Al-Aliful Qaswiira · الْأَلِفُ الْقَصِيرَةُ

أَيَا سَيِّدِي خَيْرَ الْــــــــوَرَى دَافِعَ الْأَسَـــى
شِفَاءَ الْجَوَى مُعْطِي الْجَدَا وَاهِبَ النَّـــدَى

Ayā sayyidī khayra al-warā dāfi‘a al-asā
Shifā’a al-jawā mu‘ṭī al-jadā wāhiba al-nadā

O my master, the best of mortals, the repeller of grief, the cure for burning sorrow, the giver of bounty, and the bestower of generosity.

بِضَاعَـــــــةُ حِـــبٍّ لاَ تُسَـــاوِي قُلاَمَـــةً
أَتَاكَ بِهَا يَبْغِــــــــي الْجَوَائِــــزَ وَالْجَـــدَا

Biḍā‘atu ḥibbin lā tusāwī qulāmatan
Atāka bihā yabghī al-jawā’iza wal-jadā

The "merchandise" of a lover does not even equal a fingernail clipping; he has brought it to you seeking prizes and bounty.

جَرَتْ عَادَةُ الْأَجْوَادِ بِالْبَذْلِ وَالْعَطَـــــا
إِذَا مُدِحُوا بِالشِّعْــــرِ وَالْبِـشْرِ وَالْقِــرَى

Jarat ‘ādatu al-ajwādi bil-badh-li wal-‘aṭā
Idhā mudiḥū bish-shi‘ri wal-bish-ri wal-qirā

It is the custom of the generous to be liberal and giving when they are praised with poetry, joy, and hospitality.

دَرَوْا أَنَّ خَيْرَ الْخَلْقِ أَكْــــــرَمُ وَاهِــبٍ
وَأَجْوَدُ مَنْ يُعْطِي ذَوِي الْبَدْوِ وَالْقُرَى

Daraw anna khayra al-khalqi akramu wāhibin
Wa-ajwadu man yu‘ṭī dhawī al-badwi wal-qurā

They know that the Best of Creation is the most noble of givers, and the most generous to those in the deserts and the towns.

هُوَ الْقَرْمُ وَالْخِرْقُ السَّـــرِيُّ نَوَالُـــهُ
يُقَلِّبُ أَعْيَانًا وَيَبْقَــــى إِلَى الْأُخْــرَى

Huwa al-qarmu wal-khirqu al-sarīyyu nawāluhu
Yuqallibu a‘yānan wa-yabqā ila al-ukhrā

He is the chief, the noble leader whose bounty transforms the very essence of things and remains until the Hereafter.

وَيُعْطِيكَ يَوْمًا بَعْدَ يَوْمٍ فَلَمْ يَــــــزَلْ
لِمَادِحِهِ يُعْطِي النَّـــوَالَ وَلاَ يَخْشَــى

Wa-yu‘ṭīka yawman ba‘da yawmin falam yazal
Li-mādiḥihi yu‘ṭī al-nawāla wa-lā yakshā

He gives to you day after day; he never ceases to grant gifts to his praiser and never fears depletion.

زَمَانِي دَهَانِي يَا حَبِيبِي وَمُنْقِـــذِي
لِتُنْقِذْ مُحِبًّا قَادَهُ الشَّــوْقُ وَالْـهَـــوَى

Zamānī dahānī yā ḥabībī wa-munqidhī
Li-tunqidh muḥibban qādahu al-shawqu wal-hawā

My time has afflicted me, O my beloved and my savior; so rescue a lover who has been led by longing and passion.

حَدَى بِي إِلَى الْـهَادِي افْتِقَارِي وَفَاقَتِي
كَذَاكَ اشْتِيَاقِي وَالْحَنِيــــنُ إِلَى اللُّقْيَـــا

Ḥadā bī ila al-Hādī iftiqārī wa-fāqatī
Kadhalika-shtiyāqī wal-ḥanīnu ila al-luqyā

My poverty and destitution have driven me to the Guide, as has my yearning and the crying out for a meeting.

طَوَيْتُ إِلَى الْمَاحِي الْمَهَامِهَ وَالْفَــــلاَ
وَأَتْحَفَنِي فَضْلاً بِبُغْيَتِيَ الْقُصْـــوَى

Ṭawaytu ila al-Māḥī al-mahāmiha wal-falā
Wa-atḥafanī faḍlan bi-bughyatiya al-quṣwā

I have traversed the waterless wastes and the deserts to reach the "Eraser"; and he has gifted me, by his grace, my ultimate desire.

