Ya Hadi al-Rukban—يا حادي الركبان

• This is one of the breath-taking qasidas learned in this course. It is in the maqam (tune) of ‘Ajam (major).

O leader of the caravan,

When you reach the land of the beloved

Give the camels some rest

And give glad tidings to those who are longing

Our souls have gone ahead

And found rest in their meeting

The sun of that land appeared, 

And the whole universe illuminated

How many lovers

Stood enraptured at that door

Circumambulating the thresholds

All of them filled with sorrow

O you who dwell in in the blessed land,

The fire of longing is burning

For your sake, our souls abstain

From everything in all words