سقاك الحيا الوسمى ربعا تأيدا

وَعادك عيد الانس وقفا مؤيدا

May the early autumn rain water you, O dwelling grown firm,

and may the feast of fellowship return to you, an assured endowment.

وَحيتك من روح النَسيم مَريضة

تساقط درالطل فيك منضدا

May a languid breath of the breeze greet you,

shedding the dew's pearls upon you in ordered strings.

فَما أَنا في الآثار أَوّل قائِل

سقاكَ وَروّاك الغمام وَرددا

For I am not the first among the ruins to say:

May the clouds water you, drench you, and do so again.

عكفت عَلى مغناك حَتّى توهمت

نهاتي باني قد تخذتك مسجدا

I lingered at your dwelling until it was imagined

by my reprovers that I had taken you for a mosque.

وَحددت عهد الحب منك بلوعة

اذا طفئت بالدمع زادَت توقدا

I fixed my pledge of love for you in a burning anguish

that, quenched with tears, only burned more fiercely.

بكين حمامات الحمى فاِستفزني

جراح هوى في القَلب عاد كَما بدا

The doves of the sanctuary wept, and I was stirred

by wounds of love within my heart, a love renewed as at first.

وَهاجَ الصبا النجدي وَجدي بحاجر

فأفنيت لَيلا بعد لَيل مسهدأ

The east wind from Najd roused my longing at Hajir,

so I spent night after night sleepless.

وَما تَركت مني الصَبابة في الصبا

لمستقبل الوجد الجَديد تجلدا

Love's yearning in my youth left nothing in me

of fortitude to face fresh passion.

عَذيري من هم دخيل وَحسرة

عَلى زَمن في الغور لم يك مسعدا

Who will help me against a grief lodged deep, and regret

for a time in al-Ghawr that brought no happiness,

وَسوق لفقد الوصل أَعوز فقده

أَوالى له الصبر الجَميل تجددا

and longing for lost union, a longing I cannot shed?

For it I continually renew a gracious patience.

بِنَفسي لَيلات مضت بسويقة

وَشعب جياد ما أَلذ تهجدا

My life be ransom for nights gone by at Suwayqa

and the ravine of Jiyad—how sweet their night vigils!

وَذات جمال في أَباطح مكة

محاسنها تحكي سناء توقدا

And for a beauty in Mecca's broad valleys,

whose charms reflect a radiance ablaze.

اذا ما رآها العاشِقون رأَيتهم

يخرون للاذقان يَبكون سجدا

Whenever lovers see her, you see them

fall upon their chins, weeping in prostration,

عكوفا بمغناها حَيارى بحسنها

فَلِلَّه كَم أَصبت قلوبا وأَكبدا

keeping vigil at her dwelling, bewildered by her beauty.

By God, how many hearts and livers you have wounded!

وَما زلت أَوليها بوادر عبرتي

وأسأل عنها كل من راح أَوغدا

I have never ceased to offer her the first rush of my tears,

and to ask everyone setting out at dusk or dawn about her.

وَلَو أَنصفتني ساعدتني بزورة

أَعيش بها بعد الفراق مخلدا

If she treated me fairly, she would favor me with a visit

through which I would live forever after separation.

فَواللَه لا واللَه ما بي طاقة

عَلى حكم دهر جائر جارو اِعتَدى

By God—no, by God—I have no strength

to bear the rule of a tyrannical age that oppressed and transgressed.

وَلكن انادى بالجاه محمد

لا سمع صوتي خير من سمع الندا

But I call out, invoking Muhammad's high standing,

so that the best who ever heard a call may hear my voice.

وانزل من اعلى ذوائِب هاشم

باسمح من فيض الغمام وجودا

And I lodge, among Hashim's loftiest crests,

with one more generous and bountiful than the pouring clouds,

بأحسن من في الكون خلقا وَخلقة

وأطيبهم اصلا وَفرعا وَمولدا

the finest in all creation in character and form,

the purest in root, branch, and birth,

وأرجحهم وَزنا وارفعهم ذرا

واطهرهم قَلبا واطولهم يدا

the weightiest in worth and loftiest in stature,

the purest of heart and most generous of hand.

فما ولدت في الارضحوا وأدم

بأشرف منه في الوجود وأمجدا

For Eve and Adam never brought forth on earth

anyone nobler or more glorious in existence than he.

وَما اِشتملت أَرض عَلى مثل أَحمَد

أَبروأ وَفي من تقمص واِرتَدى

No land has ever held the like of Ahmad,

the most righteous and faithful of all who donned shirt and cloak.

بنور الفَتى المكي قامَتدَلائِل

عَلى الحق لما قام فينا موحدا

Through the Meccan youth's light, proofs arose

of the truth, when he stood among us proclaiming God's oneness.

وان الفَتى المكي شمس هداية

اذا اِستمسَك الغاوي بعروته اِهتَدى

The Meccan youth is indeed a sun of guidance:

the errant who grasps his handhold finds the way.

لَقَد شملتنا منه كل كَرامة

وَصلنا به عزا وَفخرا عَلى العدا

Every honor from him has encompassed us,

and through him we prevailed in might and pride over our foes.

هدانا الصِراط المُستَقيم بهديه

وألفتهم الاهواء في هوّة الردى

With his guidance he led us on the straight path,

while passions gathered them in the abyss of ruin.

