Baghdad. Night Walk
In the street the windlessness
Ambles scarcely heard,
Ambles in the light of lamps
As if seeking aught...
Windows look, but do not see;
Maybe bird is murmuring, or
On the pavement shadow creep;
Windows peer, but see not...
In my room I sit, unriddle
Drawing on the olden carpet,
But from me the meaning fleeing;
Figures, signs are silent, covered
With illusive fume... "Why not
To go and stroll along the street?"
Appeared thought...
"We are potsherds old, forgotten,
We are pieces with inscriptions..."
Whispering - I heard it...
"We are nocturnal tinctures..."
On the stony wall the shade
I tipped and lifted with a hand,
Behind it potsherd with engraved
Fragmént of verse I found, "When
You go, and we go, we..."
تمشوا و نمشي و نرى أشخاصكم
وأنتم لا ترونَّا يا دبر
You go, and we go, we see ye,
But you, purblind, us do not see.
Al-Hallaj, Poem 2
"Hither, hither..." Whispers echo;
Lamps are sleepy, silvery light
Is soaking stones; only echo
Conjures calmly, "Comest, hie..."
From the branchy tree a linnet
Mellifluously is singing,
"Clad in black attire, hey..."
By the tree I see the Sheikh.
Sheikh: Questions, questions - gathered birds,
Look within, and read the thoughts...
Me: They paint letters on the water,
They weave symbols from the murmur;
They leave glyphs on window rainy;
They are unseen, but felt... Do tell me...
Sheikh: Never ascribe to anyone, but God, -
To Him submit they all,
By His command they do...
كل من يرى الضر والنفع من
غير الله عز وجل فليس بعبد له،
هو عبد من رأى ذلك منه
That one who sees the harm and profit from
other than God, exalted, majestic is He, -
is not His servant, but the servant of
the man from whom he deems it.
Al-Jilani
As for His echoes, they
Are riddles of reverse of moon,
But listen to:
وهذا حالُ الأبدالِ، الذين هُم من
الرُّسل أمثال، وعددُهم في الموقنين
قليل، ونصيبهم من اليقين وافرٌ جليل،
وهم المقرّبون والصّديقون
And this is the state of Abdāl¹, -
who the choicest of messengers are,
and their number among those of Certitude - small;
their standing from Certitude - abundant, foremost.
They are those who stand near,
they are truthful, sincere.
Al-Makki
Their names are writ with script unknown,
They are the hidden, those
Who change reality by will of God.
أبدالُ الأنبياءِ، والربانيُّون من العلماء
Abdāl are the prophets, and lords
among scholars.
Al-Makki
The lords of mysteries and Runes,
They are the gates of Nūn ن...
هم معادن في الأرض ملوك فيها،
هم شحن البلاد والعباد، بهم يدفع
البلاء عن الخلق، وبهم يمطرون وبهم
يمطر الله السماء وبهم تنبت الأرض،
في بداية أمرهم
They [Abdāl] are the mines upon earth,
the lords of it. They are the wardens
of servants and climes. By them from men
is repelled the woe; By them the rain
is going; By them the God is watering the sky;
By them the grass is growing; -
In the beginning is their command.
Al-Jilani
But look...
Is getting silent nightly flute,
For you tonight last sign:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُونُوا أَنْصَارَ اللَّهِ
كَمَا قَالَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ لِلْحَوَارِيِّينَ
مَنْ أَنْصَارِي إِلَى اللَّهِ
O you who believe! Be the helpers of God,
as Jesus son of Mary² said to the disciples,
"Who are My helpers towards God?"
Qur'an 61:14
He said, "Who will be expression Mine?
To Me turn, reply..."
July 2020
1 Abdāl أبدال - literally "replaced", is used both
for singular and plural forms.
Mansur Al-Hallaj, Diwan
ديوان الحلاج
Abu Talib Al-Makki, The Sustenance of Hearts 1
قوت القلوب في معاملة المحبوب
Abd Al-Qadir Al-Jilani, The Opening of Lordship
الفتح الرباني والفيض الرحماني
2 Son of Mary - key:
Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh
shall he find faith on the earth?
Luke 18:8
Translation from Arabic
by Denis Bezmelnitsin
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