أقول وآنستُ بالليل نارا

لعل سِراجَ الهدى قد أنارا

I say, and I am cheered in the night by a fire,

Perhaps the lamp of guidance has illuminated,

وإلا فما بالُ افق الدجى

كأن سَنَا البرق فيه استطارا

Or else why does the horizon of darkness

Look as if the lightning therein has sparked?

ونحن من الليل في حندسِ

فما باله قد تَجّلى نهارا

While we are veiled in the night,

Why has it suddenly become day?

وهذا النسيم شذا المِسك قد

اعير ام المِسك منه استعارا

This gentle breeze bearing sweet musk -

Did it borrow musk or did the musk borrow its fragrance?

وكانت رواحلُنا تشتكي

وجاهاً فقد سابقتنا ابتدارا

Our mounts used to complain of weariness,

Yet now they have outstripped us in vigor.

وكنا شَكوناعناء السرُّى

فَعدُنا نبارى سِراعَ المَهارى

We used to complain of the hardship of travel,

Yet now we vie in speed with the fastest steeds.

اظنّ النُّفوسَ قد استَشعرَت

بلوغَ هَوى تخذَته شِعارا

I think the souls have sensed

The attainment of the love they made their banner.

بشائرُ صبحِ السرى آذنت

بأَنَّ الجيبَ تَدانيَ مَزَارا

Good tidings of the dawn of bliss have told us

That the beloved approaches the sanctuary.

جرَىَ ذكر طَيبةَ ما بَينَنَا

فلا قَلبَ في الرّكبِ الا وطَارا

Talk of blessed Tayba passed between us,

So that every heart in the caravan soared.

حنيناً إلى أَحمدَ المصطفى

وشوقاً يَهيجُ الضُّلوعَ استِعارا

Yearning for Ahmad Al-Mustafa,

And passion that stirs the ribs to kindle.

ولاح لنا احدٌ مشرقاً

بنورِ من الشُّهداء استِنارا

One brilliant with the light of martyrs shone for us,

Illuminating with the light of the martyrs.

فمن اجلِ ذلك ظلَّ الدُجى

يَحُلُّ عقودَ النجومِ انتِثارا

Because of that the darkness lingered

To loosen the knots of the stars scattering.

ومن ذلكَ الترب طابَ النّسيم

نشراً وعمَّ الجنابَ انتشارا

Because of that, the breeze made the earth fragrant

As it blew, and the plains spread out in bloom.

ومن طرب الركب حثَّ الخطى

اليها ونادى البِدار البِدارا

From the rapture of the throng, it hastened their steps,

Calling to it “To the home, to the home!”

ولما حَللنا فِناء الرّسول

نَزَلنا بأَكرمِ خلقِ جوارا

And when we reached the courtyard of the Messenger,

We descended to the most generous of hosts.

وحينَ دَنونا لفرض السّلامِ

قَصَرنا الخُطَى ولَزِمنا الوَقارا

And when we approached to give greetings of peace,

We shortened our steps and observed gravity.

فما نرسل اللحظ الا اختلاسا

ولا نرفَع الطّرف الاّ انكِسَارا

So we do not glance except by stealth,

Nor raise our eyes except in humility.

ولا نظهِرُ الوَجدَ الا اكتتافاً

ولا نلفِظُ القولَ إلاسرارا

Nor show our fervor except concealed,

Nor utter words except in secret.

سوى اننا لم نطق أَعيناً

بأَدمُعِها غَلبَتنَا انفِجَارا

Except that our eyes overcome us

With their tears bursting forth uncontrollably.

وَقَفنَا بروضَتِه للسّلام

نعيدُ السّلام عليه مرارا

We stood in his garden giving greetings of peace,

Repeating peace upon him time and again.

ولولا مَهابته في النّفوس

لَثِمنا الثّرى والتزَمنَا الجِدَارا

Were it not for awe of him in our souls,

We would kiss the earth and cling to the wall.

قضينا بزورتنا حجّنا

وبالعُمرينِ خَتمنا اعتِمَارا

We fulfilled our pilgrimage in his visit,

And completed the greater pilgrimage in our lives.

اليك اليك نبي الهُدى

رَكبتُ البِحار وجبتُ القِفارا

To you, to you O Prophet of guidance -

I crossed the seas and traversed the barrens.

وفارقتُ أهلي ولا منّةٌ

ورُبَ كَلامِ يَجرُ اعتِذارا

I left my family without any favor,

Though much apology runs embarrassingly.

وكيفَ نمنُ على من بِه

نُؤَمِل للسّيئات اغتِفارا

How can we refuse one through whom

We hope for forgiveness of misdeeds?

دَعاني إليك هوى كامِن

أثارَ من الشَّوق ما قد أَثارا

Hidden love called me to you,

Stirring from passion what it stirred.

فناديتُ لبّيك داعي الهوَى

وما كنت عنك اطيقُ اصطِبارا

So I cried "At your service!", responder to love's call,

For I could not endure patience from you.

ووطنت نفسي لحكم الهوى

علي وقلتُ رَضِيت اختِيارا

And I resolved myself to the judgment of passion upon me,

And said "I accept the choice."

اخوض الدجى واروض السرى

ولا أطعمُ النَّوم الا غِرارا

I traverse the darkness and tame the journey,

Sleeping only lightly with awareness.

ولو كنت لا استطيع السبيل

لطِرت ولو لم اصادف مَطَارا

And if I were unable to make the trip,

I would fly, even lacking wings.

وأجدر من نال منك الرِّضى

محبُ ذُراكَ على البُعد زارا

More deserving than one who gained your pleasure

Is a distant lover who visited you.

عسى لحظةٌ منك لي في غَدٍ

تُمهِّد لي في الجِنان القَرارا

May a glance from you tomorrow

Prepare me a dwelling in the Gardens.

فما ضَل من بِهُداك اهتَدى

ولاذلَّ من بذراكَ استجَارا

None who seek your guidance go astray,

Nor are disappointed those who seek your refuge.