1 COME; let us raise a hand from the heart;
For, to-morrow, (after death), one cannot raise the hand
from the clay (of the grave).
In the autumn season, seest thou not the tree,
Which, from severe cold, remains leafless!
It uplifts the empty hands of supplication.
It returns not, through God's mercy, empty-handed (leaf-
less).
Fate gives to it a renowned dress of honour;
Destiny places fruit, within its bosom.
5 At that door, which God never closed,—think not,
That he, hands raised (in supplication), becomes hopeless.
All bring devotion; and the wretched, supplication;
Come, so that at the Court of the Cherisher of the
Wretched (God),
We may raise the hand, like the naked (leafless) branch;
For, one cannot sit longer than this, without means (leaf-
less).
Oh Lord! look with bounty,
When sin comes into existence (issues) from Thy slaves.
Sin issues from the dust-like slave,
In hope of the pardon of the Lord.
10 Oh Merciful One! we are cherished by Thy bounty;
We are accustomed to Thy favour and grace.
When a beggar experiences liberality, and grace, and
tenderness,
He turns not back from the rear of the giver.
Since Thou didst make us precious in the world,
We have expectation of this same (dearness), in the future
world.
Thou alone givest preciousness and despicability;
One, dear to Thee, experiences contempt from none.
Oh God! by Thy honour, make me not contemptible (in
the future world);
By the baseness of sin, make me not ashamed.
15 Make not, a person like unto myself, ruler over me;
If I bear punishment, it is best from Thy hand.
There is no evil, in the world, worse than this,—
To suffer oppression from the hand of one like unto my-
self.
Shame of Thee is for me enough;
Make me not further ashamed before any.
If a shadow from Thee falls on my head,
For me,—the sky is of the lowest rank.
If Thou grantst a crown, it exalts my head;
Raise Thou me, so that none may cast me down.
20 My body trembles, when I bring to recollection,
The prayers of one distraught, in the sacred enclosure at
Makka,
Who, with much lamentation, was saying to God:—
“Cast me not away; for no one takes my hand.
“Call me, with kindness, to Thy door; or, drive me from
Thy door;
“—My head is only at Thy threshold.
“If Thou knowst that we are wretched, and helpless;
“We are wearied of imperious lust.
“This headstrong lust hastens to such a degree,
“That reason cannot seize its rein.
25 “Who, by force, prevails over lust and Shaitán?
“The battle-ranks of panthers come not from the ant.
“Give me a path, by the holy men of Thy path,
“Give me protection, from these enemies (lusts).
“Oh God! by the nature of Thy Lordship,
“By Thy qualities, matchless and unequalled,
“By—I await Thy command—of the pilgrim of the holy
house (the Ka'ba),
“By the buried Muhammad,—peace be on him!
“By the extolling of Thee of men, sword-exercising,
“Who reckon the man of war, a woman.
30 “By the worship of old men adorned (with devotion),
“By the truth of young men, newly risen,—
“(I pray) saying:—In that whirlpool of a breath (death-
throes),
“Help us from the shame of saying, two (Gods).
“There is hope from those who perform devotions;
“For, they make intercession for those devotionless.
“Keep me far from pollution, by the pure;
“And hold me excused, if any sin passes from me.
“By the old men, back bent with devotion;
“Eye from shame of sin (stitched) to the back of the foot.
35 “(I pray) saying:—Close not my eye from the face of
happiness;
“Bind not my tongue, at the time of witnessing.
“Hold the lamp of truth opposite my path;
“Keep my hand short of doing evil.
“Cause my eyes to turn from that unfit to be seen;
“Give me no power, as to disgraceful deeds.
“I am that atom, standing in Thy air,
“My existence, or non-existence, through despicability, is
one.*
“A single ray of the sun of Thy grace is sufficient;
“For no one sees me, save in Thy effulgence.
40 “Glance at the evil one, that he may be better;
“A glance from the king is enough for the beggar.
“If Thou, in justice and equity, seizest me,
“I will complain, saying:—Thy pardon gavest not to me
this condition.
“Oh God! drive me not, in contempt, from Thy door;
“For no other door appears to me.
“And if I become, through ignorance, absent a few days,
“Shut not the door, in my face, when I return.
“What excuse may I bring for the shame of wet-skirted-
ness,
“Unless I offer submission, saying:—Oh independent One!
45 “I am a poor man; take me not in crime, and sin;
“The rich man has pity for the poor.
“Why is it necessary to weep for the weakness of my state?
“If I am weak, my shelter is Thou.
“Oh God! in carelessness, we broke the covenant;
“What force may the hand of struggle bring against
destiny?
“What issues from the hand of our deliberation?
“This reliance is, indeed, enough,—confession of our sin.
“Whatever I did, Thou didst strike it all together (upset
it);
“What power may one's self exert against God?
50 “I take not my head beyond Thy order;
“But Thy command thus passes over my head.”
A certain one called one of blackish colour, ugly;
He gave to him an answer of such a sort that he remained
astonied.
“I have not created my own form,
“Which thou considerest my fault, saying:—I have done
ill.
“If I am ugly of face, what business (oh sneerer!) hast
thou with me?
“I am not, in short, the pourtrayer of the ugly and
beautiful.”
Beyond that which Thou didst write on my forehead,
Oh Slave-cherisher! I did neither less nor more.*
55 Thou art, in short, the Knower that I am not powerful;
Thou art absolutely powerful;—who am I?
