة اللَه ينصح

I have counseled you, O coolness of my heart, for I

am the one most deserving of counsel in obedience to God.

تظن بي الأَقوام خيراً وإِنني

أَشرّ بني حوا لديني وأَقبح

People think well of me, yet I

am the worst and ugliest of Eve's children in my faith.

على الباقيات الصالحات مجانب

وللمهلكات الاسمحيات أَجنح

I keep apart from enduring righteous deeds,

and incline toward ruinous deeds [epithet unclear].

مضى عُمري لا العلم علماً ولا نهى

أَروح مراح السائمات وأَسرح

My life has passed, with neither knowledge truly learned nor understanding;

I return at evening like grazing beasts, and go out to pasture.

إِذا لم يكن لي العفو في العلم سابقاً

من اللَه عن ذنبي فحمدي مقبح

If pardon for me has not already been in God's foreknowledge,

from God for my sin, then praise of me is blameworthy.

فيا رب عفواً للملوح وابنه

وإِن لم يكن عفواً فبش الملوح

So, O Lord, pardon al-Mulawwih and his son,

and if there is no pardon, then wretched is al-Mulawwih.