رسومُ خط البلى

رسومُ خط البلى

بكلِّ رسم طاسم عنوان

بكلِّ رسم طاسم عنوان

Traces of decay's script—

The Traces of Time's Pen

in every effaced trace, a heading.

With every decisive line, a title

وفيهم ما أشكَلا

وفيهم ما أشكَلا

منها لكلّ حازِم تبيان

منها لكلّ حازِم تبيان

And in them lies what was obscure;

Among them, some are perplexing

from them comes clarity for every prudent person.

For every resolute person, an explanation

قف بالديار واعتبر

قف بالديار واعتبر

إن كنتَ من أهل العبَر

إن كنتَ من أهل العبَر

Stand at the dwellings and take heed,

Stand amidst the abodes and reflect

if you are among those who heed lessons.

If you are of those who draw lessons

وانظُر لها وازدجر

وانظُر لها وازدجر

فإنّ فيها مزدجر

فإنّ فيها مزدجر

Look upon them and take warning,

And look upon them and be wary

for in them lies a warning.

For in them is cause for wariness

كم معلم قد دثر

كم معلم قد دثر

فلَم يبن منه أثَر

فلَم يبن منه أثَر

How many a landmark has vanished,

How many teachers have passed away

so no trace of it was visible!

Yet no trace of them remains

تبكيه ورقُ الفلا

تبكيه ورقُ الفلا

وفى بكا الحمايم أشجان

وفى بكا الحمايم أشجان

The gray doves of the wilderness weep for it,

The leaves of alfa grass weep for them

and in the doves' weeping are sorrows.

And the cooing of doves is sorrowful

فلتندب الطللا

فلتندب الطللا

ففي فؤاد الهائم أحزان

ففي فؤاد الهائم أحزان

So lament the ruined dwelling,

So let the ruins mourn them

for sorrows lie in the wandering lover's heart.

For in the hearts of the passionate there is grief

سماع لحن الوجود

سماع لحن الوجود

عنه نبا فهم العقول

عنه نبا فهم العقول

Hearing the melody of existence—

Hearing the melody of existence

the understanding of minds has fallen short of it.

About it, minds became enlightened

فغيبة وشهودِ

فغيبة وشهودِ

كلاهُما عينُ الدليل

كلاهُما عينُ الدليل

Thus absence and witnessing—

Of absence and presence

both are the very proof.

Both are the essence of evidence

حتى متى يا مريد

حتى متى يا مريد

تختال في ثوب الخمولِ

تختال في ثوب الخمولِ

How long, O seeker,

For how long, o disciple

will you strut in the robe of obscurity?

Do you strut in the garb of negligence?

تشكو لنا العِلَلا

تشكو لنا العِلَلا

وأنتَ بالمآثمِ جَذلان

وأنتَ بالمآثمِ جَذلان

You complain to us of ailments,

Complaining to us of ailments

while you rejoice in sins.

While you are steeped in sins

فلذ بعزّ العلا

فلذ بعزّ العلا

فعندَنا للنادم إحسان

فعندَنا للنادم إحسان

So seek refuge in the might of the heights,

So take refuge in the Most High

for with us is kindness for the remorseful.

For with us, there is benevolence for the penitent

فناء أهل الطريق

فناء أهل الطريق

هو الوجودُ المُطلقُ

هو الوجودُ المُطلقُ

The self-annihilation of the people of the path

The passing away of the people of the spiritual path

is absolute being.

Is absolute existence

فكل معنى دقيق

فكل معنى دقيق

بوصفهم يحقّقُ

بوصفهم يحقّقُ

Thus every subtle meaning

Every subtle meaning

is realized through their description.

Through them is realized

أنوارُهُم في شريق

أنوارُهُم في شريق

بها استضا الموفقُ

بها استضا الموفقُ

Their lights are radiant;

Their lights in the dawn

through them the one granted success drew light.

By them, the successful ones prospered

قد أوضحوا السبُلا

قد أوضحوا السبُلا

فهم لنا في العالم برهان

فهم لنا في العالم برهان

They have made the paths clear,

They clarified the paths

so they are a proof for us in the world.

They are evidence for us in the world

فاجنح إليهم ولا

فاجنح إليهم ولا

تغفل للمواسِم إبّان

تغفل للمواسِم إبّان

So incline toward them, and do not

So incline towards them and do not

neglect the seasons at their proper time.

Neglect the seasons of time

يا ناسيا وصلَنا

يا ناسيا وصلَنا

أيقظ من النوم الجفون

أيقظ من النوم الجفون

O you who have forgotten communion with us,

O forgetful one, join us

rouse your eyelids from sleep.

Awaken from the sleep of heedlessness

سلم لنا فعلنا

سلم لنا فعلنا

ما كان منه أو يكون

ما كان منه أو يكون

Submit to us in what we do,

Submit to us and we will do

whatever of it has been or is yet to be.

What was and what will be

لا حول إلا حولُنا

لا حول إلا حولُنا

فانف الشكوك والظنون

فانف الشكوك والظنون

There is no might but our might;

There is no power but through our power

so banish doubts and conjectures.

So dismiss doubts and suspicions

يا غادرا قد سلا

يا غادرا قد سلا

أقصر فليس يجمل سلوان

أقصر فليس يجمل سلوان

O faithless one who has forgotten love,

O betrayer, the night has departed

desist, for forgetting love is unseemly.

Hasten, for lingering is not seemly

للّه ما أجمَلا

للّه ما أجمَلا

من بات وهوَ بالهوى نشوان

من بات وهوَ بالهوى نشوان

By God, how beautiful

To God belongs what is beautiful

is he who spends the night drunk with love!

To spend the night immersed in passion

يا طالبا للندى

يا طالبا للندى

يبغى السماحةَ والنوال

يبغى السماحةَ والنوال

O seeker of bounty,

O seeker of dew

who seeks generosity and gifts,

Yearning for generosity and intimacy

يمّم فديتَ أحمدا

يمّم فديتَ أحمدا

بدرَ العُلا شمسَ الكمال

بدرَ العُلا شمسَ الكمال

make for Ahmad—may you be ransomed—

Head towards Ahmad

the full moon of eminence, the sun of perfection.

The full moon of the Most High, the sun of perfection

وعدّ عمّن شدا

وعدّ عمّن شدا

واستغرَق المدحَ وقال

واستغرَق المدحَ وقال

And turn away from the one who sang,

And count among those who love

and exhausted all praise, and said:

And are engrossed in praise and say

إن جئت أرض سَلا

إن جئت أرض سَلا

تلقاك بالمكارم فتيان

تلقاك بالمكارم فتيان

“If you come to the land of Salā,

If you come to a barren land

young men will greet you with noble deeds.

You will be met by noble youths

همُ سطورُ العُلا

همُ سطورُ العُلا

ويوسفُ بن القاسم عنوان

ويوسفُ بن القاسم عنوان

They are the lines of glory,

They are the lines of exaltation

and Yusuf ibn al-Qasim is the heading.”

And Yusuf ibn al-Qasim, the title