ما انْبَلَجَ الصَّباحُ في طالِعِهِ

ما انْبَلَجَ الصَّباحُ في طالِعِهِ

ولا الهِلالُ لاحَ في بُرجِ العُلى

ولا الهِلالُ لاحَ في بُرجِ العُلى

Morning would not have broken at its rising,

Not yet has the dawn shone in its rising,

nor would the crescent have shone in the celestial mansion of the heights,

Nor has the crescent appeared in the constellation of Ula,

ولا النَّسيمُ هَزَّ أعْطافَ الرُّبى

ولا النَّسيمُ هَزَّ أعْطافَ الرُّبى

ولا ظَلامُ اللَّيلِ بالفَجرِ انْجَلى

ولا ظَلامُ اللَّيلِ بالفَجرِ انْجَلى

nor would the breeze have stirred the flanks of the hills,

Nor has the breeze stirred the branches of the meadows,

nor would night's darkness have cleared with the dawn,

Nor has the darkness of night cleared away at dawn,

ولا عَبيرُ المِسكِ وافِرُ الشَّذا

ولا عَبيرُ المِسكِ وافِرُ الشَّذا

عَمَّ شَميمُ عَرْفِهِ كُلَّ المَلا

عَمَّ شَميمُ عَرْفِهِ كُلَّ المَلا

nor would musk's fragrance, rich in scent,

Nor has the fragrance of musk widespread its scent,

have spread its sweet perfume throughout the throng,

Filling the entire kingdom.

لَولا الَّذي بِيَثرِبٍ ضَريحُهُ

لَولا الَّذي بِيَثرِبٍ ضَريحُهُ

من جاءَ للخَلْقِ جَميعاً مُرْسَلا

من جاءَ للخَلْقِ جَميعاً مُرْسَلا

were it not for him whose tomb is in Yathrib,

If not for the one whose shrine is in Yathrib,

who came as a messenger to all creation:

The one sent to all creation as a messenger,

مُحَمَّدُ المَجْدِ الَّذي تَلا لهُ

مُحَمَّدُ المَجْدِ الَّذي تَلا لهُ

جِبريلُ بالوَحْيِ الكَريمِ ما تَلا

جِبريلُ بالوَحْيِ الكَريمِ ما تَلا

Muhammad of glory, to whom

Muhammad, of excellent glory, to whom

Gabriel recited what he recited of noble revelation.

Gabriel recited the generous revelation.

والمَدَدِ الفَيَّاضِ من يَمينِهِ

والمَدَدِ الفَيَّاضِ من يَمينِهِ

وسِبْطهِ جَدِّي شَهيدِ كَرْبَلا

وسِبْطهِ جَدِّي شَهيدِ كَرْبَلا

And by the overflowing aid from his right hand,

And the abundant grace at his right hand,

and by his grandson, my forefather, the martyr of Karbala,

And my grandfather, martyr of Karbala.

ما غابَ عن عَيني سَنا جَمالهِ

ما غابَ عن عَيني سَنا جَمالهِ

ولا فُؤادي من مَعانيهِ خَلا

ولا فُؤادي من مَعانيهِ خَلا

the radiance of his beauty has never vanished from my eye,

His beauty has not been absent from my eyes,

nor has my heart been empty of his meanings.

Nor has my heart been devoid of his meanings.

ولا رأيتُ للسِّوى إشارةً

ولا رأيتُ للسِّوى إشارةً

أجَلْ ولا قَلْبي مَثانيهِ سَلا

أجَلْ ولا قَلْبي مَثانيهِ سَلا

Nor have I seen a sign pointing to any other;

And I have seen no hint towards anything else,

yes, nor has my heart forgotten his oft-repeated praises.

Indeed, my heart has not diverted from his love.

أُمِرُّ لَيْلي ساهِراً مُوَلَّهاً

أُمِرُّ لَيْلي ساهِراً مُوَلَّهاً

مُسامراً مُنادِماً مُبَلْبَلا

مُسامراً مُنادِماً مُبَلْبَلا

I spend my night wakeful, distraught with love,

I pass my night wakeful, attached to it,

conversing by night, keeping company, bewildered.

Conversing, socializing, raptured.

وأسْتَشِمُّ الرِّيحَ من أرْجائِهِ

وأسْتَشِمُّ الرِّيحَ من أرْجائِهِ

وكأسُ فِكري بالمُناجاةِ حَلا

وكأسُ فِكري بالمُناجاةِ حَلا

And I draw in the scent of the wind from his surroundings,

And I smell the wind from its outskirts,

and the cup of my thought has grown sweet through intimate prayer.

