Abu ‘l-Husayn al-Nuri (? – 908)
I had supposed that, having passed away
From self in concentration, I should blaze
A path to Thee, but ah! No creature may
Draw near thee, save Thy appointed ways.I cannot longer live, Lord, without Thee;
Thy Hand is everywhere: I may not flee.
Some have desired through hope to come to Thee,
And thou hast wrought in them their high design:
Lo! I have severed every thought from me,
And died to selfhood, that I might be Thine.
How long, my heart’s Beloved? I am spent:
I can no more endure this banishment.
[Abu 'l-Husayn al-Nuri was a native of Baghdad. He was a friend of al-Junaid and a leading figure of Sufism in the region. His name "Nuri" means "Man of Light."]