Love
O my two friends
Translated by Reynold A. Nicholson (1911) · From The Tarjuman al-Ashwaq (Nicholson, 1911)
O my two friends, pass by al-Kathíb and turn towards La‘la‘ and seek the waters of Yalamlam,
For there dwell those whom thou knowest and those to whom belong my fasting and my pilgrimage and my visit to the holy places and my festival.
Never let me forget at al-Muḥaṣṣab of Miná and at al-Manḥar al-A‘lá and Zamzam certain grave matters.
Their Muḥaṣṣab is my heart, because of their casting the pebbles, and their place of sacrifice is my soul, and their well is my blood.
O camel-driver, if thou comest to Ḥájir, stop the beasts a little while and give a greeting,
And address to the red tents on the side of the guarded pasture the salutation of one who longs for you and is distraught.
And if they return thy greeting, once more let the East wind bring thy salaam to them; and if they are silent, journey on with thy camels and advance
To the river of Jesus, where their riding-camels halted and where the white tents lie beside the river-mouth,
And call Da‘d and ar-Rabáb and Zaynab and Hind and Salmá and Lubná, and listen,
And ask them whether at al-Ḥalba is She, the limber one who shows thee the radiance of the sun when she smiles.
Codex Note
Tarjuman al-Ashwaq, poem 3
Cite this poem
MLA
al-Arabi, Ibn. “O my two friends.” Translated by Reynold A. Nicholson. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/ibn-arabi/2/.
Chicago
al-Arabi, Ibn. “O my two friends.” Translated by Reynold A. Nicholson. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/ibn-arabi/2/.
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