يا يارقاً لاحَ من قُبا سحَراً

يا يارقاً لاحَ من قُبا سحَراً

بحيثُ حلَّ منَ النُهى سحراً

بحيثُ حلَّ منَ النُهى سحراً

O lightning flash that gleamed from Quba before dawn,

O dawn gleaming from the east at daybreak

where it settled in the mind as enchantment.

When the prohibited becomes permitted by magic

أُعارَ قلبيَ خفقاً وأخلفَ فاستعارَ

أُعارَ قلبيَ خفقاً وأخلفَ فاستعارَ

من سُحبِ مُقلتي مطَراً

من سُحبِ مُقلتي مطَراً

It lent my heart a flutter and broke its promise, so it borrowed

It lent my heart a flutter and then neglected it, so it borrowed

rain from the clouds of my eye.

From the clouds of my eyelids, a rain

وأذكرَني العهدَ من سعادَ ولَم

وأذكرَني العهدَ من سعادَ ولَم

أنسَ وهاجَ الأحزانَ والفِكَرا

أنسَ وهاجَ الأحزانَ والفِكَرا

And it reminded me of Su'ad's pledge, which I had not

And it reminded me of the days of happiness but I did not forget

forgotten, and stirred sorrows and thoughts.

Griefs awoke and thoughts

أيام نُسقى معَها الشمولَ على

أيام نُسقى معَها الشمولَ على

رَوضٍ يُشاكِلُ زَهرُهُ الزَهَرا

رَوضٍ يُشاكِلُ زَهرُهُ الزَهَرا

The days when, with her, we were served wine in

Days we were given to drink together in

a meadow whose blossoms resembled the bright stars;

A meadow whose flowers match flowers

وغُصنُهُ طَرَباً تُمَيِّلُه

وغُصنُهُ طَرَباً تُمَيِّلُه

ريحُ الشمالِ ليلثُمَ النهرا

ريحُ الشمالِ ليلثُمَ النهرا

and its bough, in delight, was swayed

And its branches leaning by the breathing

by the north wind, so it might kiss the river.

Of the north wind to kiss the river

ونَهرُهُ كالحسامِ جرَّدَني

ونَهرُهُ كالحسامِ جرَّدَني

وسطَ الرياضِ بسيلُ مُنهَمِراً

وسطَ الرياضِ بسيلُ مُنهَمِراً

And its river, like a sword, stripped me bare

And its river like an unsheathed sword stripped me

amid the gardens, with a gushing torrent.

In the middle of the meadow with pouring torrents

وزَهرُهُ فيه صار منتَظِماً

وزَهرُهُ فيه صار منتَظِماً

لمّا غدا القَطرُ فيه منتشراً

لمّا غدا القَطرُ فيه منتشراً

And its blossoms there became arrayed

And its blossoms in it became orderly

when rain was scattered through it.

When the droplets in it became scattered

أم هل أطيبُ بطيبَةٍ زَمَناً

أم هل أطيبُ بطيبَةٍ زَمَناً

وهَل أعودُ من عِطرِها عَطِرا

وهَل أعودُ من عِطرِها عَطِرا

Or shall I enjoy a time in Tayba,

Or is there a place sweeter than Teebah

and return fragrant from its perfume?

Shall I return from its fragrance, fragrant

وهل أرى مُنشِداً بساحتها

وهل أرى مُنشِداً بساحتها

مدحَ الرسولِ المبعوثِ من مُضَرا

مدحَ الرسولِ المبعوثِ من مُضَرا

And shall I see one reciting in its courtyard

Shall I see in its plain a praiser

the praise of the Messenger sent from Mudar—

Who praises the Messenger sent from Mudhar

محمدِ المصطفى الرسول ومن

محمدِ المصطفى الرسول ومن

على جميع الأرسال قد ظَهَرا

على جميع الأرسال قد ظَهَرا

Muhammad, the Chosen One, the Messenger, and he

Muhammad Al-Mustafa the Messenger and the one

who has surpassed all messengers,

Who prevailed over all the Messengers

قُطبٍ على الأنبياءءِ قاطبةً

قُطبٍ على الأنبياءءِ قاطبةً

وخَيرِ كلّ الأملاكِ والسفُرا

وخَيرِ كلّ الأملاكِ والسفُرا

the pole above all the prophets,

The axis upon all the prophets entirely

and the best of all angels and envoys?

And the best of all the angels and the travelers

لولاهُ ما طَلَعت ذكاءُ ولا

لولاهُ ما طَلَعت ذكاءُ ولا

لاحَ الهِلالُ والكونُ ما ظَهَرا

لاحَ الهِلالُ والكونُ ما ظَهَرا

Were it not for him, Dhuka, the sun, would not have risen, nor

Without him, intelligence would not have risen nor

would the crescent have shone, nor the universe appeared.

