Baghdad. Tomb of Al-Makki
بغداد. مرقد الشيخ أبو طالب المكي
I found vial in the street
'Mid the semi-shadows fluent,
Midnight water was in it;
"Write the signs..." A bird was cooing...
"Water, water, holdest thou
Thoughts of sombre side of moon,
On my paper say, pronounce
In a symbol, riddle, rune..."
I implored the water murky,
"By the leave of God..." In it
I dipped brush, and fast the drawing
On the paper did...
- I am midnight watch, and gate,
I am tower of night...
This your drawing is a key
To the chamber mine...
Told the voice, on walls imprinted;
Windows did reflect the letters;
Letters rendered into symbols;
And appeared stairs...
In the branches bird is cooing,
"Mystery is here, here..."
Through the branches Luna looming
As a yellow chandelier...
I went down downstairs,
Soundless were steps;
I descended in nowhere,
The door before me latch'd.
"I charge thee by Living Word,
Be alive, and open door..!"
To the drawing thus I spake, -
It revolved, dissolved, became
The key...
Sheikh: Unlock the mystery..!
I see his shadow on the wall,
But him see not...
I have unlocked
The door, and see a fog,
The coffin hovers in the fog of words...
Sheikh: Holy, holy is this Shrine,
Here rests the mystic of the night.
وفي الخبر: من خرج مِن بيته في طلبِ العلمِ فهو
في سبيل الله عزّ وجلّ حتى يرجع. ومَن خرج من
منزِله يلتمس علماً وضعت له الملائكةُ أجنحتها
رضاً بما صنع، واستغفرَ له دوابُّ الأرضِ
وملائكةُ السماءِ وطيرُ الهواءِ وحيتانُ الماءِ
In tradition: Who left his house
seeking knowledge, - he is on the way
of God, exalted and hallowed
is He, until to Him returns. Who left
his dwelling seeking knowledge,
the angels spread their wings to him
from joy for what he's done. And ask
for him forgiveness beasts of earth,
and angels of the skies, and birds
of air, and fishes of the waters.
Related by Al-Makki
Me: Tell me, please,
About the nocturnal mysteries...
Sheikh: At night is sacred every hour,
At night alights in bower
The Spirit, saith:
Who does hear will avail...
فإذا زالت الشمس فإنّ أبوابَ
السَّماءِ تُفتح للمصلّين والذاكرين،
ويستجاب الدعاء للمؤمنين
When sun has set, the gates
of heaven openeth for those who pray,
remember God; the prayers
of believers are being answered then.
Al-Makki
The night is time of candles, poesy,
At night the mantle mystics weave...
فإن الليلَ جُعل لباساً، هل أُلبست فيه
حُلَّة النّور بتيقظك فتربحَ تجارة لن تبور،
أم ألبسك الليلُ ثوبَ ظلمتِهِ فتكون ممّن
مات قلبُه بموت جسده بغفلته؟
The night is for making the mantle:
If, by thy vigilance, you deserved
the mantle of light, then your gain shall never
fade. But if thine attire is gloom of
night, then you are among those
whose heart died from ignorance.
Al-Makki
At night in brook
We gather stones of moon,
We build of it
The tower mystíc...
Without tip,
We rear it with speech...
وقال بعضهم: قيامُ الليل، والتملّقُ للحبيب،
والمناجاةُ للقريب في الدنيا، ليس من الدنيا،
هو من الجنّة أُظهر لأهل الله تعالى في
الدنيا، لا يعرفه إلا هُمْ
Said one of them: Vigilance at night,
longing for the Beloved,
secret talks with the One
who is near... This servant is not
of this world, but of Paradise.
Only men of God, exalted is He,
can see this servant in the world,
only they know him.
Al-Makki
Me: Attire of the gloom of night, expound
Please...
Sheikh:
Expression of ignórance dim,
Corruption and decrease.
Don't mingle with
The mystic darkness which
Is light intense and odd.
وقد كان أبو حازم الزَّاهدُ يقولُ:
ذَهَب العلماءُ وبَقِيَتْ عُلومٌ في أوعيةٍ سُودٍ
Abu Hazim Al-Zahid used to say:
The scholars are gone, but knowledge
in black vessels remained.
Related by Al-Makki
We are those who
Out of nocturnal dew
Have made the lakes...
كما روينا عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم:
إنَّ مِنَ العلمِ كَهَيئةِ المكنونِ لا يَعلمُه إلا
أهلُ المعرفةِ بالله عزّ وجلّ
As it is related to us, that prophet,
blessings of God be upon him, said:
No one knows the knowledge ancient,
concealed, except the men of knowledge
of God, exalted, majestic is He.
Al-Makki
I am water, water, melting;
I got hollow, hollow, empty;
Breathing, breathing, wíthin me,
Image on the water gleam;
I am paper, paper blank,
Write on me the rhythmic spell...
On the water words emerged,
"Miss it not, do miss it not!"
I had scooped without touch;
I returned to former marge,
And began to croon as flute,
Piercing, piercing the tissúe
Of nocturnal murkiness...
I began to charm the space;
I became the spirit-echo, -
Changing all around echo,
By the Master's will...
This vision is for thee,
Remember it...
August 2020
Abu Talib Al-Makki, The Sustenance of Hearts 1
قوت القلوب في معاملة المحبوب
Translation from Arabic
by Denis Bezmelnitsin
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