Wisdom’s Pulse by Faisal Ahmed Hajjaj
You comprehend what I do not express and what I articulate.
And the minds have become aware of their own acumen.
Golden and refined are the meanings,
Yet the ignorant suffers from their clarity.
They rose and delved deep, thanks to my Lord,
In her meadows, the stalwart thrive.
They cut for us the blades of existence,
Wherein there is either greening or wilting.
So, it rains green if we follow
Their paths, and the plains expand.
And if we stray, we find ourselves in routes
Tread by the destitute and the forsaken.
Ask the world, and it shall answer you honestly:
Who is the empty, and who holds acceptance?
If you debate, O sprout of transgressions,
A wandering guide cannot aid the deluded.
For you are folly roaming in a mirage,
Concealed in its corners is decline.
Oh, Wisdom of the wise, respond!
Has my pallor increased, confounded by disarray?
And my people have left you, bringing deceit,
Under the care of the vile and prolonged silence.
Who will offer refuge but you, to the one who stands
When shall a wanderer be pleased with his arrival?
Reveal the betrayers, who broke their covenants,
And sold the treasure of us, the clear fountain.
Tell the misled, “You have strayed, so cloak
Your delusion, O heavy naiveté!”
And tell the one who exalts with tobacco
“Your elevation through impurities is impossible.”
And say to the one who has shunned his kin,
“Come back and reconcile with whom you nourish!”
And say to the one who neglected to remember,
And trampled his vows, “What a wretched companion!”
Be a companion who protects without dispute,
A beauty shall recognize you when you are beautiful.
And, O community, evaluate the hypocrite,
Otherwise, let departure measure him.
The serpent of hypocrisy slithered and scattered us,
So we remain neither courageous nor able to roam.
And say to bravery, “Rescue us,”
For in us, diminutiveness and emaciation abound.
Bestow the roots of every calamity,
So we might heal through inherent principles.
And grant us remedies; we have been scorched.
And drowned by the intoxication of inactivity.
And give us the freedom of air, for indeed,
Our hearts are bound by the vile poison of intrusion.
God has endowed us with the date palms of dignity,
So how shall we be honored if the palms are sold?
Restore the wisdom of the wise to me,
And clarify my lineage, as the seasons change.
Verses of Wisdom from Imam Al-Shafi’i
Let the days unfold as they will,
And keep your soul tranquil when fate rules.
And do not fret over the calamities of nights,
For the events of this world have no permanence.
Be a man of fortitude in the face of calamities,
And let your traits be generosity and fidelity.
Even if your flaws abound among people,
And you desire them to have a veil.
Conceal yourself with generosity; every flaw
Is enveloped, as it is said, by generosity.
Do not show humiliation to your enemies,
For the victory of adversaries is calamity.
Do not expect generosity from a miser,
For there is no water in the fire for the thirsty.
Your provision is not diminished by patience,
Nor is effort an increase in sustenance.
And neither sadness endures, nor joy,
Nor misery for you, nor prosperity.
And whoever is met by death at his doorstep,
No land shall shield him, nor sky.
The earth of God is vast, but
When fate descends, space becomes constricted.
Let the days betray each time,
For no remedy against death is effective.
A Poem by Abu Firass Al-Hamdani
The poet Abu Firass Al-Hamdani states:
If you pass through a valley, let its surroundings stir;
Then tie your camel and descend, for this is our valley.
And if you traverse an area not accompanied by
The people of foolishness, take a seat, for this is our gathering!
We change during the fierce charge, we slay it,
So that sometimes in the heat, our shepherds thirst.
And the mares stampede after the fifth, spooked,
When they hear our tunes on the waters.
We will sacrifice the herd, scattered, horrified,
Do not trust fortune except from our enemies.
And let the guest of honor come to our abode,
We accept that, and his decree shall proceed among us.
Return of the Eid and Heart’s Yearnings by Shibli Al-Atresh
The Eid has returned, and the Eid of my heart is yearnings,
O eye, let your tears flow and bring forth clarity.
This first Eid in the land of Jilq was imprisonment;
We hope it brings good for the people.
