هَلْ رَأَيْتَ الْحُرُوفَ تَبْكِي خُشُوعَا

أَوْ رَأَيْتَ الْقَرِيضَ يَحْنُو خُضُوعَا

Have you ever seen the letters weeping in reverence,

Or seen poetry bow its head in submission?

أَوْ سِبَاقاً بَيْنَ الْحُرُوفِ لِتَلْقَى

أَوْجَ مَجْدٍ وَعِزَّةٍ لَنْ يَضِيعَا

Or letters racing one another to attain

Aspects of glory and might that shall never be lost?

فِي رِحَابِ الْحَبِيبِ سَعْدُ الْقَوَافِي

وَصِفَاتِ الْحَبِيبِ لَنْ تَسْتَطِيعَا

In the Beloved’s precincts, blessed are the rhymes,

Yet the Beloved’s attributes they can never encompass.

لَيْتَ شِعْرِي كَيْفَ الْقُلُوبُ قِفَارٌ؛

وَبِذِكْرِ الرسُولِ تَغْدُو رَبِيعَا؟!

Would that I knew: how can hearts remain barren

When, at the Messenger’s mention, they turn to spring?!

فَصَلَاةٌ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ شَذَاهَا

يَكْسِبُ النَّفْسَ رِفْعَةً وَخُشُوعَا

My blessing upon the Prophet—its fragrance

Brings the soul loftiness and humble reverence.

وَسَلامٌ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صَدَاهُ

يَجْعَلُ الرُّوحَ كَالشُّمُوسِ طُلُوعَا

And my greeting of peace upon the Prophet—its echo

Makes the spirit rise like the sun.

يَا رَسُولَ الْهُدَى! إِلَيْكَ قَرِيضِي

مُقْبِلاً شَوْقاً مَادِحاً وَشَــفِيعَا

O Messenger of guidance, to you comes my verse,

Advancing in longing, praising and interceding.

كُلُّ حَرْفٍ بِمَوْضِعٍ كَاللَّآلِي

وَسْطَ عِقْدٍ قَدْ رُصِّعَتْ تَرْصِيعَا

Every letter in its place is like a pearl

Within a necklace I have richly inlaid.

فَبُحُورُ الْقَرِيضِ تَرْوِي قُلُوباً

قَاحِلاً أَرْضُهَا فَصَارَتْ مَرِيعَا

The seas of verse give drink to hearts

Whose soil was parched, until they flourished.

كَانَتِ الْأَرْضُ غَابَةً وَظَلَاماً

قَدْ مَحَا الظُّلْمُ وَجْهَهَا وَالضُّلُوعَا

The earth was wilderness and darkness;

Oppression had effaced its face and even its ribs.

فَرُؤُوسُ الطُّغَاةِ فِي الْجَوْرِ هَامُوا

وَضَعِيفُ الْوَرَى يَهِيمُ رَكُوعَا

The heads of tyrants ranged far in injustice,

While the weak among creation wandered, bowed low.

يُزْرَعُ الظُّلْمُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ وَيَجْنِي

كُلُّ حَيٍّ مِنَ الْحَصَادِ وَجِيعَا

Each day oppression is sown, bending

Every living soul beneath its painful harvest.

فَأَتَاهُمْ مِنَ الرَّحِيمِ ضِيَاءٌ

كَصَبَاحٍ يُزِيلُ لَيْلاً فَظِيعَا

Then radiance came to him from the Most Merciful,

Like morning dispersing a dreadful night.

أُمِرَ «اقْرَأْ» وَامْحُ الضَّلالَ مُنِيراً

ظُلْمَةَ الْعَقْلِ، وَالرَّشَادَ أَذِيعَا

He was commanded, “Read!”—the dispelling of error illumining

The darkness of minds, while right guidance was spread.

وَازْرَعِ الطُّهْرَ فِي قُلُوبٍ يَبَابٍ

وَارْوِهَا بِالْإِيمَانِ طِبّاً نَجِيعَا

And sow purity in desolate hearts,

And water them with faith, an efficacious cure.

