حمداً لربّي قبل ما أَسْأَلُ

حمداً لربّي قبل ما أَسْأَلُ

وكلّ عَالٍ دونه أَسْفَلُ

وكلّ عَالٍ دونه أَسْفَلُ

Praise to my Lord before I ask,

Praise be to my Lord before I ask

and every exalted one is lower than Him.

And every exalted one below Him is low

ثم صلاة اللّه من بَعْدِهَا

ثم صلاة اللّه من بَعْدِهَا

أذكى سلامٍ عاطرٍ يُرْسَلُ

أذكى سلامٍ عاطرٍ يُرْسَلُ

Then God's blessing, and after it

Then the prayer of God after it

the purest fragrant salutation is sent.

Is the most fragrant greetings that can be sent

أهديهما للمصطفى المُجْتَبَى

أهديهما للمصطفى المُجْتَبَى

وكِلّ مَنْ في دينه يدخل

وكِلّ مَنْ في دينه يدخل

I offer them both to the Chosen One, the Elect,

I dedicate them to the Chosen One

and all who enter his religion.

And all who enter into his religion

هذا وما للعبد لا سيّما

هذا وما للعبد لا سيّما

مَنْ ظهرهُ مِن ذَنبه مُثْقَلُ

مَنْ ظهرهُ مِن ذَنبه مُثْقَلُ

This—and the servant has no refuge, especially

This is what the servant has, especially

one whose back is burdened by his sin,

One whose back is burdened with sin

إِلاّ حِمَى طَهَ شفيعِ الورى

إِلاّ حِمَى طَهَ شفيعِ الورى

في مَوْقِفٍ أهوالُه أَهْوَلُ

في مَوْقِفٍ أهوالُه أَهْوَلُ

save the sanctuary of Taha, intercessor for humankind,

Except the protection of Taha, the intercessor of mankind

at a gathering whose terrors are most dreadful.

On a day whose terrors are most terrifying

يوم يقول الرُّسْل أنتَ لها

يوم يقول الرُّسْل أنتَ لها

وكلُّهم من هوله يَوْجل

وكلُّهم من هوله يَوْجل

On the day the messengers say, 'You are the one for this,'

The day when the messengers will say: you are for it

and all of them tremble at its horror,

And all of them from its horror will falter

فعندما ينهض خيرُ الورى

فعندما ينهض خيرُ الورى

يحمد ربَّ العرش إذْ يسأل

يحمد ربَّ العرش إذْ يسأل

then, when the best of humankind rises,

So when the best of mankind rises

he praises the Lord of the Throne as he asks.

He praises the Lord of the Throne when he asks

إذا النِّدَا من ربّه ذي العلا

إذا النِّدَا من ربّه ذي العلا

محمّدٌ بلغتَ ما تأمل

محمّدٌ بلغتَ ما تأمل

Then comes the call from his Lord, the Exalted:

If the call from his Lord, the Exalted

'Muhammad, you have attained what you hope for.'

Muhammad you have attained what you hope

فَفَرَّجَ اللّه به كَرْبَهُمْ

فَفَرَّجَ اللّه به كَرْبَهُمْ

وكم به من كربة تخذل

وكم به من كربة تخذل

So God relieved their distress through him,

So God relieved them of their distress through him

and how many a distress is overcome through him!

And how many distresses through him fade away

وعبدُكَ الرّاجي له كربة

وعبدُكَ الرّاجي له كربة

أعيى علاجي دَاؤُهَا المُعْضِلُ

أعيى علاجي دَاؤُهَا المُعْضِلُ

And your hopeful servant has a sorrow

And your aspiring servant has a distress

whose intractable malady has defeated my treatment.

Its cure has confounded me, insoluble

إنّي أرى الهجران لي واصلاً

إنّي أرى الهجران لي واصلاً

وإنّ في الهجران ما يقتل

وإنّ في الهجران ما يقتل

I see estrangement drawing close to me,

I see estrangement constantly cleaving to me

and in estrangement there is that which kills.

And in estrangement there is that which kills

فبالذي حلاّكَ من نعمة

فبالذي حلاّكَ من نعمة

أَبْهَى حُلًى لم يُعْطَها مُرْسَلُ

أَبْهَى حُلًى لم يُعْطَها مُرْسَلُ

So, by Him who adorned you with blessings—

So by Him who adorned you with blessings

the finest adornments, granted to no other messenger,

Most splendid adornments no messenger attained

وحلّة الرّحمة مَعْ رافةٍ

وحلّة الرّحمة مَعْ رافةٍ

يُتْلَى علينا نصُّها المُنَزَّلُ

يُتْلَى علينا نصُّها المُنَزَّلُ

and the robe of mercy, together with compassion,

And the garment of mercy plain to see

whose revealed text is recited to us—

Its revealed text is recited upon us

صِلْني لوجه اللّه حتى ولو

صِلْني لوجه اللّه حتى ولو

لَمْ أَكُ أهلاً للَّذي أسأل

لَمْ أَكُ أهلاً للَّذي أسأل

draw me close, for God's sake, even if

Bless me for the sake of God even if

I am not worthy of what I ask.

I am not worthy of that which I seek

فجودُك الغيثُ أما إنّه

فجودُك الغيثُ أما إنّه

في لّ أرضٍ مُطْلَقاً يَنْزِلُ

في لّ أرضٍ مُطْلَقاً يَنْزِلُ

For your generosity is rain; indeed, it

For your bounty is rain, and it certainly

falls on every land without restriction.

Descends unrestrained on every land

ونورُك الشّمس وما ضَوْؤُهَا

ونورُك الشّمس وما ضَوْؤُهَا

يختصّ ما يختصّ بل يشمل

يختصّ ما يختصّ بل يشمل

And your light is the sun; its radiance is not

And your light the sun, its illumination

restricted—not restricted, but all-embracing.

Is not limited, but all-encompassing

ورحمة اللّه على قائلٍ

ورحمة اللّه على قائلٍ

منه علا في حقّك المَقْوَلُ

منه علا في حقّك المَقْوَلُ

And may God's mercy be upon a speaker

And may God’s mercy be upon one who says of you

whose utterance in your honor rose high.

The loftiest words that can be uttered

هذا وظنّي فيك مُكْتَمِلٌ

هذا وظنّي فيك مُكْتَمِلٌ

وأنت عند الظنِّ بل أَكْمَلُ

وأنت عند الظنِّ بل أَكْمَلُ

This—and my trust in you is complete,

This while my supposition about you is complete

and you meet that trust—indeed, you are the most perfect

And you in supposition are perfect, more so

ما أَرْسَلَ الرحمانُ أو يُرسِل

ما أَرْسَلَ الرحمانُ أو يُرسِل

من رحمةٍ تصعد أو تنزل

من رحمةٍ تصعد أو تنزل

of all the All-Merciful has sent or sends

He the Merciful has sent or sends

as mercy, ascending or descending.

Any mercy ascending or descending