Throughout the year, we have returned to Rhodes and Tarsis,
And we wandered in the lands of enemies, scattered.
Each is adorned, beautified in his attire,
And we tended to our faces with coldness.
O family, how many are the yearnings in my heart!
If I sleep, I envision everyone in my thoughts.
I hope to see Define, and Shabih, and Qai’s,
I long for the Jews to arrive gloriously.
And my heart aches for those who boast in their attire,
From above the [horses] with their stance unperturbed.
I tremble within me like the boiling pangs of desire
For those who dwell in the west of Zenata.
Oh, how I wish we were alive in this life,
In Izmir, old men demolishing barriers.
How are the pastures, how are their courts?
For after what they used to shine bright.
Today they have become devoid of joy,
After the feast was devoured in innocence.
Above, a haze like the flood of the Euphrates,
And now in the twist of chairs, we’ve come to nothing.
In your absence is no comfort; if you seek lodging,
O Lord of the Prophet Noah and Idris!
O living, O adored, hear my prayers!
O Creator of the world, heed my knowledge of the unseen.
The Perception of Abundance by Abu Zubayd Al-Ta’i
You see much as little when you inquire of it,
And its instances are countless.
O name of patience for what has transpired,
Indeed, occurrences are both encountered and expected.
Be patient with the calamities of time, and embrace
Nobility; for the noble perseveres.
Do not let a burden linger in your mind,
For indeed, it is as though fire burns within.
What you have been granted is from God alone,
And what you have been denied must flow by fate.
Do not let hope grow weak when it becomes bountiful,
And without it, the time will be a burden.
Will the Realm of Mortality Endure? by Ahmad Al-Attar
Will the dwelling of mortality endure?
Or is there loyalty from time to behold?
How can one trust the deception of a world
That subjugates both the nobleman and the honorable?
Cursed be this wicked realm, its pleasures,
Displeasure clouds its delights; indeed, it is a malady.
You smiled upon me, and I was deceived, for indeed,
There is no doubt; it mocks and ridicules.
Where are the mighty and the turbulent ones?
The kings, the hunters, and the princes?
Where is the truthful one, steadfast and sincere,
Whose essence bewildered all opinions?
He is the learned guide, the revered and honored,
Whose virtue is acknowledged even by enemies.
A symbol of scholars, the chief of all,
To whom the esteemed have yielded their honor.
The one who masters restraint, whose rightful path
Is manifested in both bearing and quietude.
The one who taught people to show kindness, how often,
Did they repay goodness where there was wrong?
He has shown us nothing but loyalty and fidelity,
For his love remains sincere and true.
He is a pride among those who boast, by whom
His noble ancestry stands proud.
Glory has increased with pride, just as
Honor lifts in heights of excellence.
What a noble master who leads the people!
Greatness beckons to the mighty.
Various Verses of Poetry on Wisdom
Here are various verses of poetry on wisdom:
- The poet Ka’b Ibn Zuhair says:
If you do not restrain yourself from ignorance,
You shall be struck either by patience or folly.
- The poet Abu Tammam states:
There was hope for my soul which has perished,
And despair became its dwelling place.
Time has tested my patience after contentment,
And the good deeds I had have been reclaimed.
Time is not unjust; rather, it has
Lent me kindness, and then claimed it back.
- The poet Abu al-Ala al-Ma’arri observes:
Whoever seeks the marvels of his days,
For I have eighty years without marvels.
People are like the people of the past, and the days
Are the same; time is the same for those who conquer.
- The poet Zuhair Ibn Abi Sulma declares in his famous mu’allaqa:
So do not hide from God what is within you,
For it cannot be concealed; God knows what is hidden.
- The poet Abu al-Atahiya asserts:
O seeker of wisdom from its people,
Light illuminates the shades of darkness.
And the root nourishes the branch forever,
Bearing fruit from its waters.
Whoever envies people for their wealth,
Carries the burden of worries.
And time is cunning with its children,
Luring them with its sweetness.
It brings parents with their children,
And connects sons with their fathers.
And action is attributed to its people,
As a thing called by its names.