فأصبح يولينا عواطف بره

وَيوليهم السيف الصَقيل المهندا

He came to bestow on us the tenderness of his kindness,

and on them the polished, Indian-forged sword.

وَما زالَ حَتّى فل شوكة شركهم

وَشد عر الدين الحنيفي وأكدا

He persisted until he blunted the might of their idolatry

and strengthened and confirmed the bonds of the upright faith,

الى أَن أَقام الحقبعد اعوجاجه

وَدل عَلى قصد السَبيل فأرشدا

until he set truth straight after its distortion

and showed the right course, guiding aright.

عليك سَلام اللَه بدار بطيبة

به يختم الذكر الجَميل وَيبتدا

God's peace be upon you in a dwelling at Tayba,

with which fair remembrance ends and begins.

كأني بزوّار الحَبيب وَقَد رأوا

بيثرب نورا في السَماء تصعدا

I seem to see the Beloved's visitors, who have beheld

at Yathrib a light ascending into heaven,

وَهبت رياح المسك م نحو روضة

أَقام بها الداعي إِلى سبل الهدى

as winds of musk blow from the direction of a garden

where the caller to the paths of guidance dwelt:

محمد الحاوي المحامد لم يَزَل

لمن في السَماء السبع والارض سيدا

Muhammad, who gathers all praiseworthy qualities, has ever been

master of those in the seven heavens and on earth;

ثمالى ومأمولي وَمالي وَموئلي

وَغاية مقصودى اذا شئت مقصدا

my succor, my hope, my wealth, and my refuge,

and my ultimate aim whenever I seek a goal.

شددت به أزرى وَجددت أنعمى

وأعددته لي في الحوادِث منجدا

Through him I strengthened my back and renewed my blessings,

and readied him as my helper in calamities.

وَقيدت آمالي به وَبحبه

ومن وجد الاحسان قيدا تقيدا

I bound my hopes to him and to love of him;

whoever finds kindness a fetter accepts its bonds.

سَلام عَلى السامي إِلىالرتب الَّتي

سرى الحيدرى فيها سما كاوفرقدا

Peace upon him who ascended to the ranks through which

al-Haydari journeyed by night—Simak and Farqad [syntax unclear].

فَتى جاوز السبع السَموات حائزا

فَضائِل سبق ما لميدانه مدى

A youth who passed beyond the seven heavens, attaining

the distinctions of precedence on a course without limit.

وأدكاه من ناداه من فوق عرشه

ليَزداد في الدارين مجدا وَسوددا

He who called him from above His throne drew him near,

that he might gain glory and eminence in both worlds.

أجب يا رَسول اللَه دَعوة مادح

يَراك لما يَرجو من الخير مرصدا

Answer, O Messenger of God, a praiser's prayer,

who looks to you as the source of the good he hopes for.

توسل بي برّ اليك صو يحب

لِيَمحو كتابا بالذنوب مسودا

Through me a righteous man sought access to you—[unclear]—in love,

to erase a record blackened with sins.

وَما زالَ تعويلي عَلى جاهك الَّذي

يؤمله العبد الشقي ليسعدا

My reliance has always been upon your high standing,

which the wretched servant hopes in, that he may find happiness.

فَقُم بابن موسى احمد المذنب الَّذي

رَجاك وهب في الحشر موسى لاحمدا

Stand by Ahmad son of Musa, the sinner who

has hoped in you; at the Gathering, grant Musa to Ahmad.

وأَولاده والوالدين تولهم

وأقربه رحما اليه وابعدا

Take his children and both parents into your care,

and those nearest to him in kinship and those most distant.

وَزد قائل الابيات فضلا وَرَحمَة

وأكرمه في دنياه واشفع له غَدا

Increase the author of these verses in bounty and mercy,

honor him in this world, and intercede for him tomorrow.

وَقل أَنتَ يا عَبد الرَحيم وكل من

يَليك غَريق الخير في لجه الندى

And say, 'You, Abd al-Rahim, and everyone

close to you are drowned in goodness, in bounty's deep sea.'

فَما كنت بدعا أن جعلتك عدتي

وَلا كنت ذا عجز فَتَتركني سدى

I am not the first to make you my support,

nor are you powerless, that you should leave me forsaken.

وَلكنني أَلقى العدابك غالبا

وآوى الى الركن الشَديدا مؤيدا

Rather, through you I face my foes victorious,

and, upheld, seek refuge in the mighty pillar.

فاعيت مَسافات مواسم ربحه

فحج وَما زارَ النَبي محمدا

So distances thwarted his seasons of gain [wording unclear],

so he made the pilgrimage, yet did not visit the Prophet Muhammad.

فَيا ضيعة الايام ان هي أَدبرت

وَما انجزت بَيني وَبينك موعدا

Alas for the waste of days, if they pass away

without fulfilling an appointment between me and you.

وَصلى عليك اللَه ما ذر عارض

وَما صاح قمري الاراك مغردا

May God bless you as long as a raincloud appears

and the arak's turtledove calls out in song,

صَلاة تحاكي الشمس نورا وَرفعة

وَتَبقى عَلى مر الجَديدين سرمدا

with a blessing that matches the sun in light and loftiness,

enduring forever through the passing of night and day,

تخصك يا فرد الجلال وَيَنثَني

سَناها عَلى الصحب الكِرام مرددا

reserved for you, O peerless one in majesty, while

its radiance returns repeatedly upon the noble companions.