يا سيّد الرُّسل المكينَ مكانُه

يا سيّد الرُّسل المكينَ مكانُه

ومقدّم وهو الأخيسرُ زمانُهُ

ومقدّم وهو الأخيسرُ زمانُهُ

O master of the messengers, whose station is secure,

O Master of Messengers, exalted is his station,

And foremost, though last in time,

The foremost whose time has passed,

والمصطفى المختار من هذا الورى

والمصطفى المختار من هذا الورى

فمحلُّه عالي المحلِّ وشأنهُ

فمحلُّه عالي المحلِّ وشأنهُ

And the elect, chosen from this creation,

The Chosen One from all creation,

So exalted are his station and his standing.

His rank is most high and sublime.

ومن النُّبُوةِ والطهارة والهدى

ومن النُّبُوةِ والطهارة والهدى

شرفٌ حواه فؤادُهُ ولسانُهُ

شرفٌ حواه فؤادُهُ ولسانُهُ

And from prophethood, purity, and guidance

Of prophethood, purity and guidance,

Comes honor that his heart and tongue encompass.

Honor filled his heart and tongue.

عنوانُ طِرسِ الأنبياءِ وخَتمُهُ

عنوانُ طِرسِ الأنبياءِ وخَتمُهُ

والطرس يُكمِلُ حُسنَهُ عنوانُهُ

والطرس يُكمِلُ حُسنَهُ عنوانُهُ

The heading of the prophets' parchment, and its seal—

The seal of prophets and their crown,

And the parchment's heading perfects its beauty.

The seal completes the crown's perfection.

فالدهرُ أفقٌ أحمد أصباحه

فالدهرُ أفقٌ أحمد أصباحه

والخلق جَفنٌ أحمد انسانه

والخلق جَفنٌ أحمد انسانه

So time is a horizon; Ahmad is its dawn,

Eternity's horizon dawned with Ahmad,

And creation is an eyelid; Ahmad is its pupil.

Creation's eyelid blinked open with Ahmad.

نداك عبدٌ أخَّرتهُ ذنوبُهُ

نداك عبدٌ أخَّرتهُ ذنوبُهُ

والشوق تلفح قلبه نيرانه

والشوق تلفح قلبه نيرانه

A servant, held back by his sins, has called to you,

Your servant calls you though sins deter him,

And longing's fires scorch his heart.

Yearning inflames his heart with its fires.

وَفَدَت عليك ركابُ أربابِ التُّقى

وَفَدَت عليك ركابُ أربابِ التُّقى

والمذنبُ الخطَّاء كُفَّ عنانه

والمذنبُ الخطَّاء كُفَّ عنانه

The mounts of the devout have come to you,

The righteous hastened to you on pilgrimage,

But the oft-erring sinner's rein was held back.

While the sinner restrained himself in shame.

لمّا تخلف للتخلّف مذنبا

لمّا تخلف للتخلّف مذنبا

في المذنبين وعزّه أمكانه

في المذنبين وعزّه أمكانه

When he stayed behind, guilty of staying behind,

When the hesitant hesitated from his sins,

Among the sinners, and his means eluded him,

Among sinners, though honored is his station.

كَتَبَ الكتابَ لعلَّه إن لم يَزُر

كَتَبَ الكتابَ لعلَّه إن لم يَزُر

باللَّحظِ قَبرَكَ ان يزور بنانُه

باللَّحظِ قَبرَكَ ان يزور بنانُه

He wrote the letter, hoping that, if he did not visit

He wrote this ode hoping that if

Your grave with his gaze, his fingertips might visit it.

His gaze cannot reach your grave, his words might.

ووراء أضلاعي فؤاد قيدُهُ

ووراء أضلاعي فؤاد قيدُهُ

إلفُ الذنوب وسجنه أشجانه

إلفُ الذنوب وسجنه أشجانه

And behind my ribs is a heart whose fetter

Behind my ribs is a heart imprisoned

Is attachment to sins, and whose prison is its sorrows.

By the shackles of misdeeds and sorrows.

لكن حبّك شافع ومشفع

لكن حبّك شافع ومشفع

يغشي محبّك يمنه وأمانه

يغشي محبّك يمنه وأمانه

But love for you intercedes, and its plea is accepted;

But your love intercedes and advocates,

It enfolds your lover in its blessing and protection.

Sheltering your loving servant safe and secure.

وعليك يا خير الأنام تحية

وعليك يا خير الأنام تحية

كالروض صافح روحه ريحانه

كالروض صافح روحه ريحانه

And upon you, O best of creation, be a greeting,

Greetings upon you, best of mankind,

Like a garden whose sweet basil has clasped hands with its breeze,

Like a meadow greeting the breeze with its blooms.

ممن يزورك خطّه وكلامه

ممن يزورك خطّه وكلامه

إذ لم يزرك لذنبه جثمانه

إذ لم يزرك لذنبه جثمانه

From one whose writing and words visit you,

From one who visits you in word and deed

Since his body, because of his sin, has not visited you.

Since his body failed to visit for its sins.