Would the crescent have appeared and the universe not manifested

له المحاسنُ كلّها جُمِعَت

له المحاسنُ كلّها جُمِعَت

فكاملُ الحُسنِ فيه ما شُطِرا

فكاملُ الحُسنِ فيه ما شُطِرا

For him all beauties were gathered,

He has all the virtues combined

so perfect beauty in him remained undivided.

So perfect virtue in him is not divided

يُخجِلُ شمسَ الضحى بطَلعَتِهِ

يُخجِلُ شمسَ الضحى بطَلعَتِهِ

وقمرُ التمّ نورهُ قمِرا

وقمرُ التمّ نورهُ قمِرا

He shames the forenoon sun with his countenance,

He shames the sun of morning with his rising

and his light outshone the full moon.

And the full moon, his light is a moon

وقدُّهُ فَضَحَ الغُصون ومَن

وقدُّهُ فَضَحَ الغُصون ومَن

جِسمهُ راح يفضَحُ الدُرَرا

جِسمهُ راح يفضَحُ الدُرَرا

And his stature shamed the boughs, and his

His stature exposed the branches and he whose

body came to shame pearls.

Body exposed precious pearls

نورُ الصباحِ يحكي أُسرَّتَهُ

نورُ الصباحِ يحكي أُسرَّتَهُ

وسُدفَةُ الليل تُشبهُ الشعَرا

وسُدفَةُ الليل تُشبهُ الشعَرا

Morning light mirrors his brow,

The light of dawn tells of his lineage

and night's darkness resembles his hair.

And the darkness of night resembles hair

كم معجزاتٍ على يدَيهِ بَدَت

كم معجزاتٍ على يدَيهِ بَدَت

عن حصرها كلُّ شاعرٍ حَصِرا

عن حصرها كلُّ شاعرٍ حَصِرا

How many miracles appeared at his hands!

How many miracles by his hands appeared

Every poet was at a loss to count them.

Beyond counting, every poet was counted

فما تُعَدُّ ولا يحاطُ بها

فما تُعَدُّ ولا يحاطُ بها

ومن يَعُدُّ النجومَ والمطرا

ومن يَعُدُّ النجومَ والمطرا

For they cannot be counted or fully encompassed,

They cannot be counted nor comprehended

and who can count the stars and the rain?

And who can count the stars and the rain

قد خَصَّهُ ربُّه الحكيمُ

قد خَصَّهُ ربُّه الحكيمُ

بمعجزِ الكتابِ فأعجَزَ الشُعرا

بمعجزِ الكتابِ فأعجَزَ الشُعرا

His wise Lord has singled him out

His Wise Lord singled him out

with the miracle of the Book, thus confounding the poets.

With the miracle of the Book, so he disabled poetry

ويومَ مولِدِهِ بدَت عِبَرٌ

ويومَ مولِدِهِ بدَت عِبَرٌ

لمن رآها يا حُسنَها عِبَراً

لمن رآها يا حُسنَها عِبَراً

And on the day of his birth, instructive signs appeared

And the day of his birth, lessons appeared

for whoever saw them—what splendid lessons!

To whoever saw them, oh how beautiful lessons

بنورِه نارُ فارسٍ خمدت

بنورِه نارُ فارسٍ خمدت

كذاك كسرى إيوانهُ كُسِرا

كذاك كسرى إيوانهُ كُسِرا

By his light, Persia's fire died out;

With his light, the fire of Persia was extinguished

likewise, Kisra's vaulted hall was shattered.

Just like Kisra's palace was destroyed

والظبيُ والضبُّ والذراعُ لهُ

والظبيُ والضبُّ والذراعُ لهُ

قد أفصَحَت بالكلام دونَ مرا

قد أفصَحَت بالكلام دونَ مرا

And to him the gazelle, the lizard, and the foreleg

And the gazelle, the wolf, and the forearm spoke to him

spoke plainly, beyond dispute.

Articulating speech without hesitation

وقد رأي ربّهُ بمُقلَتِهِ

وقد رأي ربّهُ بمُقلَتِهِ

ليلَةَ أسرى ولَم يَزِغ بَصَراً

ليلَةَ أسرى ولَم يَزِغ بَصَراً

And he saw his Lord with his own eye

And he saw his Lord with his eyes

on the night he journeyed, and his sight did not stray.

