أجلّ حديثٍ لا يُمَلُّ دوامُه

أجلّ حديثٍ لا يُمَلُّ دوامُه

ويُثمر طيباً للأنامِ اغْتنامُه

ويُثمر طيباً للأنامِ اغْتنامُه

The sublimest discourse—one never tires of its continuance—

The noblest discourse, whose continuance never grows tiresome,

and making the most of it bears wholesome fruit for humankind.

and making the most of it yields goodness for humankind,

حديثُ رسولِ اللهِ من هو خا

حديثُ رسولِ اللهِ من هو خا

تم النَّبيّينَ مفتاحُ الهدى وإِمامُه

تم النَّبيّينَ مفتاحُ الهدى وإِمامُه

The story of God’s Messenger, he who is the Sea—

is the discourse of God's Messenger, he who is the seal—

—l of the Prophets, the key to guidance and its leader:

—of the prophets, the key to guidance and its leader.

محمدٌ المختار أشرفُ مُرْسَلٍ

محمدٌ المختار أشرفُ مُرْسَلٍ

عليه صلاةُ اللهِ ثم سَلامُه

عليه صلاةُ اللهِ ثم سَلامُه

Muhammad the Chosen, the noblest messenger—

Muhammad the chosen, the noblest messenger;

God’s blessing be upon him, and then His peace.

upon him be God's blessings, and then His peace.

نبيٌ غدا للخلقِ خيرَ مُشَفّعٍ

نبيٌ غدا للخلقِ خيرَ مُشَفّعٍ

يَحُفّ بهم يومَ المعادِ اهتمامُه

يَحُفّ بهم يومَ المعادِ اهتمامُه

A Prophet who became creation’s finest accepted intercessor,

A prophet who became creation's finest intercessor, whose pleas are accepted;

whose solicitude enfolds them on the Day of Return.

his concern enfolds them on the Day of Resurrection.

أضَاءَ به أفقَ الوجودِ وأشرقتْ

أضَاءَ به أفقَ الوجودِ وأشرقتْ

مطالعُه وانجابَ عنه ظلامه

مطالعُه وانجابَ عنه ظلامه

Through him the horizon of existence was illumined, and forth shone

Through him the horizon of existence was lit, and radiant grew

its dawns, while its darkness cleared away.

its rising places, while its darkness was dispelled.

له الشَّرَفُ الأعلى ومنه التماسُه

له الشَّرَفُ الأعلى ومنه التماسُه

وعنه اكتساب الفخر وهو سَنامُه

وعنه اكتساب الفخر وهو سَنامُه

The highest honor is his, and from him it is sought;

His is the highest honor, and from him it is sought;

from him glory is won, and he is its summit.

and from him glory is acquired, and he is its pinnacle.

رَوَتْ هديَه الأصحابُ ثم رُواتُهم

رَوَتْ هديَه الأصحابُ ثم رُواتُهم

وسُلْسِلَ عنهم ضبطُه ونظامُه

وسُلْسِلَ عنهم ضبطُه ونظامُه

His guidance was transmitted by the Companions, then by their transmitters,

The Companions transmitted his guidance, then their transmitters,

and precision and order chained it from them in unbroken transmission.

and its exact preservation and arrangement were handed down from them in chains.

وقامَ بأعباء الروايةِ بعدَهُم

وقامَ بأعباء الروايةِ بعدَهُم

سَرَاةٌ لهم شأوٌ يعزُّ مرامُه

سَرَاةٌ لهم شأوٌ يعزُّ مرامُه

After them there rose to bear transmission’s burdens

And after them, the burdens of transmission were borne

noble masters whose stature is hard to attain.

by eminent men whose stature is hard to attain.

جزا اللهُ خيراً حافظاً بعد حافظٍ

جزا اللهُ خيراً حافظاً بعد حافظٍ

وسُنّي في دار الخلود مقامُه

وسُنّي في دار الخلود مقامُه

May God reward with goodness preserver after preserver,

May God reward preserver after preserver with goodness,

and exalt his station in the Abode of Eternity.

and may his station in the abode of eternity be exalted.