فَرَوَى الدُّنْيَا رَحْمَةً وَطَهُوراً

وَكَسَاها بِالْعَدْلِ ثَوْباً بَدِيعَا

Thus he watered the world with mercy and purity,

And clothed it in justice, a wondrous robe.

وَجَرَى الْخَيْرُ أَنْهُراً لِيُرَوِّي

كُلَّ قَلْبٍ لِلْحَقِّ كَانَ سَمِيعَا

Goodness flowed as rivers, to give drink

To every heart that would listen to truth.

كَيْفَ يَرْضَى الْكَفُورُ نُوراً تَبَدَّى؟!

فَأَرَادُوا أَنْ يُطْفِئُوهُ سَرِيعَا

How could the unbeliever accept a light unveiled?!

So they sought to extinguish it at once.

عَذَّبُوا الْـمُؤْمِنِينَ كَيْ يَفْتِنُوهُمْ

وَأَحَالُوا الْإِيمَانَ جُرْماً مُرِيعَا

They tortured the believers, seeking to turn them away,

And made faith into a horrifying crime.

فَشَكَا ضَعْفَهُ لِرَبٍّ رَحِيمٍ

فَدَعَاهُ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ قَرِيعَا

Then he complained of his weakness to a merciful Lord,

Who called him to heaven, peerlessly honored.

وَحَبَاهُ، أَسْرَى بِهِ فَتَسَامَى

وَإِمَاماً بِالرُّسْلِ صَلَّى جَمِيعَا

He favored him and took him by night; he rose sublime,

And, as imam, led all the messengers in prayer.

وَصِحَابُ النَّبِيِّ كَالتِّبْرِ يَصْفُو

بِثَبَاتٍ صَارَ النَّقَاءُ لَـمُوعَا

The Prophet’s companions are like refined gold,

Whose steadfastness made purity itself shine.

وَرَسُولُ الْهُدَى شَفِيقٌ عَلِيهِمْ

يَرْحَمُ الْحَيَّ وَالْجَمَادَ وَدِيعَا

The Messenger of guidance is compassionate toward them,

Merciful to living and lifeless things alike, gentle and kind.

مَلَأ الْكَوْنَ رَحْمَةً فَرَجَاهُ

جَمَلٌ نُصْرَةً وَيَهْمِي دُمُوعَا

He filled the universe with mercy; for his aid

A camel pleaded, its tears streaming down.

كَيْفَ لِلْجِذْعِ أَنْ يَحِنَّ اشْتِيَاقاً

وَقُلُوبٌ كَالصَّخْرِ سَدّاً مَنِيعَا؟!

How can the tree trunk yearn with longing,

While hearts like stone stand an impregnable wall?!

وَأَذَلَّ اللهُ الْكَفُورَ وَأَعْلَى

كِلْمَةَ الْحَقِّ فَاسْتَجَابُوا جُمُوعَا

God abased the unbeliever and exalted

The word of truth; then multitudes answered.

وَأَتَيْنَا بَعْدَ الْقُرُونِ نُلَبِّي

نَشْهَدُ الْحَقَّ نَسْتَضِيءُ تَبِيعَا

And we came after the centuries, answering the call,

Bearing witness to truth, answering gladly as followers.

يَا نَبِيَّ الْهُدَى عَلَيْكَ صَلَاةٌ

وَسَلامٌ مَا هَلَّ فَجْرٌ طُلُوعَا

O Prophet of guidance, blessings upon you,

And peace, whenever dawn breaks and rises.

يَا إِمَامَ التُّقَى وَهَادِي الْحَيَارَى

كُنْ لِحِبٍّ صَلَّى عَلَيْكَ شَفِيعَا

O imam of piety and guide of the bewildered,

Intercede for one who loves you and invokes blessings upon you.

يَتَأَسَّى بِنُورِ هَدْيِكَ حُبّاً

فَاسْقِهِ مِنْ يَدَيْكَ مَاءً نَقِيعَا

Lovingly he follows the light of your guidance;

So give him, from your hands, a draught of pure water.