A POEM IN PRAISE OF SIDI AHMAD AL-TIJANI (RA)

- By Shaykh-al-Islam Ibrahim Niasse (RA)   -

(From his Diwan: Tuhfat Atayib al-Anfas fi Mada’ih il-Khatmi Abil-Abbas)

 

أَرَى حُبَّ شَيْخِي أَحْمَدَ الْخَتْمِ قَاتِلِي 

وَ لَيْسَ هَوَاهُ فِي الْفُؤَادِ بِزَائِلِ

Arā ḥubba Shaykhī Aḥmada al-Khatmi qātilī

Wa laysa hawāhu fī-l fu’ādi bi-zā’ilī

I see the love of my Shaykh – Ahmad (the Seal) – slaying me!

Yet, his love refuses to part from my heart!

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فَكَبْدِي بِحُبِّ الشَّيْخِ حَرَّى وَأَضْلُعِي 

فَصِرْتُ سَفِيهَا دَائِمًا غَيْرَ عَاقِلِ

Fa-kabdī bi-ḥubbi-sh Shaykhi ḥarrā wa-aḍlu‘ī

Fa-ṣirtu safīhan dā’iman ghayra ‘āqilī

My liver & my ribs are inflamed by the love of the Shaykh!

And I’ve become a perpetual madman, with no sense left!

*

سَكِرْتُ بِخَمْرِ الشَّوْقِ دُونَ تَخَرُّجٍ 

يُنَالُ بِشَوْقِ الشَّيْخِ سُولٌ لِسَائِلِ

Sakirtu bi-khamri-sh shawqi dūna takharrujin

Yunālu bi-shawqi-sh Shaykhi sū’ulun li-sā’ilī

And I am drunk by the wine of passion, with no exit...

Indeed, only in his passion does the seeker attain his goal!

*

فَكَمْ طَالَمَا نَالَ الْمُرِيدُ بِشَوْقِهِ

نَفَائِسَ عِلْمٍ وَارْتِقَاءَ الْمَنَازِلِ

​Fa-kam ṭālamā nāla-l-murīdu bi-shawqihi

Nafā’isa ‘ilmin wa-rtiqā’a-l manāzilī

For how often have the seekers attained through loving him…

The deepest of sciences & the raising of ranks!

*

أَرَى غَيْرَ حُبِّ الشَّيْخِ عَارًا مُشَنَّعًا 

أَرَى عَاذِرِي فِي حُبِّهِ غَيْرَ عَاذِلِ

Arā ghayra ḥubbi-sh Shaykhi ‘āran mushanna‘an

Arā ‘ādhirī fī ḥubbihi ghayra ‘ādhilī

I see loving anyone other the Shaykh (al-Tijani) as a shame & a disgrace!

And anyone criticizing me for loving him will certainly fail to stop me!

*

غَرِقْتُ بِبَحْرِ الشَّيْخِ دُونَ انْفِرَاقٍ 

مَا عَلَى وَجْهِ أَرْضٍ أَوْ سَمَا دُونَ فَاصِلِ

Ghariqtu bi-baḥri-sh Shaykhi dūna-nfirāqin

Mā ‘alā wajhi arḍin aw samā dūna fāṣilī

For I’ve drowned in the Ocean of the Shaykh with no barrier…

And nothing on Earth & Heaven separates me (from him)!

*

فَصِرْتُ أُرَى حَيًّا وَ لَسْتُ بِسَامِعٍ 

وَ لَا نَاظِرٍ شَيْئًا فَذَا الشَّوْقُ قَاتِلِي

Fa-ṣirtu urā ḥayyan wa-lastu bi-sāmi‘in

Wa-lā nāẓirin shay’an fa-dhā-sh shawqu qātilī

Thus I seem alive, yet I don’t hear or see anything (but him)

Indeed his passion has completely annihilated me!

*

صَلَاةٌ وَ تَسْلِيمُ عَلَى طَهَ أَحْمَدٍ 

وَ آلٍ وَ أَصْحَابِ كِرَامٍ أَفَاضِلِ

Ṣalātun wa-taslīmun ‘alā Ṭāhā Aḥmadin

Wa Ālin wa Aṣḥābin kirāmin afāḍilī 

Blessings & Salutations (of Allah) by upon Taha Ahmad…

And his Family & Companions, the noble & righteous ones!

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Fully Transcribed & Translated by Imām Fakhruddin Owaisi