وقابلَ مسعاة الهمامِ محمدٍ

وقابلَ مسعاة الهمامِ محمدٍ

بكلِّ جميلٍ مونِق يُستدامُه

بكلِّ جميلٍ مونِق يُستدامُه

And may He requite the endeavor of the high-minded Muhammad

And may He requite the striving of the magnanimous Muhammad

with every fair, delightful boon made lasting for him.

with every lovely delight whose continuance is sought.

هو البلبانيُّ السَريُّ ومَنْ غدا

هو البلبانيُّ السَريُّ ومَنْ غدا

يقرّ بعين النيّرْينِ احتشامُه

يقرّ بعين النيّرْينِ احتشامُه

He is al-Ballabānī, the noble man, whose dignified reserve

He is the noble al-Balbani, who has come

became a delight to the eyes of the two luminaries.

to delight the eyes of the two luminaries with his dignity.

فكم بصرته حلية اشرفيَّةً

فكم بصرته حلية اشرفيَّةً

فدام على الإخلاصِ منها قِيامُه

فدام على الإخلاصِ منها قِيامُه

How often I saw him, an ornament of the Ashrafiyya,

How often I have beheld him as an Ashrafi adornment;

steadfast there in service founded upon sincerity.

so may his service there endure in sincere devotion.

وللسُنَّة الغرّاء أعذبُ موردٍ

وللسُنَّة الغرّاء أعذبُ موردٍ

يحق لنا إِجلالُه واحترامُه

يحق لنا إِجلالُه واحترامُه

For the radiant Sunna he is the sweetest wellspring;

And the radiant Sunnah has the sweetest spring,

we rightly owe him reverence and respect.

which rightly deserves our reverence and respect.

أُنيطتْ به بعد الكتابِ وأحكمت

أُنيطتْ به بعد الكتابِ وأحكمت

معاقدُ دين الحق دامَ انتظامه

معاقدُ دين الحق دامَ انتظامه

To him, after the Book, were entrusted and firmly secured

To it, after the Book, were bound and made firm

the bonds of the true religion—may its order endure.

the bonds of the true faith—may its harmony endure.

فما روضةٌ غنّاءٌ تندى غضارةً

فما روضةٌ غنّاءٌ تندى غضارةً

توالى عليها للغَمام انسجامه

توالى عليها للغَمام انسجامه

No luxuriant garden, dewy with fresh verdure,

For no lush garden, dewy with fresh verdure,

upon which the raincloud’s downpour comes in unbroken succession,

upon which the clouds' downpour has fallen in succession,

فجلّلها نورُ الخمائِلِ بعْدَ ما

فجلّلها نورُ الخمائِلِ بعْدَ ما

تَفتَّح فيها بالعشيّ كِمامُه

تَفتَّح فيها بالعشيّ كِمامُه

then mantled by the blossoms of its bowers, after

then mantled by the groves' blossoms after

their calyxes have opened there at evening,

their buds opened there at evening,

وفاحَ خُزاماها وطاب نسيمُها

وفاحَ خُزاماها وطاب نسيمُها

وضاوعَ رنْدَ الحُزنِ منها بشامُه

وضاوعَ رنْدَ الحُزنِ منها بشامُه

whose lavender breathes fragrance and whose breeze grows sweet,

whose lavender wafted fragrance and whose breeze grew sweet,

and from which the upland laurel and its balsam waft fragrance—

and where the uplands' laurel and balsam mingled scents,

بأطيبَ من أردانِ سُنَّة أحمدٍ

بأطيبَ من أردانِ سُنَّة أحمدٍ

وما راح يهدي للنفوس كلامُه

وما راح يهدي للنفوس كلامُه

is sweeter-scented than the perfumed hems of Ahmad’s Sunna,

is more fragrant than the sleeves of Ahmad's Sunnah

and than what his words keep offering to souls:

and what his speech keeps offering as gifts to souls.

فَروْضٌ معانيهِ ودرٌّ نظامُه

فَروْضٌ معانيهِ ودرٌّ نظامُه

وصُبحٌ مباديه ومسْكٌ ختامُه

وصُبحٌ مباديه ومسْكٌ ختامُه

a garden in its meanings, pearls in its composition,

So its meanings are a garden, and its composition pearls;

dawn in its openings, and musk in its close.

and its beginnings are dawn, and its ending musk.