يَقِينًا حَبَانِي الْوَصْلَ وَالسَّعْدَ وَاثِقًـــا
بِأَوْثَقِ حَبْلٍ لَيْسَ يُفْصَـــمُ بِالْبَلْــوَى

Yaqīnan ḥabānī al-waṣla was-sa‘da wāthiqan
Bi-awthaqi ḥablin laysa yuf-ṣamu bil-balwā

With certainty, he granted me union and happiness, as I held fast to the firmest rope that never breaks through trials.

كَذَلِكَ نَيْلِـــــي لِلْمَـــرَامِ وَقَدْ شَفَـــى
سِقَامِي عَلَى مَا لاَ يُعَدُّ وَلاَ يُحْصَى

Kadhalika naylī lil-marāmi wa-qad shafā
Siqāmī ‘alā mā lā yu‘ad-du wa-lā yuḥṣā

Likewise, I attained my goal, and he healed my illnesses in ways that cannot be counted or calculated.

لَهُ الدَّهْرَ سَعْيِي قَدْ شَرَانِـيَ بَعْدَمَـــا
سَبَانِي وَنَفْسِي قَدْ وَهَبْتُ لَهُ إِرْضَا

Lahu al-dahra sa‘yī qad sharānī ba‘damā
Sabānī wa-naf-sī qad wahabtu lahu ir-ḍā

My efforts belong to him forever, for he bought me after he captivated me; and I have gifted my soul to him to please him.

مَرَامِيَ أَنْ أَبْقَــــــــــى خَدِيــــمَ جَنَابِــهِ
مُوَلًّى مِنَ الْمَوْلَى عَلَى الْمَنْعِ وَالْإِعْطَا

Marāmiya an abqā khadīma janābihi
Mūwallan mina al-Mawlā ‘ala al-man‘i wal-i‘ṭā

My desire is to remain the servant of his presence, authorized by the Lord over withholding and giving.

نَقِيًّــــــــا تَقِيًّــــــــا لاَ يُــــزَنُّ بِرِيبَـــةٍ
عَزِيزًا لَدَى الْمَوْلَى بَعِيدًا مِنَ الْأَهْوَا

Naqiyyan taqiyyan lā yuzannu bi-rībatin
‘Azīzan lada al-Mawlā ba‘īdan mina al-ahwā

Pure, God-conscious, never suspected of doubt; mighty before the Lord, far removed from whims.

صَفِيًّا وَفِيًّـــا وَاهِبًـــــا ذَا بَصِيـــرَةٍ
شَفِيقًا رَحِيمًا وَاصِلاً كُلَّ ذِي قُرْبَى

Ṣafiyyan wafiyyan wāhiban dhā baṣīratin
Shafīqan raḥīman wāṣilan kulla dhī qurbā

Pure, loyal, a giver possessing insight; compassionate, merciful, and joining all ties of kinship.

عَظِيمًــــــــــا جَلِيـــــلاً عَابِــــدًا مُتَعَلِّمًـــا
صَبُورًا شَكُورًا زَاهِدًا فِي سِوَى الْمَوْلَى

‘Aẓīman jalīlan ‘ābidan muta‘alliman
Ṣabūran shakūran zāhidan fī siwā al-Mawlā

Great, majestic, a worshipper, a learner; patient, thankful, and ascetic in all but the Lord.

فَرِيدًا عَدِيمَ الشَّكْلِ فِي الْعِلْمِ فَائِقًــــا
مَتِينًا قَوِيًّا غَالِبًا كُـــــلَّ مَنْ يَقْـــوَى

Farīdan ‘adīma al-shak-li fī al-‘ilmi fā’iqan
Matīnan qawiyyan ghāliban kulla man yaqwā

Unique, peerless, excelling in knowledge; firm, strong, and prevailing over all who are strong.

ضَرُوبًا شُجَاعًا فِي سَبِيلِكَ دَائِمًــا
مَصُونًا مَهِيبًا لاَ يَكِلُّ وَلاَ يَعْيَـــى

Ḍarūban shujā‘an fī sabīlika dā’iman
Maṣūnan mahīban lā yakillu wa-lā ya‘yā

Striking, brave in Your way always; protected, awe-inspiring, never tiring or growing weary.

قَوِيًّـــا عَلَــى حَمْــــلِ الْأَمَانَــةِ نَاشِطًــــــا
صَحِيحًا وَمَنْصُورًا مِنَ الْأَرْضِ وَالسَّمَا

Qawiyyan ‘alā ḥamli al-amānati nāshiṭan
Ṣaḥīḥan wa-manṣūran mina al-ar-ḍi was-samā

Strong in carrying the Trust, active; healthy and aided from the earth and the sky.