While the cup of my reflection overflows with supplication.

وأجْعَلُ اللَّيْلَ قِياماً كُلَّهُ

وأجْعَلُ اللَّيْلَ قِياماً كُلَّهُ

لمْ أعْرفِ النَّومَ ولا الهَجْعَ ولا

لمْ أعْرفِ النَّومَ ولا الهَجْعَ ولا

And I make the whole night a vigil of prayer;

And I make the whole night standing in prayer,

I have known neither sleep nor slumber, nor—

Not knowing sleep, rest or otherwise.

كَأنَّما بِلالُ كُلَّ لَيْلِهِ

كَأنَّما بِلالُ كُلَّ لَيْلِهِ

يَصيحُ لي في أُذُني حَيَّ على

يَصيحُ لي في أُذُني حَيَّ على

as though Bilal, all through his night,

It is as if Bilal during all his night

cried to me in my ear, "Come to—"

Calls out in my ears “Rise for prayer”.

قد أعْجَزَ اللاَّحِقَ شَوْطُ هِمَّتي

قد أعْجَزَ اللاَّحِقَ شَوْطُ هِمَّتي

وصِرْتُ في أهلِ الغَرامِ مَثَلا

وصِرْتُ في أهلِ الغَرامِ مَثَلا

The course of my resolve has outstripped the pursuer,

My fervent longing has rendered the pursuer helpless,

and I have become a byword among those in love.

And I have become an example among the enamored.

ويا عَجيباً لِخَمولٍ جاهِلٍ

ويا عَجيباً لِخَمولٍ جاهِلٍ

يَقولُ إنِّي في الغَرامِ مُبْتَلى

يَقولُ إنِّي في الغَرامِ مُبْتَلى

And how astonishing that an ignorant nobody

How strange of an ignorant sluggard

says that I am afflicted by love!

To say that I am afflicted with love!

ديني غَرامي والوُلوعُ سُنَّتي

ديني غَرامي والوُلوعُ سُنَّتي

حَجَبْتُ في تَفَجُّعي تَبَتُّلا

حَجَبْتُ في تَفَجُّعي تَبَتُّلا

My religion is my passion, and ardor is my practice;

My religion is my love, and passion is my habit,

I have veiled my ascetic devotion in my lamentation.

I have concealed myself in my fervent devotion.

قالَ عَذولي قَتَلَتْهُ لَوْعَةٌ

قالَ عَذولي قَتَلَتْهُ لَوْعَةٌ

أفْدي بِروحي راضِياً من قَتَلا

أفْدي بِروحي راضِياً من قَتَلا

My reproacher said, "A pang of longing has killed him."

My intimate said that yearning has killed him,

Gladly I ransom with my soul the one who slew me.

I would ransom him with my soul, pleased with his murder.

يا ساكِناً يَثْرِبَ أنتَ بُغْيَتي

يا ساكِناً يَثْرِبَ أنتَ بُغْيَتي

وقِبْلَتي إن ذهبَ الغَيرُ إلى

وقِبْلَتي إن ذهبَ الغَيرُ إلى

O dweller in Yathrib, you are my desire,

O resident of Yathrib, you are my quest,

and my qibla, if others go toward—

And my direction even if others journey to

شوقي إليكَ شوقُ عَبدٍ خالصٍ

شوقي إليكَ شوقُ عَبدٍ خالصٍ

مُتَّصلٍ عن شَوْقهِ ما انْفَصَلا

مُتَّصلٍ عن شَوْقهِ ما انْفَصَلا

My longing for you is a sincere servant's longing,

My longing for you is the longing of a sincere servant,

one who remains joined, never parted from his longing.

Continuous, never disconnected from his fervor.

سألْتُكَ الإحسانَ يا شَمسَ الهُدى

سألْتُكَ الإحسانَ يا شَمسَ الهُدى

بِنُطْقِ قلبٍ غَيرَكُمْ ما سألا

بِنُطْقِ قلبٍ غَيرَكُمْ ما سألا

I asked you for kindness, O sun of guidance,

I asked you for kindness, O sun of guidance,

in the voice of a heart that has asked none but you.

With the speech of a heart that has asked no other.

لو قابَلَ السَّحابُ فيكُمْ دَمْعَتي

لو قابَلَ السَّحابُ فيكُمْ دَمْعَتي

وحَقِّكُمْ لَسَحَّ دَمعي خَجَلا

وحَقِّكُمْ لَسَحَّ دَمعي خَجَلا

Were the clouds to rival my tear for you,

If the clouds were to encounter my tear in you,

by your worth, my tears would pour down in shame.

