أَما تَرى الأَيكَ قَد غَنَّت صوادحُهُ
وَالرَوضَ نَمَّت بريّاه نَوافحُهُ
Do you not see the groves singing joyfully
And the meadows gleaming with flowers budding?
فاِنهض إلى وَردَةٍ حُفَّت بنرجسةٍ
حَبابُها زَهَرٌ طابَت روائحُهُ
So rise to a rose girded with narcissi
Its blossoms are fragrant, its scents wafting
حَمراءَ يسطعُ في الظَلماءِ ساطعها
كأَنَّها شَرَرٌ أَوراهُ قادحُهُ
Red it shines in the gloom glittering
As if embers stirred by the kindling fire
إِذا اِحتَساها أخو سِرّ بجُنحِ دُجىً
يَكادُ يظهرُ ما تُخفي جوانحُهُ
When a secret lover hugs it in night’s wings
He almost reveals what its petals were hiding
مِن كَفِّ أَغيدَ ما لِلبَدر طلعتُه
ولا لِشَمسِ الضُحى منه مَلامحُهُ
It diminished what the full moon radiated
And the dawn sun had no features like its own
مورَّدُ الخَدِّ لَدنُ القدِّ ذو هَيفٍ
خَفيفُ روحٍ ثَقيلُ الرِدفِ راجحُهُ
Rosy cheeked, smooth necked, slender of waist
Of delicate soul, heavily hipped and curvy
بَدرٌ ولكنَّما قَلبي مطالعُه
ظَبيٌ ولكنَّ أَحشائي مسارحُهُ
A full moon but my heart discovers it
A gazelle but my soul harbors its fields
لَم تبدُ رقَّةُ كشحَيه لناظرِه
إلّا ورقَّ له بالرَغم كاشحُهُ
The softness of its cheeks was not revealed
Save when it smiled at him against its will
إذا تَجَلَّت بِشَمسِ الراح راحتهُ
ودَّت نُجومُ الدَياجي لو تُصافحُهُ
When it sparkled in the shine of the zephyr’s light
The stars of the darkness would greet it if they met
يفترُّ ثَغرُ حَبابِ الكأسِ في يَدِه
كأَنَّها حين يَجلوها تُمازِحُهُ
The dimples around the wine cup gaping
As if jesting when he empties and fills it
ما اِهتزَّ من طَرَبٍ إلّا شَدا طَرَباً
من الحُليِّ على عِطفيه صادِحُهُ
It has not swayed from desire save to sway
From the trinkets on its shoulders chiming
قاسوه بالبَدرِ في ظَلماء طُرَّته
وَالفَرقُ يَظهَرُ مِثلَ الصبح واضحهُ
Compare it to the moon in its dark attire
And the difference shows clear like dawn arising
ما كانَ أَغنى النَدامى عَن مُدامَتهِ
لَو أَنَّه سامحٌ بالثَغر مانِحُهُ
The repentant were not consoled for their drunkenness
If it were not gentle, baring its teeth smiling
لا يَمنع الصبَّ وَعداً حين يسأَلُه
لكنَّه ربَّما عزَّت منائحُهُ
Passion does not prevent promises when asked
But its coquetries perhaps checked fervent pleadings
قد كانَ يُقنعُه طَيفٌ يُلِمُّ بِهِ
لو أَنَّه بالكرى لَيلاً يسامحُهُ
It would be satisfied by a phantom that visited it
If it were to forgive it in the darkness of night
كَم رامَ يكتمُ ما يَلقاهُ من كَمَدٍ
في حبِّه غير أَنَّ الدَمعَ فاضِحُهُ
How it tried to hide the exhaustion it suffered
From its love but its tears exposed its condition
يا ناصحَ الصَبِّ فيه لا تقل سَفهاً
تاللَه ما برَّ فيما قالَ ناصحُهُ
O you who advise the passionate youth about it
By God, the adviser was not honest in his advice
ما زِلتُ أُحسِنُ شِعري في مَحاسِنهِ
وواصفُ الحُسن لا تَكبو قَرائحهُ
I continue to excel in my poetry about its beauty
The describer of beauty will not lack perceptions
لا يَحسُنُ الشِعرُ إِلّا من تغزُّله
فيه وَفي المُصطَفى الهادي مدائحهُ
Poetry excels only in him who woos in it
And in praising the Prophet who guided directions
هُوَ الحَبيبُ الَّذي راقَت خلائقُه
ورَبُّه بعظيم الخُلق مادحُهُ
He is the beloved whose nature was pleasing
And his Lord praised his noble manners
