يا سَعدُ لَو كُنتُ اِمرءاً مَسعودا

ما كانَ صَبري في النَوى مَفقودا

O Saad if only I were a blessed man

My patience in yearning would not be lost

وَسَهِرتُ أَرتَقِبُ النُجومَ كَأَنَّني

في الأُفقِ أَطلُبُ لِلحَبيبِ عُهودا

I would stay up watching the stars as if

Seeking the beloved's promises on the horizon

وَأَعُدُّ أَيّامَ الجَفاءِ مُعدّداً

حَتّى مَللتُ الحُزنَ وَالتَعديدا

I count the days of estrangement over and over

Until I'm weary of grief and counting

قولوا لِمَن ملكَ الفؤادَ بِأَسرِهِ

فَغَدا بِقَيدِ غَرامِهِ مَصفودا

Tell the one who possessed my heart completely

So he became shackled by his love

هَلّا مَنَنتَ عَلى أَسيركَ بِاللِقا

لِيَنالَ في دارِ الوِصالِ خُلودا

Why not show mercy to your captive with a meeting

So he may find eternity in the abode of reunion

وَبثغركَ الماءُ الزُلالُ فَما لَهُ

ما كانَ للظامي بِهِ مورودا

Your sweet lips from which pours clear water, so why

Has it not been offered to the thirsty as a gift?

وأَسَرتَهُ وَحُجِبتَ عَنهُ فَيا له

وَهوَ الشَقيُّ مقرّباً مَطرودا

You made him your captive and veiled yourself from him

So for him, though brought near, to be cast away!

أَهوى الَّذي أَقسَمتُ أَنّي لا أَعي

في حُبِّهِ لَوماً وَلا تَفنيدا

I passionately love the one I swore I would never

Blame or reject for his love

مَلكَ الفؤادَ وَساقه لِهَلاكِهِ

فرأيت منّا سائِقاً وَشَهيدا

He possessed my heart and led it to demise

So I saw myself as driver and martyr

لا عَطفَ لي مِنهُ وَلا أَبغي بِهِ

بَدَلاً وَأَكّدتُ الهَوى تَأكيدا

He shows me no kindness and I want no substitute

I only affirm my passion again and again

وَإِذا بَدا ذابَ الفؤادُ صَبابَةً

وَالشَمسُ ما زالَت تُذيبُ جَليدا

When he appears, my heart melts like ice

And the sun continues to melt the frost

وَإِذا نَظَرتَ إِلى اللِحاظِ وَجدتَها

في الفَتكِ بيضاً وَهيَ تُنعَتُ سودا

And when you look upon the cheeks you find them

Lethal in charm, yet you call them black

بِالسَيف يسمى طَرفُهُ فَلَقَد غَدا

بصرُ الحَبيبِ كَما يُقالُ حَديدا

The glances are called a sword, for they have become

Indeed like the sharpest blade

يا قَلب بِالزفراتِ لا تَبخَل وَيا

عينيَّ بالعبراتِ حُزناً جودا

O heart, be not stingy with sighs

And o eyes, be generous with your tears of sorrow

يا صاحِبيَّ مِنَ الهَوى أَنا واجِدٌ

وَفَقَدتُ صَبري إِذ وَجَدتُ فَقيدا

My fellow sufferer of passion, I have found

And lost my patience when I found a rival

عودا صَديقَكُما لكي ترياهُ من

بريِ النحولِ لما يُقاسي عودا

Return, my friend, so you both may see him

Wasted away from the famine of estrangement

حَتّى مَتى أُبدي الوَفاءَ لِغادِرٍ

وَإِلى مَتى أَصِلُ المُحبَّ صدودا

How long shall I show loyalty to the betrayer

And how long connect the estranged beloved?