If Thou art my Guide, I arrive at safety;
But, if Thou shouldst lose me, I remain behind in journey-
ing.
If the World-Creator affords not assistance,
How may the slave exercise abstinence?
How well said the darvesh of short hand,
Who, in the night, vowed; and, in the morning, broke his
vow:—
“If He gives repentance, it will remain steadfast;
“For, our covenant is unstable and languid.”
60 By Thy truth! stitch up my eyes from falsehood;
By Thy light! consume me not, to-morrow, in hell.
My face, through poverty, went into the dust;
My sin's dust ascended to Heaven.
Oh Cloud of Mercy! rain Thou once;
For dust, in the presence of rain, remains not.
Through sin, to me, in this kingdom (of the world) is no
rank;
But, to the next world, there is no path.
Thou knowst the intention of those tongue-bound;
Thou placest the plaster, on those heart-wounded.
65 An idolater was door shut as to his face against the world;
He was loin-girt in an idol's service.
After some years, as to that one of despised religion
—Fate brought before him, a difficult matter.
At the idol's foot, in the hope of good,
He helplessly rolled, in the dust of the temple,
Saying:—“Oh idol! I am distressed; help me;
“I am ready to die; pity my body.”
Many times, in its service, he groaned;
But, any deeds for his arrangement issued not.
70 How may an idol accomplish a person's important affairs,
Which cannot drive a fly from its face?
He was confounded, saying:—“Oh one foot-bound in
error!
“I worshipped thee several years, in folly:
“Accomplish the important matter, which I have before
me;
“Otherwise, I will ask it from the Omnipotent.”
His face, still stained with dust from (prostration before)
the idol,
When the pure God accomplished his wish.
One truths-recognising became astonished at this;
—For, his pure time became to him obscured,—
75 Saying:—“A mean, false, perturbed worshipper,
“—His head still, with the wine of the wine-tavern, in-
toxicated,—
“Washed not his heart from infidelity; nor his religion
from treachery,
“—God fulfilled that desire, which he sought!”
His heart descended into this difficulty,
When a message (from God) came to the ear of his heart,
Saying:—“The old man of deficient wisdom, before the
idol,
“Uttered much; but, his prayer was unacceptable.
“If he be also repulsed from Our Court,
“Then, from the idol to the Lord God,—what difference?”
80 Oh friend! it is necessary to bind the heart on the Lord
God;
Than the idol whatever (or whosoever) it be—who are
more helpless?
If thou placest thy head (in devotion) at this door, it is
impossible,
That the hand of need should return to thee empty.
Oh God! we came deficient in work;
We came empty of hand, but hopeful.
I have heard that one intoxicated with the heat of the
date-wine,
Ran to the most sacred place of a masjid.
He bewailed at the threshold of mercy,
Saying:—“Oh Lord! take me to the loftiest Paradise?”
85 The Mu,azzin seized his collar, saying:—“Make haste,
“Oh one careless of wisdom and religion!—a dog and a
masjid.*
“What worthy deed didst thou, that thou seekst Para-
dise?
“Grace beseems thee not with an ugly face.”
The old man uttered this speech, while intoxicated one
wept,
Saying:—“Oh sir! I am drunk; keep thy hand from me.
“Hast thou wonder at the grace of the Omnipotent,
“When a sinner is hopeful?
“I say not to thee (oh Mu,azzin!)—accept my excuse;
“The door of repentance is open, and God is helper.”
90 I have constantly shame of the grace of the Merciful One;
For, I call my sin great, in comparison with his pardon.*
When old age brings down a person from his feet,—
When thou seizest not his hand, he rises not from his place.
I am that old man, fallen from his feet;
Oh God! help me, by Thy own grace.
I say not:—Give me greatness and rank;
Pardon me the cause of my wretchedness (sin), and my
crime.
If a friend knows a little defect regarding me,
He makes me notorious for foolishness.
95 Thou seeing, and we fearful of each other;
For Thou art the Screen-coverer (of sin), and we the
screen-render.
Men from without (the screen) have raised a shout (on
finding a defect);
Thou art always within the screen and screen-coverer.
If slaves, in foolishness, turn their heads (from order),
The lords draw the pen (efface the crime).
If Thou pardonst sin to the extent of Thy liberality,
There remains no captive in existence.
And, if Thou becomest angry to the extent of sin,—
Send to hell; and, ask not for the balance.
100 If Thou helpst me, I may arrive at the (appointed) place;
And, if Thou castest me down,—no one assists.
Who uses violence, if Thou givest assistance?
Who seizes, when thou givest deliverance?
In the place of assembling, there will be two parties;
I know not which path they may assign to me.
If my road be from the right hand,—it is wonderful;
For, only crookedness arose from my hand.
My heart gives, time to time, hope,
That God has shame of my white hair.*
105 I have wonder, if He has shame of me,
For shame comes not to me of myself.
Did not Yúsuf—who experienced such calamity and im-
prisonment,
When his command became current, and his rank lofty,—
Pardon the crime of the offspring of Ya'kúb?
For a good appearance has virtue.
He imprisoned them not, for their bad conduct;
He rejected not their small capital.
We also, from Thy grace, have expectation of this very
(treatment),
Oh dear One! forgive the sin of this one, without capital.*
110 No one has seen one of blacker deeds than me
Of whom no deed is approved.
Besides this that to me there is hope of Thy assistance;
To me, there is hope of Thy forgiveness.
I have brought no capital, save hope;
Oh God! make me not hopeless of pardon.