رَقِيبًـــــــــا بَصِيــــرًا لاَ يُخَــــانُ بِحَالَــةٍ
مُبَــــــارَكَ أَفْعَــــالٍ وَنَسْـــلٍ بِلاَ إِحْصَـا

Raqīban baṣīran lā yukhānu bi-ḥālatin
Mubāraka af-‘ālin wa-naslin bilā iḥṣā

Vigilant, discerning, never betrayed in any state; blessed in actions and in offspring without count.

سَدِيدًا سَدِيــــــــدَ الرَّأْيِ غَيْــــرَ مُغَفَّــلٍ
مُطَاعًا وَمَقْبُولاً تُطَاوِعُنِي الْأَسْمَـــــا

Sadīdan sadīda al-ra’yi ghayra mughaffalin
Muṭā‘an wa-maqbūlan tuṭāwi‘unī al-asmā

Righteous, sound in judgment, never heedless; obeyed and accepted, so that all names [beings] follow me.

تُصَاحِبُنِـــــــــي مِنْــــكَ الْعِنَايَةُ دَائِمًــا
فَيَمْضِي قَضَائِي فِي الْوُجُودِ وَلاَ أَعْيَى

Tuṣāḥibunī minka al-‘ināyatu dā’iman
Fa-yamḍī qaḍā’ī fī al-wujūdi wa-lā a‘yā

May your providence accompany me always, so that my decree is executed in existence without me tiring.

ثَقِفْتُ بِذِكْـــرِ الْمُصْطَفَـــى الْخَلْقَ كُلَّــهُ
وَقَدْ شَكَرُوا سَعْيِي فَأَدْعُو إِلَى الْحُسْنَى

Thaqiftu bi-dhikri al-Muṣṭafā al-khalqa kullahu
Wa-qad shakarū sa‘yī fa-ad‘ū ila al-ḥusnā

Through the remembrance of the Chosen One, I have refined all of creation; they have thanked my efforts as I call toward the best.

خَلِيًّا مِنَ الْأَغْـــــــــرَاضِ حَافِظَ دِينِــهِ
فَلَمْ أَرَ مَنْ يَقْلِـي جَنَابِي مَـــدَى الدُّنْيَــا

Khaliyyan mina al-aghrāḍi ḥāfiẓa dīnihi
Falam ara man yaqlī janābī madā al-dunyā

Free from ulterior motives, a preserver of his religion; so that I see no one who hates my presence throughout the world.

ذَلِيـــــــــلاً بِنَفْسِــــي لَيِّنًا ذَا مَكَانَــةٍ
لَدَى الْأَوْلِيَا طُرًّا كَذَا الْعَالَمِ الْأَعْــلَى

Dhalīlan bi-naf-sī layyinan dhā makānatin
Lada al-awliyā ṭurran kadhā al-‘ālami al-a‘lā

Humble in my self, gentle, yet possessing a high standing among all the Saints as well as the Highest World.

ظَمَائِــــــي بِصَوْمِـــــي لِلْإِلَـــهِ تَقَرُّبًّـــا
وَفَقْرِي إِلَى الْمَوْلَى وَعَنْ غَيْرِهِ أَغْنَى

Ẓamā’ī bi-ṣawmī lil-Ilāhi taqarruban
Wa-faqrī ila al-Mawlā wa-‘an ghayrihi aghnā

May my thirst be through my fasting for God as a means of proximity; and my poverty be toward the Lord, making me independent of all else.

غَرَامِــــي إِلَى خَيْرِ الْأَنَــــــامِ مُحَمَّدٍ
عَلَيْهِ صَلاَةٌ دَائِمًا فَوْقَ مَا يَــرْضَى

Gharāmī ila khayri al-anāmi Muḥammadin
‘Alayhi ṣalātun dā’iman fawqa mā yarḍā

My ecstatic love is for the Best of Mankind, Muhammad; upon him be a prayer always, beyond even what he desires.

شِفَائِيَ تَكْـثِيـــــــــــرُ السَّــــلاَمِ مُصَلِّيًــا
عَلَى أَحْمَدٍ وَالصَّحْبِ بَعْدَ ذَوِي الْقُرْبَـى

Shifā’iya takthīru al-salāmi muṣalliyan
‘Alā Aḥmada wal-ṣaḥbi ba‘da dhawī al-qurbā

My healing is the multiplication of peace, while sending blessings upon Ahmad, the companions, and the kindred.