هَيهاتَ صمتُ عَن الغَرامِ فَلَم أُعِد

قَلبي السَليمَ مِن الغوايَةِ عيدا

Far from it! My heart will not be silent of love

Nor will I make it whole again from misguidance

وَذَمَمتُ مَن يَهوى جَفاءَ محبّهِ

وَسَلَكتُ مَدحاً في النَبيِّ حَميدا

I blame those who love the one who spurns them

And I praise the Prophet with eulogies

إِصدَح بِمَدحِ المُصطَفى واِصدَع بِهِ

قَلبَ الحَسودِ وَلا تَخَف تَفنيدا

Proclaim the praises of Mustafa loudly

Annoy the envious heart and fear no rejection

وَاِقصِد لَهُ وَاِسأَل بِهِ تُعطَ المنى

وَتَعيشُ مَهما عشت فيهِ سَعيدا

Seek him, ask through him, you will be given wishes

And live, as long as you live, happily through him

خَيرُ الأَنامِ ومن لَجا لِجنابِهِ

لا بِدعَ أَن أَضحى بِهِ مَسعودا

The best of people, whoever seeks his protection

Will inevitably become blessed

المُجتَبى الهادي الَّذي مِنهاجُهُ

حازَ الكَمالَ وَمهَّد التَميهدا

The chosen one, the guide whom his path

Attained perfection and paved the way

قَد خُصَّ بِالتَقريبِ بالإِسراءِ إِذ

عادَ الَّذي عادى الحَبيبَ بَعيدا

He was brought near with the night journey when

The enemy returned, distanced

وَسَما فأُبصِرَتِ السَما مِن دونِهِ

أَرضاً وَحازَ بِهِ الصُعودُ سُعودا

He ascended to the heavens so they were seen

As ground below him as he rose sublimely

وَعَلا مَحلّاً دونَهُ جِبريلُ قَد

أَمسى وَقَد وَرَدَ الحَبيبُ مذودا

And Gabriel took a station below him

As the beloved came adorned

بِالحَقِّ أَرسَلَهُ الإِلَهُ إِلى الوَرى

فَغدَا المُطيعُ لما يَقولُ رَشيدا

In truth, God sent him as a messenger to mankind

So he became guided by what he says

وَثَنى عَن الغيّ العِبادَ لِرُشدِهِم

إِلّا شَقيّاً هالِكاً وَعَنيدا

And turned the slaves away from misguidance, for their guidance

Except the wretched, defiant disbeliever

كَم شَيخِ إِشراكٍ مَضى في غَيِّهِ

وَغَدا لِشَيطانِ الضَلالِ مريدا

How many associating elders went astray

And became followers of the devil's misguidance

وَطَغى وَمَدَّ لَهُ الرَجيمُ بِشركِهِ

شرَكاً فعاد بِعَكسِهِ مَطرودا

Wrongfully extending to him a partnership so he became

In turn, cast out by his idol

وَلَكم فَتى لاحَ الرشادُ لَهُ رَجا

بنبيّهِ وَعداً وَخافَ وَعيدا

And how many youths were guided to righteousness

Hoping for his promise and fearing his warning

نالَ الأَمانَ المؤمِنونَ بِهِ إِذا

شَبَّت جِهَنَّمُ بِالطُغاةِ وَقودا

The believers in him will attain refuge

When Hellfire is stoked with the tyrants for fuel

يردونَ إِذ ظَمِئوا عَلى الحوضِ الَّذي

يَروي الغَليلَ فَيا لَهُ مورودا

They will drink when thirsty at the Basin

To quench thirst - what a gift!

وَهوَ المشَفّعُ في العُصاةِ إِذا طَمى

عَرَقٌ وَأَلجَمَ في الورودِ وَريدا

He is the intercessor for sinners when

Sweat pours forth and a vein constricts

يأتي لِساقِ العَرشِ يَسجُدُ سائِلاً

لِلَّهِ فينا حبّذاكَ سُجودا

He will come to the Footstool, bowing down, asking

God for us - excellent bowing!

وَعَلَيهِ يَفتَحُ رَبُّهُ بمحامِدٍ

لَم يُعطِ خلقاً ذَلِكَ التَحميدا

With praises God will open for him

That He did not give any creation such praise

وَيَقولُ قُل تسمَع وَسَل تُعطَ المنى

وَاِشفَع تُشَفَّع وَاِنتجِز مَوعودا

And say, "Speak, you will be heard, ask, you will be granted

Intercede, you will intercede, and be given promises"

