Legend has it that Shushtari’s master gave him a tambourine and made him sing in the market for his money (probably as a way of teaching the young nobleman humility).  He kept repeating the first line of this song over and over again, unable to come up with anything else, until inspiration struck, and the rest of the verses came pouring out. This, his first composition, has been sung ever since…

Translation:

I began by mentioning my love

I fell head over heels, life sweetened

A wonderful secret revealed

When the cup goes round

all those sitting together

their souls are revived

and troubles leave them

Pouring the cup of true happiness

God forgives whatever is past

Drink up my friend, and be glad

Live in the peace of the beloved

that I won through a wondrous mystery

Empty the glasses, drink them all up

Enrich yourself in the state of the saints

Lightning brightened the sanctuary

God forgives whatever is past

Oh Saki, take pity on us

The master forgives our sins

Pour wine out for us

and bless us with peace

For we are mad with love

Just like the noble saints

Open for us the vast expanse

God forgives whatever is past

Original (slightly different from the recording above):

بَديتْ بِذِكرِ الحبيبْ            وهِمْتُ وعيشي يطيبْ

               وبحتُ بسرٍ عجيبْ

لمَّا دارَ الكاسْ                   ما بيْنَ الجُلاَّسْ

أحْيَتْهُم الأنفاسْ                عنهُم زالَ الباسْ

سقاهُمْ بكاسِ الرِضى           عفا الله عما مضى

اشربْ يا نديمي وطِيبْ         وعِشْ في أمانِ الحبيبْ

                 قد فزتُ بسرٍ عجيبْ

قم خَلي الكاساتْ              واشْربْ بالطاساتْ

واغتنم لذَاتْ                 في مقامْ ساداتْ

بُريق الحِمَّا قد أضا             عَفا اللهُ عما مَضى

يا ساقي ترفق بِنا                المولى غَفَرْ ذَنْبَنا

اسقِنا مُدامْ                    وانعَمْ بالسَّلامْ

ونحن هيامْ                  مَعْ ساداتٍ كرامْ

وَوَسِعْ علينا الفضا              عفا الله عما مضى

Translation:

Alif before double lam

and Ha-the delight of the eye

Alif proclaims the name

with two lams without body

and Ha is the sign of the writing

“Secret” is spelled with two letters.

There is a name with no place.

Read these letters together.

You will see by them, the heart is satisfied

and forgets its past trials

and advances, flanked on both sides

by two delicate mysteries

My passionate love became public

Dawn appeared after my night

and I became a light for existence

a sun between two moons:

I know not where I am

My most pious love means

to be annihilated in Him as a slave

and truly, in annihilation, I vanish

for the finding is between two losings

and life is in two deaths

My darling, the one I passionately love

my spirit’s sustenance when I die

Fearing separation I sing:

When, o apple of my eye,

Will I find union without place?

Translation from L.M. Alvares. Abu al-Ḥasan al-Shushtari: Songs of Love and Devotion.  p. 90

Original:

