إِلى ابنِ أُمَّا إِمَام البَدوِ والحَضرِ

إِلى ابنِ أُمَّا إِمَام البَدوِ والحَضرِ

جُودَ الجَدَا المُجتَدَى الصَّافي مِنَ الكَدَرِ

جُودَ الجَدَا المُجتَدَى الصَّافي مِنَ الكَدَرِ

To Ibn Umma, imam of nomads and townsfolk,

To the son of the mother, the Imam of nomads and settlers

generosity in sought-after bounty, free of taint;

The generous, righteous, pure from murkiness

جُمَانَةِ الدَّهرِ فَوقَ النَّحرِ غُرَّتِه

جُمَانَةِ الدَّهرِ فَوقَ النَّحرِ غُرَّتِه

إنسَانِ مُقلَتِهِ مَاوَى ذَوِى الوَطَرِ

إنسَانِ مُقلَتِهِ مَاوَى ذَوِى الوَطَرِ

the pearl of time above its throat, its radiant brow,

The pearl of the age, above the throat its necklace

the pupil of its eye, refuge of those in need;

A human whose homeland is the refuge of the elite

ِنِبرَاسِ دِينِ الهُدَى حَامِى حَقَيقِته

ِنِبرَاسِ دِينِ الهُدَى حَامِى حَقَيقِته

غَوَّاصِ أَبحُرِهِ صَمصَامِهِ الذَّكَرِ

غَوَّاصِ أَبحُرِهِ صَمصَامِهِ الذَّكَرِ

the lamp of the faith of guidance, defender of its truth,

The lantern of the religion of guidance, protector of its truth

diver in its seas, its keen, hard-tempered sword;

Diver of its seas,usamah of its remembrance

غَوثِ البَرَايَا ثِمَالِ المُرمِلينِ إِضَا

غَوثِ البَرَايَا ثِمَالِ المُرمِلينِ إِضَا

ضِ المُزعَجِينَ العَتَادِ المَعقِلِ الوَزَرِ

ضِ المُزعَجِينَ العَتَادِ المَعقِلِ الوَزَرِ

succor of creation, sustainer of the destitute, refuge

Succor of the distressed, shelter of the shuddering from cold

of the distressed, a resource, a stronghold, a shelter;

Refuge of the troubled, fortress of burdens

زَادِ المُسَافِرِ فَرَّاجِ الشَّدَائِدِ غَيثِ

زَادِ المُسَافِرِ فَرَّاجِ الشَّدَائِدِ غَيثِ

المُسنِتِينِ إِذَا احتَاجُوا إلَى المَطَرِ

المُسنِتِينِ إِذَا احتَاجُوا إلَى المَطَرِ

the traveler’s provisions, reliever of hardships, life-giving rain

Provision of travelers, reliever of adversities, rain

for the drought-stricken when they need rain;

Of the supplicating when they need the rain

مُحيِى العدالةَ بعد الموت مُبرِزَها

مُحيِى العدالةَ بعد الموت مُبرِزَها

في زَىِّ عَذرَاء في دَلٍّ وفي حَوَرِ

في زَىِّ عَذرَاء في دَلٍّ وفي حَوَرِ

reviver of justice after death, bringing her forth

Reviver of justice after death, its challenger

in a maiden’s guise, with coy grace and eyes of vivid white and black;

In the guise of a chaste maiden, alluring and wonderful

يسمو ألى المجدِ غَادِياً ومُبتكِراً

يسمو ألى المجدِ غَادِياً ومُبتكِراً

لله أحمدُ مِن غَادٍ ومُبتَكِرِ

لله أحمدُ مِن غَادٍ ومُبتَكِرِ

he rises toward glory, setting forth in the morning and at daybreak.

Rising to glory, proceeding and beginning early

God be praised for Ahmad—what a morning-goer and early riser!

To God belongs praise from a proceder and beginner

أسنَى سَلاَمٍ شَذَاهُ مِن شَمَائِلِهِ

أسنَى سَلاَمٍ شَذَاهُ مِن شَمَائِلِهِ

وَمِن سَنَاهُ سَنَاهُ الكَاسِفُ القَمَرِ

وَمِن سَنَاهُ سَنَاهُ الكَاسِفُ القَمَرِ

The most radiant greeting, its fragrance drawn from his virtues,

Of goodly greeting, its redolence from his traits

and from his brilliance comes its radiance, eclipsing the moon.

And from extolling him the crescent moon is eclipsed

هَذَا ومُوجِبُهُ أَنَّى بِبعدِكَ مَسقِىُّ

هَذَا ومُوجِبُهُ أَنَّى بِبعدِكَ مَسقِىُّ

الغَرَامِ مُصَابُ القَلبِ والسُّحُرِ

الغَرَامِ مُصَابُ القَلبِ والسُّحُرِ

This—and its cause is that, through your absence, I am made to drink

And what makes it obligatory, wherever you are distant

of love’s anguish, stricken in heart and lungs.

My passion's watering place, my heart and magic are smitten

تَعتَادني مِن جَواكُم زَفرَةٌ سَفَعَت

تَعتَادني مِن جَواكُم زَفرَةٌ سَفَعَت

نِيرَانُ أشجَانِهَا الأحشاءَ بالذَّكَرِ

نِيرَانُ أشجَانِهَا الأحشاءَ بالذَّكَرِ

A sigh of yearning for you revisits me; scorched

I have become accustomed by your absence to a groan igniting

by its sorrows’ fires are my innards whenever I remember.

The fires of its passions in the intestines by remembrance

إن يَزدَجِر عَن هَوَاهُ ذُو هُوىً فَأَنَا

إن يَزدَجِر عَن هَوَاهُ ذُو هُوىً فَأَنَا

عن حُبِّكُم طُولَ غَيرُ مُزدجِرِ

عن حُبِّكُم طُولَ غَيرُ مُزدجِرِ

If a lover is deterred from his passion, then I

If one impassioned were to refuse his passion, then I

am forever undeterred from loving you.

Of your love, long without refusing, am impassioned

أهوِى لِقَاكُم وإِن تَدنُوا أهُشُّ كَمَا

أهوِى لِقَاكُم وإِن تَدنُوا أهُشُّ كَمَا

هَشَّ المُدَوِّخُ لِلمَفتُولِ والسُّكَرِ

هَشَّ المُدَوِّخُ لِلمَفتُولِ والسُّكَرِ

I long to meet you, and if you draw near, I rejoice, just as

I yearn to meet you, and if you come near I startle as

the tea addict rejoiced at rolled tea leaves and sugar.

The intoxicated starts at the dizzy swoon