فَهُناكَ يَشفَعُ في الوَرى مِن مَوقِفٍ

لا تَرتَجي العَينان فيهِ هُجودا

There he will intercede for people in a station

Where eyes will not look around restlessly

ذاكَ المقامُ بِهِ يُخَصُّ مُحَمَّدٌ

وَالرُسلُ فيهِ يَحضُرونَ شُهودا

In that station Muhammad will be privileged

And the messengers will be present as witnesses

ثُمَّ الشَفاعَةُ في العُصاةِ فَإِنَّهُ

فيهِ المقدَّمُ لا يَخافُ ردودا

Then is the intercession for the disobedient, for he

Will not fear rejection there

والأنبيا نَطَقوا بِحَمدِ مَقامِهِ

وَمَقامُ أَحمَدَ لَم يَزَل مَحمودا

The prophets spoke praise of his lofty station

And Ahmad's station remains ever-praised

يا سَيِّدَ الرُسلِ الَّذي فاقَ الوَرى

بأساً سَما كُلَّ الوجودِ وجودا

O master of messengers who surpassed all creation

With majesty, transcending entirely existence!

هذي ضَراعَةُ مُذنِبٍ مُتَمَسِّكٍ

بِوَلائِكُم مِن يَومِ كانَ وَليدا

This is the supplication of a sinful servant

Clinging to your patronage since he was a child

يَرجو بِكَ المَحيا السَعيدَ وَبَعثَهُ

بَعدَ المَماتِ إِلى النَعيمِ شَهيدا

Seeking through you honorable life and being sent after death

To bliss as a martyr

صَلّى عَلَيكَ وَسَلَّم اللَهُ الَّذي

أَحيا بِكَ الإِيمانَ وَالتَوحيدا

May God send blessings and peace upon you, He who

Revived faith and monotheism through you

والآل ما هَبَّ النَسيمُ فَحَلَّ مِن

أَزرارِ أَزهارِ الربى المَعقودا

And upon your family, for as long as the breeze blows

Through the buds of gardens with clustered flowers

وَعلى صَحابَتِكَ الَّذينَ سموا عُلىً

وَهُدىً وَآباءً رقوا وَجدودا

And upon your companions who attained heights

Of guidance, nobility, and high-minded fathers

مِن مَعشَرٍ كانوا الأَئمّةَ لِلوَرى

فاقوا البَريَّةَ سَيِّداً ومسودا

From a group who were leaders of the world

Surpassing all of mankind, masters and lords

فَإِذا سَخَوا كانوا البِحارَ وَإِن سَطوا

كانوا الأسودَ أَو السُراة الصيدا

When generous, they were oceans, and when stern

They were lions or warriors on the hunt

ما طُوِّقَت مُدّاحُهُم بِحَلاهُمُ

فلأجلِ ذَلِكَ لازَموا التَغريدا

Their eulogizers were not burdened by their merits

Therefore they constantly sang praises

وَعلى الأُلى تبعوا بإِحسانٍ ومن

حفظَ الشَريعةَ شاهِداً مَشهودا

And upon the Followers who emulated beautifully

And those who preserved the Law, bearing witness

مِن كُلِّ حَبرٍ تابِعٍ سنَنَ الهُدى

وَلّى عَلى أثرِ الهُداةِ حَميدا

Of every scholar who followed the guiding ways

And turned away from the paths of the praised guides

مِثل البُخاري ثُمَّ مُسلِمٍ الَّذي

يَتلوهُ في العليا أَبو داودا

Like Bukhari, then Muslim, who followed him

And atop them, Abu Dawud

فاقَ التَصانيفَ الكِبارَ بِجَمعِهِ ال

أَحكامَ فيها يَبذُلُ المَجهودا

He surpassed the great books by compiling

Rulings wherein he exerted great effort

قَد كانَ أَقوى ما رأى في بابِهِ

يأتي بِهِ وَيحرّرُ التَجويدا

He would bring and articulate the strongest

Narrations in his field precisely

فَجَزاهُ عَنّا اللَهُ أَفضَلَ ما جَزى

مَن في الديانَةِ أَبطلَ التَرديدا

May God reward him for us better than He rewarded

Those who invalidated doubters in religion

ثُمَّ الصَلاةُ عَلى النَبيِّ وَآلِهِ

أَبَداً إِلى يَومِ الجَزاءِ أَبيدا

Then blessings upon the Prophet and his family

Forever until the Day of Recompense without end