By your right it would pour my tear in shyness.

فَساعِدونا سادَتي تَكَرُّماً

فَساعِدونا سادَتي تَكَرُّماً

وأسْعِفونا بالرِّضا تَفَضُّلا

وأسْعِفونا بالرِّضا تَفَضُّلا

So help us, my masters, out of generosity,

So aid us my masters, honoring us,

and aid us with your acceptance, graciously.

And help us by being pleased, favoring us.

قولوا عُبَيْدٌ من ذَوي أرْحامِنا

قولوا عُبَيْدٌ من ذَوي أرْحامِنا

جاءَ وفي أعْتابِنا تَمَلْمَلا

جاءَ وفي أعْتابِنا تَمَلْمَلا

Say: "A humble servant, one of our kin,

Say this slave is from our caring family,

has come and writhed restlessly at our thresholds,

Who came with turmoil at our threshold.

واتَّخَذَ الشَّوقَ لهُ وَسيلَةً

واتَّخَذَ الشَّوقَ لهُ وَسيلَةً

يا نِعْمَ ما بهِ لنا تَوَسَّلا

يا نِعْمَ ما بهِ لنا تَوَسَّلا

and has taken longing as his means of approach;

And he has taken his passion for you as a means,

O how fine the means by which he sought nearness to us!

What an excellent means it is for us that he has come.

فَنَوِّروهُ بالتَّجَلِّي مَنْظَراً

فَنَوِّروهُ بالتَّجَلِّي مَنْظَراً

وقَرِّبوهُ بالتَّدَلِّي مَنْزِلا

وقَرِّبوهُ بالتَّدَلِّي مَنْزِلا

So brighten his aspect through manifestation,

So enlighten him with a revealing vision,

and bring him nearer in station through drawing close."

And bring him near with an inviting abode.

عَليكَ صَلَّى الله يا من للعُلى

عَليكَ صَلَّى الله يا من للعُلى

على البُراقِ لَيْلَةَ الإسْرا عَلا

على البُراقِ لَيْلَةَ الإسْرا عَلا

May God bless you, O you who to the heights

May Allah bless you, O you who ascended the Buraaq

ascended on Buraq on the night of the Night Journey,

To the highest heaven on the night of ascension.

وآلِكَ الغُرِّ الشَّابيبِ الأُلى

وآلِكَ الغُرِّ الشَّابيبِ الأُلى

وصَحْبِكَ الأخْيارِ طُرًّا وعلى

وصَحْبِكَ الأخْيارِ طُرًّا وعلى

and your radiant family, those rain-showers,

And your family, the shining youths,

and all your virtuous companions, and upon—

And your companions, those of excellence and purity.

هُنا اكْتِفاءٌ قد طَوَيْتُ ضِمْنَهُ

هُنا اكْتِفاءٌ قد طَوَيْتُ ضِمْنَهُ

جَدِّي أبا العَرْجاءِ كَوْكَبَ العُلى

جَدِّي أبا العَرْجاءِ كَوْكَبَ العُلى

Here I stop; I have enfolded within it

My grandfather Abu Al-Arja, the bright star of the highest.

my forefather Abu al-Arja', star of the heights.

A gift I draw from your ocean,

هَدِيَّةٌ أغْرِفُها من بَحْرِكُمْ

هَدِيَّةٌ أغْرِفُها من بَحْرِكُمْ

لِروحهِ يَلَذُّ فيها مَنْهَلا

لِروحهِ يَلَذُّ فيها مَنْهَلا

A gift I scoop from your sea

To quench his soul in which he finds sweet water.

for his spirit, which finds in it a delightful watering-place:

The righteousness of a father from the overflow of a generous grandfather,

بِرُّ أبٍ من فيضِ جَدٍّ أكْرَمٍ

بِرُّ أبٍ من فيضِ جَدٍّ أكْرَمٍ

بها على أحْفادهِ تَفَضَّلا

بها على أحْفادهِ تَفَضَّلا

devotion to a father, from a most generous forefather's overflow,

With which he has favored his descendants.

with which he bestowed favor upon his descendants,

The Quran is not recited in any scene

ما تُليَ القُرآنُ في مَشاهدٍ

ما تُليَ القُرآنُ في مَشاهدٍ

كَريمَةٍ مُجَوَّداً مُرَتَّلا

كَريمَةٍ مُجَوَّداً مُرَتَّلا

as long as the Qur'an is recited in shrines

As generously articulate and mellifluous.

of honor, with fine pronunciation and measured cadence.