قل للمطي اللواتي طال مسراها — Al Burai

قل للمطي اللَواتي طال مسراها

من بعد تَقبيل يمناها وَيُسراها

Say to the riding camels whose night journey has been long,

after kissing their right side and their left:

ما ضرها يوم جد البين لو وقفت

نقص في الحي شَكوانا وَشَكواها

What harm would it have done them, when parting grew severe, to stop,

while we recounted in the camp our complaints and theirs?

لَو حملت بعض ما حملت من حرق

ما اِستَعذبت ماءها الصافي وَمَرعاها

Had they borne some of the burning anguish I bore,

they would not have relished their clear water or their pasture.

لكنها علمت وجدي فأوجدها

شوق إِلى الشام أَبكاني وأَبكاها

But they knew my longing, and were seized

by longing for al-Sham, which made me and them weep.

ما هب من جبلي نجد نسيم صبا

للغورالا وأَشجاني وأَشجاها

No east-wind breeze blew from the two mountains of Najd

toward the lowland without saddening me and them.

وَلا سَرى البارق المكي مبتسما

الا وأسهرني رهنا وأَسراها

Nor did Meccan lightning travel by night, smiling,

without keeping me captive and sleepless, and sending them onward by night.

تَبادَرَت من ربانا بتي برع

كأن صوت رَسول اللَه ناداها

They hastened from our hills here in Bura',

as though the voice of God's Messenger had called them.

حَتّى اذا ما رأت نور النَبي رأت

للشمس وَالبدر أَمصالا وأَشباها

Until, when they saw the Prophet's light, they saw

likenesses and counterparts to the sun and full moon.

حطت بسوح رَسول اللَه واطرحت

أَثقالها وَلديه طاب مَثواها

They alighted in the courtyards of God's Messenger and cast off

their burdens; beside him their resting place was sweet.

حيا الغمام الرحاب الخضر منسجما

فالقَبر فالرَوضةالخَضراء حياها

May pouring rainclouds refresh the green, spacious grounds,

then the tomb, then the green garden—may they refresh them.

حيث النبوة مضروب سرادقها

وَذروة الدين فَوقَ النجم علياها

Where the pavilion of prophethood is pitched,

and religion's loftiest summit stands above the stars.

هنالك المُصطَفى المختار من مضر

خير البَريّة أَقصاها وأَدناها

There is the Chosen One, the elect of Mudar,

the best of creation, far and near.

أَتى به اللَه مَبعوثا وأمته

عَلى شفا جرف هارفأ نحاها

God brought him as a messenger, while his community

stood on the brink of a crumbling bank; he drew it away.

وأبدل الخلق رشدا من ضلالتهم

وَفل بالسيف لما عز عزاها

He gave people guidance in place of their error,

and shattered its factions with the sword when they grew strong.

كَم حكم السيف وَالبيض القواضب في

معاشر اللات وَالعزى فأفناها

How often he made the sword and keen, gleaming blades judge

the clans of al-Lat and al-Uzza, annihilating them.

وَساقَ جرد جياد الخيل خائنة

مَجرى الكَماة بِمَجراها وَمرساها

And he drove sleek, noble horses, thwarting

the warriors' course by their running and halting.

ذاكَ البَشير النذير المُستَغاث به

سر النبوّة في الدنيا وَمَعناها

That is the bearer of glad tidings, the warner, whose aid is sought,

the secret of prophethood in this world, and its meaning.

شمس الوجود الَّذي أَنوار مولده

ملأن ما بين كنعانوَبصراها

The sun of existence, whose birth's radiance

filled the space between Canaan and its Bosra.

وانشق ايوان كسرى من مهابته

وَنار فارس ذاك الطفل أَطفاها

Kisra's palace hall split in awe of him,

and Persia's fire—that child extinguished it.

وكم له من كَرامات يخص بها

وَمعجزات كَثيرات عرفناها

And how many wonders were uniquely granted to him,

and many miracles that we have known!

الثدى در له وَالغيم ظلله

وانشق في الافق بدر شق ظلماها

The breast flowed with milk for him, and clouds shaded him.

A full moon split upon the horizon, cleaving its darkness.

وَالجذع حن وأجرى الماء من يده

عشر المئين وَنصف العشر أَرواها

The palm trunk yearned; he made water flow from his hand,

quenching the thirst of a thousand and five hundred more.

