Journey to Neyshabur
سفر به نیشابور
Mirror, mirror, why do ye
The reflection hide from me?
Maybe chilling evening drowse?
Or in silence something thou
Have left and lost, forgot?
Or perhaps, again the bird
Should resume the journey, say...
- Where you will find the trace
Of the Wizard... Mirror answered,
Then got murky, foggy, pensive...
I took candle, went to stroll
On the street 'mid buildings old.
On the snow I wrote, "Who?"
But inscription this was mute.
Then again I wrote the sign...
"You are shaming me, but why?"
Exclaimed Dervish in reproach.
Me: Sorry, I'll assay to change approach...
The Name of God recalled I thrice,
And thought has come to mind:
"Khadir".
Dervish:
فكلما ذكر ربه تجلت جادته
When he recalled his Lord,
emerged His road.
Al-Jilani
Commander of Abdāl, the most
Mysterious servant of the Lord.
Description gave Himself the Word:
فَوَجَدَا عَبْدًا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا آتَيْنَاهُ رَحْمَةً
مِنْ عِنْدِنَا وَعَلَّمْنَاهُ مِنْ لَدُنَّا عِلْمًا
Then [Moses and his page] found Our servant
whom We had granted mercy from Us,
and had taught him knowledge from Our own.
Qur'an 18:65
He said: We have inbreathed
In him the Spirit Holy, and
The knowledge taught arcane.
عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله
عليه وسلم يَقُولُ: بَيْنَمَا مُوسَى فِي مَلإٍ مِنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ
جَاءَهُ رَجُلٌ، فَقَالَ هَلْ تَعْلَمُ أَحَدًا أَعْلَمَ مِنْكَ قَالَ لاَ.
فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ إِلَى مُوسَى بَلَى عَبْدُنَا خَضِرٌ
Ibn Abbas related: I heard the messenger of God,
be he blessed, was telling: While Moses was
in the company of some men of Israel, a man
came and asked him, "Do you know anyone who
is more learned than you?"
"Nay," he replied, but God inspired
to Moses, "Yes, Our servant Khadir."
Sahih Al-Bukhari
Me: What is the meaning of his name?
Dervish: 'Tis ancient, but we have a tale:
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى
الله عليه وسلم قَالَ: إِنَّمَا سُمِّيَ الْخَضِرُ أَنَّهُ جَلَسَ
عَلَى فَرْوَةٍ بَيْضَاءَ فَإِذَا هِيَ تَهْتَزُّ مِنْ خَلْفِهِ خَضْرَاءَ
From Abu Huraira, be content with him God:
The prophet, be he blessed, said:
Al-Khadir was named so because
he sat on the barren white land,
and it turned green.
Sahih Al-Bukhari
Yet from the shadow magic moon
Is saying, "Neyshabur..."
January 2021
Abd Al-Qadir Al-Jilani, The Opening of Lordship
الفتح الرباني والفيض الرحماني
Sahih Al-Bukhari: Prophets
صحيح البخاري: كتاب أحاديث الأنبياء
Translation from Arabic
by Denis Bezmelnitsin
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