1. أقول وآنستُ بالليل نارا

    لعل سِراجَ الهدى قد أنارا

    I say, having glimpsed a fire in the night:

    Perhaps the lamp of guidance has shone forth.

  2. وإلا فما بالُ افق الدجى

    كأن سَنَا البرق فيه استطارا

    Otherwise, why is the horizon of darkness

    As though lightning's radiance had spread through it?

  3. ونحن من الليل في حندسِ

    فما باله قد تَجّلى نهارا

    And we are in the pitch-black gloom of night—

    Why, then, has it appeared as daylight?

  4. وهذا النسيم شذا المِسك قد

    اعير ام المِسك منه استعارا

    And this breeze—has the fragrance of musk

    Been lent to it, or has musk borrowed from it?

  5. وكانت رواحلُنا تشتكي

    وجاهاً فقد سابقتنا ابتدارا

    And our riding-camels had been complaining

    Of sore feet; yet now they eagerly outstripped us.

  6. وكنا شَكوناعناء السرُّى

    فَعدُنا نبارى سِراعَ المَهارى

    And we had complained of the toil of night travel,

    So we again raced the swift Mahri camels.

  7. اظنّ النُّفوسَ قد استَشعرَت

    بلوغَ هَوى تخذَته شِعارا

    I think our souls have sensed

    The fulfillment of a longing they had made their inner garment.

  8. بشائرُ صبحِ السرى آذنت

    بأَنَّ الجيبَ تَدانيَ مَزَارا

    The glad tidings of the night-journey's dawn announced

    That the beloved [reading uncertain] was now near to visit.

  9. جرَىَ ذكر طَيبةَ ما بَينَنَا

    فلا قَلبَ في الرّكبِ الا وطَارا

    Mention of Tayba passed among us,

    So no heart in the caravan failed to take flight,

  10. حنيناً إلى أَحمدَ المصطفى

    وشوقاً يَهيجُ الضُّلوعَ استِعارا

    In yearning for Ahmad, the Chosen One,

    And longing that sets the ribs ablaze.

  11. ولاح لنا احدٌ مشرقاً

    بنورِ من الشُّهداء استِنارا

    And Uhud appeared to us, radiant,

    With a light it drew from the martyrs.

  12. فمن اجلِ ذلك ظلَّ الدُجى

    يَحُلُّ عقودَ النجومِ انتِثارا

    For that reason the darkness kept

    Unstringing the necklaces of stars, scattering them.

  13. ومن ذلكَ الترب طابَ النّسيم

    نشراً وعمَّ الجنابَ انتشارا

    And from that soil the breeze grew sweet

    With fragrance, and spread throughout the precinct.

  14. ومن طرب الركب حثَّ الخطى

    اليها ونادى البِدار البِدارا

    And in delight the caravan quickened its steps

    Toward her, calling, 'Haste, haste!'

  15. ولما حَللنا فِناء الرّسول

    نَزَلنا بأَكرمِ خلقِ جوارا

    And when we alighted in the Messenger's courtyard,

    We lodged as neighbors to the noblest of creation.

  16. وحينَ دَنونا لفرض السّلامِ

    قَصَرنا الخُطَى ولَزِمنا الوَقارا

    And when we approached to offer the due greeting of peace,

    We shortened our steps and maintained a solemn bearing.

  17. فما نرسل اللحظ الا اختلاسا

    ولا نرفَع الطّرف الاّ انكِسَارا

    We cast our gaze only in furtive glances,

    And lift our eyes only in humbled submission.

  18. ولا نظهِرُ الوَجدَ الا اكتتافاً

    ولا نلفِظُ القولَ إلاسرارا

    And show our yearning only with arms held fast,

    And utter our words only in secret.

  19. سوى اننا لم نطق أَعيناً

    بأَدمُعِها غَلبَتنَا انفِجَارا

    Except that we could not restrain our eyes,

    Whose bursting tears overwhelmed us.

  20. وَقَفنَا بروضَتِه للسّلام

    نعيدُ السّلام عليه مرارا

    We stood in his garden to offer peace,

    Repeating the greeting of peace to him again and again.

  21. ولولا مَهابته في النّفوس

    لَثِمنا الثّرى والتزَمنَا الجِدَارا

    And but for the awe he stirred in our souls,

    We would have kissed the earth and embraced the wall.

  22. قضينا بزورتنا حجّنا

    وبالعُمرينِ خَتمنا اعتِمَارا

    We fulfilled our pilgrimage through our visit,

    And with the two ʿUmars completed our lesser pilgrimage.

  23. اليك اليك نبي الهُدى

    رَكبتُ البِحار وجبتُ القِفارا

    To you, to you, O Prophet of guidance,

    I rode the seas and crossed the deserts.

  24. وفارقتُ أهلي ولا منّةٌ

    ورُبَ كَلامِ يَجرُ اعتِذارا

    And left my family—without claiming any favor;

    And many a word draws forth an apology.

  25. وكيفَ نمنُ على من بِه

    نُؤَمِل للسّيئات اغتِفارا

    And how could we boast of favors to one through whom

    We hope for forgiveness of our misdeeds?

  26. دَعاني إليك هوى كامِن

    أثارَ من الشَّوق ما قد أَثارا

    A hidden love summoned me to you,

    Stirring such longing as it stirred.

  27. فناديتُ لبّيك داعي الهوَى

    وما كنت عنك اطيقُ اصطِبارا

    So I cried, 'At your service, O caller of love!'

    And I could not patiently endure being away from you.

  28. ووطنت نفسي لحكم الهوى

    علي وقلتُ رَضِيت اختِيارا

    And I readied my soul for love's rule

    Over me, and said, 'I freely consent.'

  29. اخوض الدجى واروض السرى

    ولا أطعمُ النَّوم الا غِرارا

    I wade through darkness and tame the night journey,

    And taste sleep only in brief snatches.

  30. ولو كنت لا استطيع السبيل

    لطِرت ولو لم اصادف مَطَارا

    And were I unable to take the road,

    I would fly, even if I found no place for flight.

  31. وأجدر من نال منك الرِّضى

    محبُ ذُراكَ على البُعد زارا

    And worthiest among those who gain your favor

    Is a lover who visited your lofty abode despite the distance.

  32. عسى لحظةٌ منك لي في غَدٍ

    تُمهِّد لي في الجِنان القَرارا

    Perhaps a glance from you upon me tomorrow

    Will prepare for me a resting place in the gardens of Paradise.

  33. فما ضَل من بِهُداك اهتَدى

    ولاذلَّ من بذراكَ استجَارا

    For none who follows your guidance has gone astray,

    Nor has anyone who sought refuge in your lofty abode been abased.