ألِفٌ       قَبْل       لاَمَيْنِ        وهَاءُ      قُرةُ         الْعَيْنِ

ألِفٌ      هوتُ        الإسْمِ

وَلاَ مَينِ    بِلاَ      جِسْمِ

وَهَاء      آيَةُ       الرَّسْمِ

تَهَجَّى     سِرَّ       حَرْفَيْنِ        تَجِدْ    إِسْماً    بِلاَ      أيْنِ

حُروفٌ     كُلُّهَا       تُتْلَى

تَرضى الْقَلْبُ  بهَا    يُجْلَى

ويُسْلاَ   بَعْدُ    ما    يُبْلَى

ويَدْرَجْ     بينَ        كَفنين        بِرَمْزَيْنِ            رَقِيقَينِ

غَرامِي في الْهَوَى قد باح

وفَجْرِي  بَعد  لَيلَى     لاَحْ

وصِرْتُ للْوُجُودِ    مِصْباح

وشَمْسِ     بينَ       قَمَرَيْن        ولاَ   أدْرِي   أنا      أيْنِي

فَمَعْنَى    حِبِّي       الأتْقَى

بأن    أفْنَى    بِهِ       رِقَّا

وأفْنَى   في   الْفَنَا      حَقَّا

فَوَجْدُ      بَيْنَ         فَقْدَيْنِ        وحَياةٌ     في        فَنَايينِ

مُنَائِي   مَنْ    بِه    هِمْتُ

وقُوتُ   الرُّوحِ   إِنْ     مُتُّ

وخَوْفَ    الْبَيْنِ      أنْشَدْت

مَتَى    يا    قُرَّةُ      الْعَيْنِ        نَجِدْ   وَصْلاَ   بِلاَ      أيْنِ

One of the most powerful recordings of Sufi music, this medley of Shustari’s poetry begins with the following poem:

Translation:

They are my sweetest moments

when you are joined with my essence

When you are with my essence

The sun of intimacy dawns in me

My poverty came to me naturally

And existence has emerged and man sees

All of existence, all of it from my parts

They are my sweetest moments

when you are joined with my essence

O faqir, listen to what you should do

Put youself above the universe

There is nothing more beautiful from you

Cut off separations

and understand the mysteries

Enter the field

and see the past and the future

They are my sweetest moments

when you are joined with my essence

Original:

أطْيب    ما    هِ       أوقاتي        حين تَكن مجموع مع    ذاتي

حين    تَكُن    مع     ذاتِي

شمسُ  أنْسِي  مِنِّي     تطْلُوعْ

ويَجيني    فَقْرِي     مطْبُوعْ

والْموجُودْ       قد       بَان        ويَرَى                 الإنْسان

جَميعْ                  الأكوان        كُلَّها      مِن         جُزئِيَّاتي

أطْيَب    ما    هِ       أوْقاتي        حين تكُون مجمُوع مع ذَاتي

يا  فَقير  اسْمع   ما     تَعْمل

تِهْ   على   الأكْوانِ     وادّلَل

ليْس  ثمَّ  شَيْ   منَّك   أجْمل

واقْطَع                الأغْيار        وافْهم                 الأسْرار

وادْخُل               الْمِضمَار        وتَرَى   الماضِي      والآتي

أطْيب    ما    هِ       أوْقاتِي        حينْ نَكُن مَجمُوع  معْ    ذَاتي

Then at around the 2:00 minute mark it switches to the following poem, recorded in full here by the Ensemble Ibn ‘Arabi:

Translation:

 The slave to love is well-pleased with his madness.

Let him wear out his life even as he will.

Reprove him not; your blame will nothing serve:

Forsaking love is not his religion.

I swear by him for whom ‘Aqīq is mentioned–

a lover’s oath by his beloved—none

But ye are mine; yet have I to repent me

Remissness in loving, waveringness.

Why, when I hear the dove coo in the glade,

Why yearn I ever at his sorrowing?

And though his way is weeping without tears,

When the lover weeps, the tears pour from his eyes.

translation from Martin Lings’ Sufi Poetry: A Medieval Anthology p. 88

Original:

رَضِيَ المتيم في الهوَى بجنُونِه        خلُّوه   يفَنىّ    عُمرَه      بفُنونِهْ

لا  تعْذِلوهُ  فليْس  ينْفعُ    عذْلُكم        ليْس السُّلوُّ عن الهوَى من   دينهْ

قسَماً بمن ذُكرَ العقيقُ من   أجلِه        قسَم   المحِبِّ   بحبِّه      ويمينهْ

مالي  سواكم  غير  أنيِّ    تائبٌ        عن فاترات  الحبِّ  أو    تلوينِهْ

مالي  إِذا  هتف  الحمامُ  بأيْكةٍ        أبداً   أحِنُّ   لشَجْوِه     وشُجونهْ

وإِذا  البكاءُ  بغير   دمْعٍ     دأبُهُ        والصَّبُ  يجْري  دمْعُه    بعُيُونهْ