تقبل الله منا ومنكم — Sihem Brahmi

لو تدرِ نَفْسٌ مَا دَرَتْ

فِي مَا مَضَى مَا قَصَّرَتْ

Had a soul known what it came to know,

it would not have fallen short in days gone by.

دَارَ الزَّمَانُ دَوْرَةً

مَرَّتْ كَرِيحٍ صفّرَتْ

Time turned through a cycle

that passed like a whistling wind.

واسْتَـرْسَلَ النَّبْضُ بِنَـا

فِي حِكْمَةٍ قَدْ قُدِّرَتْ

And the pulse flowed onward with us

within a wisdom already ordained.

مُمْتَدَّةٌ أَطْوَارُهُ

فِي طَيِّ أَدْوَارٍ جَرَتْ

Its phases stretch onward

within the folds of cycles that ran their course.

وَقْفُ المَحَطَّاتِ عَلَى

دُرُوبِنَا تَكَرَّرَتْ

Stops at the stations along

our paths recurred.

مَوَاسِمٌ تَجَدَّدَتْ

بِهَا النِّيَاتُ فُسِّرَتْ

Seasons were renewed;

through them intentions were made clear.

أَيَّامُ خَيْرٍ لَمْ تَمُتْ

كَمْ للْقُلُوبِ غَيَّرَتْ

Days of goodness did not die;

how greatly they changed hearts!

أَهْلاً بِمَوْسِمٍ دَنَى

بِهِ الحَيَاةُ أُنْشِرَتْ

Welcome to a season drawing near,

through which life was revived.

بالأمسِ أَعْدَدْنَا لَهُ

وَسَائِلاً تَقَرْرَتْ

Yesterday we prepared for it

means that had been decided upon.

وَاليَوْمَ حَلَّ بَيْنَنَا

جَلاَّبُ أَقْسَامٍ ثَرَتْ

And today there has come among us

a bringer of portions grown abundant.

يَرْمِي تَبَاشِيرَ الهَنَا

مِنْ حَوْلِنَا فَأَزْهَرَتْ

It scatters glad tidings of joy

around us, and they blossom.

نَفْحٌ يُعَطِّرُ المَدَى

مُلَحِّفًا نَفْسًا عَرَتْ

A fragrant breath perfumes the expanse,

cloaking a soul that lay bare.

يَجْذِبُ كُلَّ نَاشِقٍ

نَسْمَةَ تَغْييرٍ سَرَتْ

It draws everyone who inhales

a breeze of change that has spread.

شَهْرُ الصِّيَامِ مَرْحَبَا

أَقْبِلْ لِرُوحٍ شَمَّرَتْ

Month of fasting, welcome!

Come to a spirit that has girded itself,

تَمْشِي عَلَى خَطْوِ الوَرَى

مِحْرَابَهَا تَسَوَّرَتْ

walking in the footsteps of humankind;

it has scaled its sanctuary's wall,

إلى صُعُودِ مَرْكَبٍ

أَنْهَارُهَا تَفَجَّرَتْ

to climb aboard a vessel.

Its rivers have burst forth

فِي رِحْلَةِ عِنَاقِهَا

مَعَ سَوَارِ أَمْطَرَتْ

on the journey of its embrace

with night clouds that poured rain.

قَدْ أَفْلَحَتْ سَوَاعِدٌ

لِجَنْيِ رِبْحِ بَكَّرَتْ

Arms have indeed prospered,

rising early to reap gain,

تُسَابِقُ الرِّيَّاحَ فِي

ارْتِقَائِهَا بمَا اشْتَرَتْ

racing the winds in

their ascent, through what they purchased.

كَفَّ الْعَـطَاءِ أَثْقَلَتْ

بِخِفَّةً كَمْ أَثْمَرَتْ

They weighed down the hand of giving;

with lightness—how much fruit they bore!

مَسَاجِدٌ حُبْلَى بِأرْ

وَاحٍ دَعَتْ وَأَوْتَرَتْ

Mosques pregnant with souls

that prayed and offered the witr prayer.

وَصُفِّدَ الشَّيْطَانُ فِي

أَغْلالِهِ وَسُكِّرَتْ

And Satan was fettered in

his shackles, which were sealed shut.

والنَّفْسُ قَدْ تَحَرَّرَتْ

مِنْ سُلْطَةٍ تَـسَيْطَرَتْ

And the soul has been freed

from a power that held sway.

وَفُتِّحَتْ أَبْوَابُ جَنْـ (م)

ــنَـاتِ النَّعِيمِ نُوِّرَتْ

And opened were the gates of gardens

of bliss, now illuminated.

يا لَيْلَةَ القَدْرِ التِي

بَيْنَ اللَّيَالِي أُظْهِرَتْ

O Night of Decree, which

was made manifest among the nights,

عَنْ ألفٍ شَهْرٍ فُضِّلَتْ

بِـآيِ رَبِّي فُسِّرَتْ

was favored above a thousand months,

as explained in my Lord's verses.

يا حُلْمَ كُلِّ صَائِمٍ

وَقَائِمٍ تَيَسَّرَتْ

O dream of everyone who fasts

and stands in prayer—you became attainable.

فِيكِ السَّلامُ سَائِحٌ

ألْطَافُ رُبِّي يُسِّرَتْ

Within you peace roams freely;

my Lord's kindnesses were made accessible.

مَلائِكٌ تَنَزَّلَتْ

والرُّوحُ فِيكِ عَمَّرَتْ

Angels descended,

and the Spirit dwelt within you.

فالكائِنَاتُ سُجَّدٌ

على المَدَى مُذْ اُمِرَتْ

So all beings are prostrate

throughout the expanse, since they were commanded.

