ما لِلمُتيَّمِ حائِماً حَولَ الحِمى

ما لِلمُتيَّمِ حائِماً حَولَ الحِمى

وَيلاه كَم مَنَعَ الحَبيبُ مُتيَّما

وَيلاه كَم مَنَعَ الحَبيبُ مُتيَّما

What ails the love-stricken, hovering around the protected precinct?

Why does the lover roam around the abode,

Alas! How often the beloved has barred a love-stricken soul!

Alas! How much the beloved prevents the lover.

قَد كُنت أَزعم قَبل مَعرفة الهَوى

قَد كُنت أَزعم قَبل مَعرفة الهَوى

أَنّ القُلوب هِيَ المواطنُ لِلدُمى

أَنّ القُلوب هِيَ المواطنُ لِلدُمى

I used to claim, before knowing love,

I used to claim, before knowing passion,

that hearts were the dwelling places of idol-like beauties,

That hearts are the abodes of regrets.

حَتّى بَرى جَسَدي الغَرام فَلَم يَدع

حَتّى بَرى جَسَدي الغَرام فَلَم يَدع

مِنّي سِوى شَبَحٍ يَلوحُ تَوَهُّما

مِنّي سِوى شَبَحٍ يَلوحُ تَوَهُّما

until passion wore my body away and left

Until my body saw love, leaving naught of me

nothing of me but a phantom, seeming a mere illusion.

Except a phantom that hallucinates.

ما بي هَوى الغيدِ الحِسان وَإِنَّما

ما بي هَوى الغيدِ الحِسان وَإِنَّما

أَخلاقُ أَحمدَ قَد دَعَتنيَ مغرَما

أَخلاقُ أَحمدَ قَد دَعَتنيَ مغرَما

It is not love of graceful beauties that possesses me; rather,

It is not the love of gentle gazelles, but

Ahmad's virtues have drawn me into ardent love.

Ahmad's character that made me fall in love.

أَفدي الَّذي وَهَبَ الجَمالُ لَهُ التُقى

أَفدي الَّذي وَهَبَ الجَمالُ لَهُ التُقى

وَحَوى الكَمالَ فَحازَ فيهِ تَقَدُّما

وَحَوى الكَمالَ فَحازَ فيهِ تَقَدُّما

I would ransom him whom beauty has endowed with piety,

I ransom the one whom beauty granted piety,

and who possessed perfection, attaining preeminence in it.

And who attained perfection, thus excelling.

شَهمٌ لَو اِنتدبَ البَليغ لِوَصفِهِ

شَهمٌ لَو اِنتدبَ البَليغ لِوَصفِهِ

قَلَماً لأَعجزه المقامُ وَأَفحَما

قَلَماً لأَعجزه المقامُ وَأَفحَما

A noble man—if an eloquent writer undertook to describe him,

Valiant, if the eloquent were sent to describe him,

pen in hand, the task would defeat him and leave him speechless.

A pen would be defeated by the task, muted.

وَمُهَذَّبُ الأَخلاقِ باهِرُ لُطفِهِ

وَمُهَذَّبُ الأَخلاقِ باهِرُ لُطفِهِ

أَمسى لِمَجروح الحَشاشة مَرهَما

أَمسى لِمَجروح الحَشاشة مَرهَما

And refined in character, with dazzling kindness,

Refined in manners, his gentle compassion

he has become a balm for the wounded heart.

Became a balm for the wounded conscience.

في مَعشَرٍ هُم في عُيوني كَالضِيا

في مَعشَرٍ هُم في عُيوني كَالضِيا

لا مَعشَرٍ أَنا في نَواظرهم عَمى

لا مَعشَرٍ أَنا في نَواظرهم عَمى

Among a company who are like light in my eyes,

Amongst a people who in my eyes are like light,

not a company in whose eyes I am blindness.

Not a people whose sights to me are blind.

مِن مَعشَرٍ لَهُمُ قَد اِستَثنى الثَنا

مِن مَعشَرٍ لَهُمُ قَد اِستَثنى الثَنا

مِنّي فَأَعرَبَ بَعد ما قَد أَعجَما

مِنّي فَأَعرَبَ بَعد ما قَد أَعجَما

Of a company for whom praise has made an exception

Of a people who were singled out by praise

in my case, speaking clearly after being mute.

In eloquence, after once being inarticulate.

مَولىً بِسنّة سَيّد الرُسل اِقتَدى

مَولىً بِسنّة سَيّد الرُسل اِقتَدى

حينَ اِلتَحى فَحَوى الكَمال مُتَمَّما

حينَ اِلتَحى فَحَوى الكَمال مُتَمَّما

A lord who followed the practice of the master of messengers,

A master following the way of the Master of Messengers,

when he grew a beard, attaining perfection in full.

When he adhered, embodying perfection fully.