وَالعنكبوت بنت بيتا عليه لكي

ترد فرقة كفر ضل مَسعاها

The spider built a house over him, so that

it might repel a band of unbelievers whose pursuit went astray.

وَالفعل ذل وأوما بالسجود له

وَالظبية اِشتَكَت البَلوى فأَشكاها

And the male camel [probable reading] grew docile and gestured in prostration to him,

and the gazelle complained of distress, and he relieved it.

بشرى طراف القَوافي انها ظفرت

بسيد العَرَب العرباء شراها

Glad tidings to the fresh rhymes: they have won

the lord of the pure Arabs, who bought them.

فالحَمدُ لِلَّه نحن الفائزون به

في ملة نعم عقبى الدار عقباها

Praise be to God: through him we are the successful,

in a faith whose final outcome is a blessed abode.

هَذا محمد المَحمود سيرته

هَذا أبر بني الدنيا وَأَوفاها

This is Muhammad, whose conduct is praised.

This is the most righteous and faithful of the world's children.

هَذا الَّذي حين جانا بالرسالة في

بَطحاء مكة عم النور بطحاها

This is he at whose coming to us with the message in

Mecca's valley, light filled its entire expanse.

لَم يَبقَ من شجر فيها وَلا حجر

الا تحييه نطقا حين يَلقاها

Not a tree remained there, nor a stone,

without greeting him aloud whenever he met them.

وَكلمته جَمادات الوجود عَلى

علم كأن لها حسا وأَفواها

And the world's inanimate things spoke to him with

understanding, as though they had senses and mouths.

وَالطير وَالوَحش والاملاك ما برحت

تهدى السَلام له كي تَرضى لِلَّه

Birds, wild beasts, and angels never ceased

offering him peace, seeking to please God.

مني السَلام عَلى النور الَّذي اِبتهجَت

به السَموات لما جاز أَعلاها

From me, peace upon the light that brought joy

to the heavens when he passed their highest reaches.

واِستَبشر العرش وَالكرسي وامتلأت

حجب الجلالة نورا حين واناها

The Throne and the Footstool rejoiced, and full

of light were the veils of Majesty when he reached them [reading uncertain].

يا من له الكوثر الفياض مكرمة

يا خاتم الرسل يا يس يا طه

O you honored with overflowing al-Kawthar,

O Seal of the Messengers, O Ya-Sin, O Ta-Ha!

ما للنبيين منوصف وليس له

فمنتهى حسنها فيهوَحسناها

No attribute belongs to the prophets that is not his;

for in him are their utmost beauty and their finest excellence.

أَنتَ الَّذي ماله في الكون من شبه

هَيهات أَين ثراها من ثرباها

You are the one without a likeness in all existence.

How far apart! What is its dust beside its Pleiades?

ما نالَ فضلك ذو فضل سواك وَلا

سامى فخارك ذو فخر وَلا ضاها

No one of merit but you has attained your excellence, nor

has anyone proud equaled your glory or matched it.

فرد الجَلالة مَقبول الشَفاعة في

يوم القامة أَعلى الانبيا جاها

Unique in majesty, your intercession accepted on

the Day of Resurrection, highest of the prophets in rank.

مَولاي مالي الاحسن لطفك بي

فهب لعيني عينا منك تَرعاها

My master, I have nothing but your gracious kindness to me.

So grant my eye an eye from you to watch over it.

واشمل بمرحمة عَبد الرَحيم وصل

أَهلا وَصحبا وارحاما لمولاها

Enfold Abd al-Rahim in mercy, and show kindness

to family, companions, and kin, for their master's sake.

وانهض بنفس اذا أمتك من برع

تَبغي الزيارة عاقتها خَطاياها

And lift up a soul that, when it sought you from Bura',

seeking to visit, was hindered by its sins.

وَهب لَها الامن في الدارين وارع لها

حسن الظنون لدنياها وأخراها

And grant it safety in both worlds, and preserve for it

good expectations for its worldly life and its hereafter.

واجعل لامتك الخَيرات منقلبا

يوم القيامة وَالجنات مأواها

And make blessings your community's final return

on the Day of Resurrection, and the Gardens its abode.

صَلى عليك الهى يا محمد ما

دامَت اليك الورى تحد وَمطاياها

May my God bless you, O Muhammad, as long as

humankind and its mounts continue being driven toward you.

تحيَّة يَنثَني في الآل طالعها

سعدا وبفضح ريح المسك رياها

A greeting whose rising star turns toward his family

auspiciously, its fragrance putting musk's scent to shame.