Poem: The Beloved Looked at Me from Afar
Written by Ibn Sana Al-Malik:
The beloved glanced at me from a hidden place,
And how can healing come to a heart that is burdened?
He drew near, quieting the fire within my heart,
Have you heard of a fire extinguished by fire?
And my tears yearned to flow freely,
But I told them to stop—enough now!
The beloved has come, having sufficed my longing,
And the terrified lover found his relief.
With beauty so radiant, her face mocks the moon,
No, it even outshines the brightness of the stars!
I cannot compare her to the sun,
Nor do I settle for comparisons to the moon.
Beauty unfolds without artifice,
And allure reveals itself without pretense.
She recites her charms and the grace of her face,
Displaying a miraculous sign amidst adornment.
I will turn away to prevent myself from overflowing,
Do you think I desire to become sated?
My love does not let my patience waver,
Nor does my yearning for union diminish.
O vandal of hearts, you possess my fate,
O you who belittle, your melodies rescue me.
By your beauty, I plead, charming one, do me justice,
And by the grace of your slender form, turn to me.
Are you the beloved who turned away or did not?
And I, the lover, did you choose to abandon me?
She asks, “Who is this that bleeds due to my actions?”
This is a cruel fate as my heart aches.
Is there anything more astonishing than the flush of her cheek,
Except perhaps her beauty and my restraint?
What have I suffered from her indifference?
For he shows cruelty to a heart that is soft.
The heart swears that it will heal but does not;
It swears it has not sworn.
I claim I can heal although my healing is pure joy,
For good tidings have come like the arrival of Joseph.
The joyful news is that Joseph has healed,
From the affliction of time, for Joseph has recovered.
The herald has come bearing joyous news,
Yet for a year, the good tidings of Joseph prevailed.
It was the gentle touch like a shirt; do you not see,
Our vision has returned to us through gentle touches?
Such a significant event has occurred,
But it is a grave matter returned by hidden gentleness.
Woe to the ill that long for that honorable place,
Do you presume that in the realm of kings, there is greed?
Your thoughts have failed, so retreat or conceal.
You are ignorant, thinking that repentance follows
From a misstep by a foolish one who does not know.
What harm does thinness bring the noble body?
I, and this is my nature, find solace in the delicate.
Announce to others about his simple health, then say,
“Rest easy! Your cure is steadfast and does not falter.”
And likewise, say to the moon, “O moon of the night,
There is no reason for you to show a weary face!”
Spread the tidings of healing, then observe
The pain of the cross and the glad news of the Qur’an.
May you be spared from the hardship of time, for there is
No diversion for you from hardships that befall.
Allah has chosen you to support His religion,
So you defended the faith of the Chosen One.
You protected the light of the law from fading,
And made the most significant disbeliever bow down
Before the smallest of the devout Muslims.
You unsheathed a sword against the aggressor,
And poured out torrents upon the oppressors.
And may Allah be too noble to let a nation perish,
Who trusted in your justice after long distress.
I have vowed a pilgrimage for your healing,
Now you are healed, I must fulfill my vow.
You made my journey smoother and my path clearer,
For your presence makes my standing in judgment.
If you grant me the opportunity to journey with you,
Then indeed, I have triumphed with great reward.
I pray and persistently ask,
And rest assured, Allah does not deny the supplication of the earnest.
Poem: The Denial of the Beloved
Written by Muhammad Asmuni:
The beloved forsook me,
While he possesses a share of my heart.
He betrayed my loyalty, despite my closeness,
In love, I have become quite familiar.
My nights drag on, my tears flow,
Alone, I feel utterly despondent.
My intellect has tired; my heart reproachfully laments,
I said, “Calm down, O watchful one.”
He has not inquired about my pain,
Nor of my endless misery.
Had my troubles multiplied,
Perhaps he would have felt even a shred of empathy.
Rescue me from the fire,
That has ignited within my soul.
Is there no cure for my wound,
That the doctor has not yet explored?
There was no wisdom in medicine,
Only that which the beloved desires.
His closeness to me is a remedy,
That could possibly work wonders.
His distance feels like madness—
Indeed, it’s a lament or a wail.
O sharer of my love, should
You sway away from me, I would surely respond.
Is there a call for love,
Would it be heeded or ignored?
My healing is not difficult,
So long as the beloved forgives.
I have not found sincerity in this,
For a deceptive class remains suspicious.
Wickedness holds no good,
For I am madly strange.
Perhaps one day he shall suffer
When he finally responds.
He shall cry for his sins;
Indeed, I trust he will not disappoint.
Poem: The Beloved’s Play and His Indifference
Written by Al-Abbas Ibn Al-Ahnuf:
The beloved played with me while showing indifference,
And drew away though I desired his presence.
He comes and goes, turning away in anger,
And when I seek him out, he avoids conversation.
He is stingy with words, despite my longing,
I pour out my heart and plead my case.
I fear his disdain and departure,
For separation is harsh on the heart of a lover.
O one who summoned me and then abandoned me unjustly,
Come back, for you are expected and praised.
I often speak of you; it’s as if,
The bonds of my tongue are tied to your name.
I weep for your displeasure as I remember what has passed;
I wish that what has gone could be restored.
Do not kill me through your continued coldness;
Pay attention to my plight, for I am exhausted.
Your love remains in my heart,
Its essence rides the waves of my breath.
At times it softens for hope, and at other times,
It becomes fierce, rising within me.
Until your love has consumed my being, leaving
Naught but bones and dormant skins.
Neither can love drive me from my heart, even for a moment,
Nor will it cease to exist as long as I live.
And it seems that the love of others resides within me,
And it is as if it is tightly bound in my heart.
My heart is now dwelling with you,
Where is my lost heart found?
The heart departed, and I feel not its presence,
I trust it returns through your connection.
I swear, I seek no one but you as a beloved,
As long as the greenery bursts forth from flourishing trees.
May the God of all graceful ones forgive me,
For I have loved ones amidst my disdain.
They honor their agreement while I witness their promises;
Should I stray one day, I shall have no bonds with them.
Poem: The Passion of the Lover for the Beloved
Written by Ibn Al-Rumi:
The lover’s passion drives him to the beloved,
Like the ailing soul to the healer.
When the beloved departs, so does the essence of bliss,
Carried away with the sweetness of beauty and fragrance.
Indeed, the memories of my beloved
Stir within me like the awakening of a gentle breeze.
The full moon shines above the boughs, and the dew-soaked branches
Sway with grace upon the sands.
Reflect on the mention of friendship,
And stray not into the fleeting whispers of love.
For many excesses of sorrow dwell within me,
And few shall soothe my woes with sweet melodies.