قَدِمَ البَنَفْسَجُ وهْوَ نِعْمَ الوارِدُ

قَدِمَ البَنَفْسَجُ وهْوَ نِعْمَ الوارِدُ

قدْ نمّ منْهُ إليَّ طيبٌ زائِدُ

قدْ نمّ منْهُ إليَّ طيبٌ زائِدُ

The violet arrived—what an excellent visitor!

The violet came, and what a welcome visitor

A richer fragrance had wafted from it to me.

Fragrance was wafted to me from it, more and more

فسألْتُهُ ما بالُهُ فأجابَني

فسألْتُهُ ما بالُهُ فأجابَني

والحَقَّ لا يُبْغى علَيْهِ شاهِدُ

والحَقَّ لا يُبْغى علَيْهِ شاهِدُ

So I asked it why, and it answered me—

I asked it, “why so sweet a scent?” And it replied,

And truth needs no witness—

“The truth needs no witnesses from me or from you.”

أقْبَلتُ أطْلُبُ منْ بَنانِ محمَّدٍ

أقْبَلتُ أطْلُبُ منْ بَنانِ محمَّدٍ

صِلَةً فعادَ إليّ منْهُ عائِدُ

صِلَةً فعادَ إليّ منْهُ عائِدُ

“I came seeking from Muhammad’s fingertips

I came seeking the grace of our Lord Mohammed

a gift; and a bounty from him came back to me.”

And that grace returned my prayer increased all the more