A lovely madīḥ nabawī poem by the “little Ibn al-Fāriḍ,” the Shādhilī-Darqawī shaykh and poet, Muḥammad al-Ḥarrāq (1186/1772-1261/1845). The closing lines are some of my favorite verses of metaphysical madīḥ, beautifully recited here:
Translation:
The best of my states is in my reliance on your grace,
And begging at your door is my place
By God, how sweet it is to ask a man of grace,
Great in generosity, from him, giving is assured.
His pardon for a misstep never falls short,
Nor is his grace for the breadth of intention narrowed.
His character is such that he never disappoints an questioner,
And a generosity in which all the worlds drown.
By God, no generosity that is natural,
And from a wealthy man who finds giving sweet,
Is like the generosity of one who gives little, in affectation,
out of stinginess, save when he pretends.
So take refuge in the one who seeks the deprived for his grace,
And is angered if the virtuous flee from him.
And seek protection in the one who considers the entire cosmos small,
as a gift, when the seekers circle around his door.
And so, O companion, if you are clever,
trust in him, and leave whoever clings to other than him.
For one in need, by God, is of no benefit,
To one in need, when his poverty surrounds him.
So persist in the remembrance of true wealth,
And you will be wealthy, for nature steals from nature.
And do not turn away from him in all your affairs,
For whoever turns away from him is, by God, a fool.
Because of his remembrance, how much good have his palm trees produced,
until the veils are erased.
Thus, the eye of the servant is comforted,
In nearness to him, all creation is in love.
And he attains what he desires, while there is none other than him—
No watcher, and the door of separation, by his grace, is closed.
He drew near until he became united with him,
And he shines in every radiance.
He proceeded until he became the last of all.
He went back until he preceded all.
So through him, and to him, from him, the loci of manifestation are individuated,
When they are separated from him, to him, away from him.
Original:
| وَأَحسَنُ أَحوالي وُثوقي بِفَضلِكُم وَأَنّي عَلى أَبوابِكُم أَتَمَلَّقُ |
| فَلِلَّهِ ما أَحلى السُؤالَ لِفاضِلٍ عَظيم النَدا مِنهُ العَطاءُ مُحَقَّقُ |
| فَلا عَفوُهُ عَن زَلَّةٍ مُتَقاصِرٌ وَلا فَضلُهُ عَن فسحَةِ القَصدِ ضَيِّقُ |
| لَهُ خُلقٌ أَن لا يُخَيِّبَ سائِلاً وَجُودٌ بِهِ كُلُّ العَوالِمِ يَغرَقُ |
| فَوَاللَهِ ما جودٌ يَكونُ سَجِيَّة وَمِن ذي غِنىً يَحلو إِلَيهِ التَصَدُّقُ |
| كَجودِ الَّذي يُعطي القَليلَ تَكُلُّفاً مِنَ البُخلِ إِلّا أَنَّهُ يَتَخَلَّقُ |
| فَلُذ بِالَّذي يَبغي الملحّ لِفَضلِهِ وَيَغضَب إِن عَنهُ العُفاتُ تَفَرَّقوا |
| وَعُذ بِالَّذي يَستَحقِرُ الكَونَ كُلَّهُ عَطاء إِذا القُصّادُ بِالبابِ حَلَّقوا |
| وَكُن ساكِناً يا صاحِ إِن كُنتَ كَيِّساً إِلَيهِ وَدَع مَن بِالسِوى يَتَعَلَّقُ |
| فَذو فاقَةٍ وَاللَهِ لَيسَ بِنافِعٍ لِذي فاقَةٍ إِذ فَقرُهُ بِهِ مُحدِقُ |
| وَداوِم عَلى ذِكرِ الغِنى حَقيقَةً تَكُن ذا غِنىً فَالطَبعُ لِلطَبعِ يَسرِقُ |
| وَلا تَعدُ عَنهُ في أُمورِكَ كُلِّها فَمَن يَعدُ عَنهُ فَهوَ وَاللَهِ أَحمَقُ |
| لِأَن ذِكرَهُ كَم أَثمَرَت نَخلاتُهُ مِنَ الخَيرِ حتّى صارَ لِلحُجبِ يَمحَقُ |
| فَأَضحَت بِهِ عَينُ العَبيدِ قَريرَةً بِقُربٍ لَهُ كُلُّ الخَليقَةِ يَعشَقُ |
| وَنالَ الَّذي يَهوى وَما ثمَّ غيرُهُ رَقيبٌ وَبابُ البَينِ بِالفَضلِ مُغلَقُ |
| تَقَرُّبَ حَتّى صارَ مُتَّحِداً بِهِ فَأَصبَحَ في كُلِّ المَلامِعِ يُشرِقُ |
| تَقَدَّمَ حَتّى صارَ لِلكُلِّ آخِراً تَأَخَّرَ حَتّى صارَ لِلكُلِّ يَسبِقُ |
| بِهِ وَلَهُ مِنهُ المَظاهِرُ أفردَت فَمِنهُ لَهُ عَنهُ إِذا تَتَفَرَّقُ |