وَالمَرءُ غَير مُوقَّر ما لَم يَكُن

وَالمَرءُ غَير مُوقَّر ما لَم يَكُن

فَخماً نَبات العارِضين مفخَّما

فَخماً نَبات العارِضين مفخَّما

And a man is not held in honor unless he is

A man is not honored unless he is

stately, made majestic by the hair growing on his cheeks,

Tall, with the hair of his temples thick.

كَالنصلِ يشرفُ بِالفرندِ تَجمُّلاً

كَالنصلِ يشرفُ بِالفرندِ تَجمُّلاً

وَالرَوضِ يَزهو بالنَباتِ تَوسُّما

وَالرَوضِ يَزهو بالنَباتِ تَوسُّما

like a blade ennobled by the beauty of its watered pattern,

Like a sword embellished with its sheath

and a garden resplendent with greenery as its mark of beauty.

And a meadow adorned by its plants' bloom.

وَالغُصنُ أَبهَجُ ما يَشوقك مورقاً

وَالغُصنُ أَبهَجُ ما يَشوقك مورقاً

وَالثَوبُ أَجمَلُ ما يُروقك مُعلما

وَالثَوبُ أَجمَلُ ما يُروقك مُعلما

And a branch is most delightful when it charms you in leaf;

A bough is most beautiful when leafy,

and a garment is loveliest when it delights you with patterned bands;

And a garment most pleasing when embroidered.

وَالجيدُ أَحسَن ما يَكُون مُقلّداً

وَالجيدُ أَحسَن ما يَكُون مُقلّداً

وَالثَغر ألطفُ ما تَراهُ ملثَّما

وَالثَغر ألطفُ ما تَراهُ ملثَّما

and a neck is fairest when adorned with a necklace;

A neck is finest when collared,

and a mouth is most charming when you see it veiled.

And a mouth loveliest when veiled.

سِمَةٌ بِها شَرَفُ الرُجولةِ لَم يَزَل

سِمَةٌ بِها شَرَفُ الرُجولةِ لَم يَزَل

يَنمو كَما عِزُّ المَهابَةِ قَد نَما

يَنمو كَما عِزُّ المَهابَةِ قَد نَما

A mark through which manhood's honor has never ceased

A trait by which the honor of manhood always

to grow, just as the grandeur of majesty has grown.

Grew, as did the glory of awe it inspired.

وَبَديعُ وَصفٍ زيَّن الباري بِهِ

وَبَديعُ وَصفٍ زيَّن الباري بِهِ

مَولىً إِلى آل الرَسولِ قَد اِنتَمى

مَولىً إِلى آل الرَسولِ قَد اِنتَمى

And a wondrous attribute with which the Creator adorned

And the sublime depiction with which The Creator adorned

a lord who belongs to the Messenger's family.

A master, traced back to the Prophet's family.

بَدر مَآثره السَنيّةُ أَطلَعَت

بَدر مَآثره السَنيّةُ أَطلَعَت

لِلمَجدِ في فلك المَكارم أَنجُما

لِلمَجدِ في فلك المَكارم أَنجُما

A full moon whose illustrious deeds have raised

The full moon of his Sunnah acts rose,

stars for glory in the sphere of noble virtues.

For glory, in the zodiac of virtues as stars.

شِيَمٌ بِها يَشفى العَليل مِن الضَنى

شِيَمٌ بِها يَشفى العَليل مِن الضَنى

وَنُهىً بِها يروى الغَليل مِن الظَما

وَنُهىً بِها يروى الغَليل مِن الظَما

Virtues through which the sick are cured of wasting illness,

With noble traits that heal the sick of grief,

and wisdom through which the parched are relieved of thirst.

And exemplary conduct that quenches the thirsty.

وَشَمائل في الخافِقين غَنيّة

وَشَمائل في الخافِقين غَنيّة

عَن أَن يَكونَ لَها اللِسان مُتَرجما

عَن أَن يَكونَ لَها اللِسان مُتَرجما

And noble traits throughout the two horizons, having no need

And sublime qualities, in hearts made wealthy,

for the tongue to act as their interpreter.

Need no eloquent tongue to translate.

إِنّي لأَحمَدُ أَحمَدَ القَومِ الأُلى

إِنّي لأَحمَدُ أَحمَدَ القَومِ الأُلى

قامَت تُفاخرُ فيهمُ الأَرض السَما

قامَت تُفاخرُ فيهمُ الأَرض السَما

Indeed I praise Ahmad, most praiseworthy among the people for whom

Verily I praise Ahmad, the foremost of the sublime folk,

the earth rose to vie with heaven in glory.

For whom the earth and sky compete in pride.

يا مَن يَرومُ تَشرّفاً يَسمو بِهِ

يا مَن يَرومُ تَشرّفاً يَسمو بِهِ

أرّخ لسنَّةِ أَحمَدٍ شَرف سَما

أرّخ لسنَّةِ أَحمَدٍ شَرف سَما

O you who seek honor through which to rise,

O you who aspires to an ennoblement leading to ascension

Compose a chronogram for Ahmad's practice: 'Honor has soared.'

Date the Sunnah of Ahmad - glory everlasting.