The night of Isra and his sight did not waver

والشمس قد ردها الإلاه له

والشمس قد ردها الإلاه له

بعدَ المغيبِ وشقَّقَ القَمَرا

بعدَ المغيبِ وشقَّقَ القَمَرا

And God returned the sun to him

And the sun, God returned for him

after sunset, and split the moon.

After setting and split the moon

في كفِّهِ سبَّحَ الحصى وبها

في كفِّهِ سبَّحَ الحصى وبها

فاض الزُلالُ المعينُ وانفجرا

فاض الزُلالُ المعينُ وانفجرا

In his palm the pebbles glorified God, and in it

In his palm, pebbles glorified and from it

clear, flowing water welled up and burst forth.

Water burst forth from the spring and flowed

وُرقُ الحمام حمَت مكانتَتَه

وُرقُ الحمام حمَت مكانتَتَه

كذا له العنكبوت قد سَتَرا

كذا له العنكبوت قد سَتَرا

Grey doves protected his place;

Pigeon feathers protected his position

likewise, the spider concealed him.

Just as for him the spider wove a web

والعينُ قد ردَّها وأعذَبَها

والعينُ قد ردَّها وأعذَبَها

بريقِه وسخاً بها بَدَرا

بريقِه وسخاً بها بَدَرا

And he restored the spring and sweetened it

And the eye, he returned it and sweetened it

with his saliva—filth had appeared in it.

With his splendor and healed it with a full moon

والدوحُ قد أقبلت بلا قَدمٍ

والدوحُ قد أقبلت بلا قَدمٍ

تَسجُدُ بينَ يديهِ إذ أمَرا

تَسجُدُ بينَ يديهِ إذ أمَرا

And the great trees came without feet,

And the lizards came without feet

prostrating before him when he commanded.

Prostrating before him when he commanded

وكم وكم راحةٍ براحتهِ

وكم وكم راحةٍ براحتهِ

نيلت وأذهَبَ لمسُها ضَرَرا

نيلت وأذهَبَ لمسُها ضَرَرا

And how much, how much relief through his palm

And how much comfort in his comfort

was gained, and its touch dispelled harm!

I gained and his touch made harms disappear

هذا هو الفردُ في محاسِنِه

هذا هو الفردُ في محاسِنِه

هذا الذي لا يُقاس بِالنُظرا

هذا الذي لا يُقاس بِالنُظرا

This is he, unique in his beauties;

This is the unique one in his virtues

this is he who cannot be compared with peers.

This one who cannot be compared to any view

أسألُ ربّي الإلهَ يَمنَحُني

أسألُ ربّي الإلهَ يَمنَحُني

بجاهه ما يُقِرُّ لي النظَرا

بجاهه ما يُقِرُّ لي النظَرا

I ask my Lord, God, to grant me

I ask my God, the deity, to grant me

through his standing, what will gladden my sight,

Through his station what settles my sight

وأن يكونَ الختامُ لي حَسَناً

وأن يكونَ الختامُ لي حَسَناً

إذا رأيتُ الحمامَ قد حَضَرا

إذا رأيتُ الحمامَ قد حَضَرا

and that my end may be good

And to make my end good

when I see that death has come.

When I see the pigeons have come

فيا رسولَ الإلاهِ تَشفَعُ لي

فيا رسولَ الإلاهِ تَشفَعُ لي

فإنني قد أتَيتُ مُفتَقِرا

فإنني قد أتَيتُ مُفتَقِرا

So, Messenger of God, intercede for me,

O Messenger of God, intercede for me

for I have come in need.

For I have come destitute

قد حَمَّلَتني مآثمي ثِقلاً

قد حَمَّلَتني مآثمي ثِقلاً

وليس لي شافعٌ سواك يُرى

وليس لي شافعٌ سواك يُرى

Indeed, my sins have laid a burden upon me,

My sins have burdened me heavily

and no intercessor for me is seen but you.

And I have no intercessor to be seen but you

ثمَّ الصلاةُ عليك ما سجَعَت

ثمَّ الصلاةُ عليك ما سجَعَت

وُرقُ على ورقِ الربا الخضِرا

وُرقُ على ورقِ الربا الخضِرا

Then blessings upon you, as long as there is cooing

Then prayers upon you as long as

from grey doves on the leaves of green hills,

Leaves rustled upon leaves of green acacia

وما شَدا شائمٌ بروقَ قُبا

وما شَدا شائمٌ بروقَ قُبا

يا بارِقاً لاح من قُبا سحَراً

يا بارِقاً لاح من قُبا سحَراً

and as long as a watcher of Quba's lightning sings:

And as long as a critic berated the lightning of dawn

O lightning flash that gleamed from Quba before dawn!

O gleaming from the east at daybreak