يا لَيْلَةَ العُمْرِ اشْهَدِي

أَنْفَاسَ فَجْرٍ أَسْهَرَتْ

O night of a lifetime, bear witness

to dawn's breaths that banished sleep.

إنْ نَادَ حَيَّ أَقْبَلَتْ

عَيْنُ الرّضَا وَكَبَّرَتْ

If 'Come!' is called, there approaches

the eye of contentment, proclaiming God's greatness.

تَتْلُو حُرُوفًا أَسْقَطَتْ

نُورًا بِهِ تَدَثَّرَتْ

It recites letters that shed

a light in which it wrapped itself.

وَتَوَّجَتْ إحْسَاسَها

أُنْسًا لَذِيذًا نَشَرَتْ

And it crowned its feeling

with sweet intimacy that it spread.

حَيْثُ انتَشَتْ بِرَشْفَةٍ

مِنْ فَيْـضِ مَا تَدَبَّرَتْ

Where it grew rapturous with a sip

from the overflow of what it contemplated.

وَآمَنَتْ فِي الحِينِ إنْ

بَعْضُ الوُجُوهِ أَدْبَرَتْ

And it believed at that moment, even if

some faces turned away.

ما بال أرواحٍ شَقَتْ

بِغَيْرِهَا ما اعْتَبرَتْ

What ails souls that grew wretched,

yet learned no lesson from others?

هَلْ ضَمِنَتْ عُذْرًا عَلَى

جَهْلٍ بَقِىْ إنْ أُنذِرَتْ

Have they secured an excuse for

ignorance that lingered, if they were warned?

واسْتُدْرجَتْ فِي غَفْلَةٍ

طَوَتْهَا إذْ تَأَخَّرَتْ

And they were lured onward in heedlessness,

which engulfed them as they lagged behind.

وَفَاتهَا رَكْبٌ مَضَى

وَهيَ بِنَوْمٍ مَا دَرَتْ

And a passing caravan left them behind,

while they slept, unaware.

يَا عَاجِلاً ينسَلُّ بالــ

ـأَنْفَاسِ ، نَفْسِي انْفَطَرَتْ

O fleeting one, slipping away with

the breaths—my soul has split apart.

مَهْلاً فَرُوحي مَا ارْتَوَتْ

مِنْ رِيقِكُمْ وَاَهْبَرَتْ

Slowly, for my spirit has not drunk its fill

of your saliva, nor grown plump.

هَلْ بَيَّضَتْ يَدًا وَهَلْ

تَجْتَازُ أَمْ تَعَثَّرَتْ

Has it whitened a hand, and will it

cross over, or has it stumbled?

مَهْلاً رُوَيْدَكَ المُنَى

أَنْ تَحْتَوِي مَا أَخَّرَتْ

Wait, take your time—the hope is

to gather in what it deferred.

كَمْ رَكْعَةٍ ، كَمْ خَتْمَةٍ

وَجْهَ الصِّحَافِ سَطَّرَتْ

How many a prayer cycle, how many a full recitation,

has inscribed the face of the pages!

وَضَاعَفَتْ أَجْريِ بِهَا

تِجَارَتِي وَأَثْمَرَتْ

And through them my reward was multiplied

by my commerce, which bore fruit.

يَا بَسْمَةً تَفَتَّحَتْ

على وجُوهٍ أَبْشَرَتْ

O smile that blossomed

on faces that received glad tidings,

وَحَرَّكَتْ بُرَودَ كُلَّ

سَاهِمٍ وَ أَثَّرَتْ

and stirred the coldness of every

downcast one, leaving its mark!

وَلُوحِظَتْ سِمَاتُهَا

مِثْلُ السَّنَا وَعَبَّرَتْ

And its features were noticed,

like radiance, and they spoke.

رِيحُ الجِنَانِ انْتَشَرَتْ

The fragrance of Paradise's gardens spread.

عيدٌ مُبَاركٌ عَلَى

مَقَاصِدٍ تَعَطَّرَتْ

A blessed Eid upon

intentions made fragrant

بِرِيحِ مِسْكِ صَائِمٍ

لَهُ الجِنَانُ سُيّرَتْ

by the musk-scent of one who fasts,

for whom the gardens were set in motion;

عَلَى اجْتِهَادِ عَاملٍ

بِهِ اللَّيَالِي أَقْمَرَتْ

upon the diligence of one who works,

through which the nights became moonlit.

تَقَبَّلَ اللهُ مِنَ الْجَمِيـــ

(م) ـعِ سُنَّةً جَرَتْ

May God accept from everyone—

a custom that has endured.

شَوَّالُ سَلِّمْ واسْتَلِمْ

غَنَائِمًا مَا قُدِّرَتْ

Shawwal, hand over and receive

spoils beyond measure.

نُحْصيكَ سِتَّا تَتْبَعُ (م)

الشَّهْرَ الفَضِيلَ أَزْهَرَتْ

We count six days in you that follow

the noble month; they have blossomed.

كَصَوْمِ دَهْرٍ كَامِلٍ

زَكَاةُ نَفْسٍ طُهِّرَتْ

Like fasting for an entire lifetime,

the purification of a soul made clean.

تَقَبَّلِ اللهُمَّ مِنْ

نَفْسٍ أَتَتْ بِمَا دَرَتْ

Accept, O God, from

a soul that came with what it knew,

واغْفِرْ لَهَا مَا قَدَّمـتْ

وَأَخَّرَتْ إنْ قَصَّرَتْ

and forgive it what it sent ahead

and what it deferred, if it fell short.