Poetry: Sheikh Muhammad al-Fasi

Poetry of
Sheikh Muhammad b. Mas`ud al-Fasi

شربت شرب السرّ من خمرة الصفاء

فسكري بها حقا وما لي منازع

سقاني ساقيها الحبيب فلم أر

سواه على الإطلاق في الكون لامع

ولا خطرتْ لي في سواه معية

فمهما رأيت الخلق ما أنا جازع

وأبصرت ما فوق البرية والثرى

كذا العرش والكرسي لحكمي طائع

فصرت أنا الساقي لمن جاء عاطشا

معيثا لمن ناداني في الكل شافع

أنا اشرب والمشروب والكدح الذي

يكون لأهل الشرب فيه ودائع

أنا النور والأنوار والسرّ والخفا

أنا الشمس والأقمار من نوري ساطع

فيا أيها الملهوف إن كنت ظامئا

فنادي بنا يا فاسي آت، أُسرع

I drank the drink of the secret from the wine of serenity

– my drunkennes by it is real, none can contest it.

Served by the tender of its drinks, the Beloved, I did not see

anyone at all except Him in the universe, resplendant,

And nothing occurred to me to be besides Him,

so whatever I saw of creation did not worry me.

I saw all upon earth and above the Pleyads,

even the Throne and the Kursi, obeying my command.

Thus I became the tender of drinks to those who come thirsty

assisting the one who calls me, interceding for all.

I am the drinking and the drink and the cup in which

(secrets) are deposited for the people of drinking.

I am the lighting and the lights, and the secret and the hiding

I am the sun, and the planets reflect my light

O you in distress, if you are thristy,

call "Ya Fasi, come!" and I'll hurry.

Poem by
al-Amir `Abd al-Qadir in praise of his Master
Sheikh Muhammad b. Mas`ud al-Fasi

أمسعود!! جاء السعد والخير واليسر

وولت جيوش النحس، ليس لها ذكرُ

ليالي صدودٍ واقطاعٍ وجفرةٍ

وهجراني سادات، ولاذكر الهجر

فأيامها أضحت قتاماً، ودجنةً

لياليها، لا نجم يضيئ ولا بدر

فراشي فيها حشوه الهمّ والضنى

فلا التذ لي جنب ولا التذ لي ظهر

ليالي أنادي، والفؤاد وتيّم

ونال الجوى تشوي لما قد حوى الصدر

أمولاي!! طال الهجر واقطع الصبر

أمولاي!! هذا الليل، هل بعدها فجر؟

أغث، يا مغيث المستغيثين، والهاً

ألمّ به من بعد أحبابه الرّ

أ سائل كل الخلق: هل من مخبّر

يحدثني عنكم فينعشهي الخبر؟

إلى أن دعتني همة الشيخ من مدى

بعيد: ألا فادنُ! فعندي لك الذخر

فشمّرت عن ذيلي الإزار، وطار بي

جناح اشتياقٍ، وليس يخشى له الكسر

وما بعدت عن ذا المحبّ تهامة

ولم يثنه سهل هناك ولا وعر

إلى أن أنحنا بالبطاح ركابنا

وحطّ دها رحلي وتمّ لها بشري

بطاح بها البيت المعظم قبلةً

فلا فخر إلا فوقه ذلك الفخر

بطاح بها الصيد الحلال محرم

ومن حلها حاشا يبقى له وزر

أتاني مربي العارفين نفسه

ولا عجب! فالشأن أضحى له الأمر

وقل: فإني منذ أعداد حجّة

لمنتظر لقياك، يا أيها البدر

فأنت بنيّتي مذ (ألست بربكم)ـ

وذا الوقت، حقاً، ضمّه اللوح والسطر

وجدّك قد أعطاك من قدم، لنا

ذخيرتكم فينا، ويا حبذا الذخر!ـ

فقبّلت بأقدتكه وبساطه

فقال لك البشرى! بذا قضيَ الأمر

وألقى على صفري بإكسير سرّه

فقيل له: هذا هو الذهب التبر

Al-Amir `Abd al-Qadir wrote a long poem in praise of his Master Sheikh Muhammad al-Fasi. It begins by narrating his meeting with him Makka, year 1279, as follows:

O Mas`ud! may fortune come, and goodness and ease,
     may the armies of darkness turn back, no longer mentioned.
My nights are (nights of) obstruction, being cut off and estranged,
     separated from the Masters - unnameable (is this) separation.
Days have become gloomy, and black
     the nights; no stars are there to light it up, and no fullmoon.
My bed in (these nights) is filled of anxiety and emaciation,
     the side gives me no pleasure in it, nor does the back.
All night I call, with a heart enthralled by love,
     and passion burning for what the breast desires.
O my Master! The separation has been long, patience is broken,
     O my Master! will there, after this night, be a daybreak?
Aid - o you who aid those who seek aid - one who has lost his senses (because of love and grief),
     stricken with harm, after his beloved ones (left).
I call to ask all creation: is there any announcer of news,
     who can tell me about them, that the news may revive me?
Until the Sheikh's aspiration called me from a distance
     afar: O come near! I have a treasure for you!
So I tucked up the lose end of my izar, and was carried,
    on wings of yearning, that will never break.
For the one who loves, Tihama is not far, []
    ease does not divert him, nor does roughness (deter him) –
Until we made our camels kneel down in the Valley,
    and I dismounted my saddle, and joy for it was complete.
A Valley in which the mighty House is the Qibla –
    nothing except what's beyond it can boast such greatness.
A Valley in which lawful game is prohibited –
    whoever makes it lawful, the load of his crime rests on him.
He came to me, who raises (adepts to the level of) gnostics,
     and nothing was strange – every matter became clear.
He said: "I have been, for so many hajj seasons
     awaiting your meeting, o fullmoon!
You are my beloved son, since (Allah said) "Am I not your Lord?
     truely, this hour is enclosed in the Tablet and the Scriptures."
Your grandfather gave you a foot, in which for us is
     your treasure – what a good a treasure!
Thus I kissed his feet and his carpet
     and he said: "Good tidings to you, now fate is accomplished."
And he cast over my brass his secret's Elixir,
     and to him was said: "This is an ore of pure gold"

Sources &
Acknowledgements

Svensk översättning:
Barbro Muhammad-Klingmann
med tack till
Ann-Catrin Nilsson
Selma Helali

Damas Cultural Society 2007
www.damas.st
Latest update: 2007-03-21