1. بارق الشام إلى الكرخ سرى

    فروى عن أهل نجد خبرا

    The lightning of al-Sham traveled by night to al-Karkh,

    and brought news of the people of Najd.

  2. وبنا هبَّت له بارقة

    أضرمت بالريّ منها شررا

    And a flash of its lightning rose over us,

    kindling sparks of its own even as it quenched thirst.

  3. وإلى الله فؤاد كلَّما اس

    تعرت نار الطلول استعرا

    And to God I commend a heart that, whenever

    the fire of the ruins flares, bursts into flame.

  4. غنّ لي يا حادي العيس ولا

    تهمل السَّير فقد طال السرى

    Sing to me, O driver of the pale camels, and do not

    slacken the pace, for the night journey has grown long.

  5. وأعِدْ أخبار نجد إنَّها

    تجبر القلب إذا ما انكسرا

    And repeat the news of Najd, for it

    mends the heart whenever it is broken.

  6. آه كم ليلة طالتْ وقد

    ذكروا نجداً وهمٍّ قصرا

    Ah, how many a night grew long, while

    they spoke of Najd—and how much sorrow grew short!

  7. كيف لا أعشق أرضاً أهلها

    شملت ألطافُهم كلَّ الورى

    How could I not love a land whose people

    have lavished their kindness on all humankind?

  8. قلْ بهم ما شئت واذكر فضلهم

    إنَّ كلّ الصيد في جوف الفرا

    Say what you will of them, and recount their excellence:

    all the game is indeed in the wild ass's belly.

  9. كَرُموا أصلاً وطابوا مغرساً

    وعَلَوْا قدراً وجادوا عنصرا

    They were noble in origin and pure in the soil of their planting,

    and rose high in rank and were excellent in stock.

  10. إنْ تَرَ منهم فتًى ظنَّيت في

    ذاته كلّ الكمال انحصرا

    If you see a youth among them, you would think that in

    his very being all perfection was contained.

  11. قسماً بالزُّهر من أجدادهم

    من به طابَ ثرى أمّ القرى

    I swear by the radiant ones among their forefathers,

    by him through whom the soil of Umm al-Qura grew sweet:

  12. مدحهم ذخري وديني حبُّهم

    يا ترى هل يقبلون يا ترى

    their praise is my treasure, and loving them is my faith.

    I wonder, will they accept? I wonder.

  13. يشهد الله بأنِّي عبدهم

    تحت بيع إن أرادوا وشرا

    God bears witness that I am their slave,

    subject to sale and purchase, if they so desire.

  14. وإذا انجرت أحاديثُهُم

    لا تسل عن مقلتي عمَّا جرى

    And whenever talk of them unfolds,

    do not ask what flowed from my eye.

  15. وهبوا عيني الكرى واحسرتا

    ودلالاً أحرموا جفني الكرى

    They bestowed sleep upon my eye—alas!

    And, in their coyness, denied my eyelid sleep.

  16. وتراني حينما قد نفروا

    ألفت عيني البكا والسهرا

    And you see me, when they have turned away,

    my eye accustomed to weeping and sleeplessness.

  17. شرفوا الأرض ومن هذا نرى

    منهمُ في كلِّ حيٍّ أثرا

    They ennobled the earth, and thus we see

    a trace of them in every community.

  18. كأبي القدر المعلى والهدى

    والندى والعلم مرفوع الذُّرا

    Like the father of exalted rank and guidance,

    and generosity and learning, whose summits are raised high,

  19. بضعة السادات من أهل العبا

    كوكب الإشراق تاج الأُمَرا

    a scion of the noble masters, of the People of the Cloak,

    the star of radiance, the crown of princes,

  20. وارث القطب الرفاعيّ الَّذي

    صيته أملى الملا واشتهرا

    heir to the spiritual Pole al-Rifa'i, whose

    renown commanded the throng and spread abroad.

  21. عَلَمُ الأشياخ سلطان الحمى

    غوث أهل الشرق شيخ الفقرا

    The standard of the shaykhs, sovereign of the sanctuary,

    succor of the people of the East, shaykh of the poor.

  22. يا لها والله من سلسلة

    كلما طالت نداها انحدرا

    By God, what a chain it is!

    Whenever it lengthens, its bounty flows down.

  23. عصبة من آل خير الأنبيا

    عَزَّ من يغدو بهم مفتخرا

    A band from the family of the best of prophets;

    honored is whoever takes pride in them.

  24. سيّدي يابا الهدى يا ابن الَّذي

    خضعت ذلاً له أُسْدُ الشرى

    My master, O Abu al-Huda, O son of him

    before whom the lions of al-Shara bowed in submission,

  25. يا كريم الطبع يا كنز التقى

    يا شريف القدر أنّى حضرا

    O noble in nature, O treasure of piety,

    O noble in rank, wherever you appear!

  26. لك وجه لمعت من وجه

    شمس رشد نورها لن ينكرا

    You have a face from which there shone

    a sun of guidance whose light will not be denied.

  27. مظهر أيّده الله وكم

    أرجو منه فوق هذا مظهرا

    A manifestation upheld by God—and how greatly

    I hope from him for a manifestation beyond this!

  28. لك من مجد الرفاعي رفعةٌ

    ترجع الطرف كليلاً حسرا

    From al-Rifa'i's glory you have an eminence

    that sends the gaze back weary and exhausted.

  29. ويد روحي فداها من يدٍ

    تخجل الغيث إذا الغيث جرى

    And a hand—my soul its ransom!—what a hand,

    putting the rain to shame when the rain pours.

  30. ولسان راح يروي قلبه

    ما به بحر الفتوح انفجرا

    And a tongue that began to voice his heart—

    what lay within it: the sea of spiritual openings burst forth.

  31. لك طرف أحمديٌّ إنْ رمى

    نبله العزم يشق الحجرا

    You have an Ahmadi gaze that, if it shoots

    its arrows of resolve, cleaves stone.

  32. لك صدر طاهر من دنس

    عن مياه الحقد طبعاً صدرا

    You have a breast pure of defilement,

    by nature withdrawn from the waters of rancor.

  33. بأبيك ابن الرفاعي وبالأ

    وصيا نعمَ الجدودُ الكُبَرا

    By your father, son of al-Rifa'i, and by the

    legatees—excellent are the mighty forefathers!

  34. لا ترى من حاسد إنكاره

    مثل هذا عن أبيكم ذكرا

    You will see no envious man deny

    that the like of this was told of your father.

  35. وأسلم الدهر رفيعاً سيّداً

    مرشداً لم تلق يوماً كدرا

    And remain safe for all time, exalted, a master,

    a guide, never meeting distress on any day.

  36. وأقبل العبد محبًّا خالص ال

    قلب لا زال بكم مفتخرا

    And accept the servant, loving and pure of

    heart, forever taking pride in you.

  37. فهو عن مدح سواكم أخرسٌ

    وبكم أفصحُ حزبِ الشُّعرا

    For he is mute in praise of anyone but you,

    and through you, the most eloquent of the company of poets.