إِن ضَلَّ مَن أَمَّ لَيلاً سوحَ حضرته
هداه من نَشره الذاكي فوائحُهُ
Whoever lost his way a night in its precinct
Its diffusing light guided perfectly right
هُوَ الكَريمُ الَّذي ما زالَ نائلُه
تَتلو غواديَه فينا روائحُهُ
He is the generous whom seekers always attain
Its meadows repeat blessings for us again and again
محمَّدٌ خَيرُ محمودٍ وأَحمَدُ من
وافَت بأسعدِ إِقبالٍ سوانحُهُ
Mohammed best of the praised and Ahmad who
Destiny blessed with most auspicious fortunes
أَتى بِفُرقانِ حقٍّ في نبوَّتِه
ضاهَت خواتِمَهُ الحُسنى فواتحهُ
He came with the criterion of true prophethood
Its wonderful ending matches its beginning
من اِقتفاهُ أَغاثَتهُ صحائفُه
وَمَن أَباهُ أَبادَته صفايحُهُ
Whoever followed it, his pages gave refuge
Whoever denied it, his perils caused escaping
وَلَيسَ بابُ هُدىً تُرجى النَجاةُ بِهِ
يوم القيامة إِلّا وهو فاتحُهُ
And there is no gate of guidance hoping salvation
Except through it, on Judgement Day unlocking
الموسعُ الجود إِن ضاقَت مذاهبُهُ
وَالفاتحُ الخير إِن أَعيَت مفاتحُهُ
The All-Encompassing, Generous, though ways narrow
The All-Opening, Beneficent, though keys vanish
ما زالَ مجتهداً في نُصح أمَّتهِ
حتّى هَدَتهم إلى الحُسنى نصائحُهُ
He never wearied advising his nation
Until he guided them to perfection satisfaction
بصدقِه شهدَت أَنوارُ غرَّته
وَالحَقُّ أَبلجُ لا تَخفى لوائحُهُ
His truthfulness his light testified in his sanctuary
And the truth gleams clearly with features showing
لَم يبرحِ العَدلُ بالعدوان ملتبساً
حتّى أَتى وهو بالفُرقان شارحُهُ
Injustice mingled not long with justice
Until he came separating them clearly by criterion
فأَصبحَ الحَقُّ قد دَرَّت غَزائرُهُ
وأَنتجَت بالهُدى فينا لواقحُهُ
So the truth shone and its mysteries came to pass
And by guidance, its intimations bore to us offspring
وَأَصلحَ الدينَ والدُنيا بملَّتهِ
وأَقبلت في الوَرى تَترى مصالحُهُ
And he reformed religion and life for his people
And welfare came to prevail in the land blossoming
قَد فازَ منه مواليهِ بمُنيتِهِ
وطوَّحت بمُعاديه طوائحُهُ
His loyalists won by his divine gift
And his adversaries were stamped out vanquishing
ما مَسَّ مُجدِبَ وادٍ نعلُ أَخمصِه
إِلّا وسالَت بما تَهوى أَباطحُهُ
No barren valley trampled by his sandal’s sole
Save that its every wish came true as longing
لَو فاخَرَ البَحرَ جَدوى راحَتيه غدا
قَفراً وغاضَت على غيظٍ طوافحُهُ
If his palm’s breadth competed with the ocean
It would dry up the expanse heaving in rage
ولَو أمِدَّ غَمامٌ يَومَ نائله
من فيض كفَّيه ما كفَّت سوافحُهُ
If one day it called for clouds’ outpouring
His two palm-fuls would suffice without raining
وَكَم لَه من جَميلٍ دُرُّ مُجمَلِهِ
زانَت ترائبَ أَقوالي وشائحُهُ
How much beauty he possesses excellence amassed
That gives weight to my words in prose and rhyming
لا يَبلغ الواصفُ المُطري مناقبهُ
وَكَيفَ يَبلغُ أَقصى البحر سابحُهُ
No describer, however high his imagination
Can reach the extent of the ocean where he swims
يا سيَّدَ الخَلقِ ما لِلعَبد غيركَ من
يَرجوهُ غوثاً إِذا ضاقَت منادِحُهُ
O master of mankind, your servant has none
To hope for salvation if tribulations twist him
فأَنتَ أَنتَ المرجّى إِن عرَت نُوَبٌ
وَبَلبَلَ البالَ من دَهرٍ فوادحُهُ
You, only you are the hoped for if sorrows hit
And the trials of fate make his reason listless
فاِسمع لدَعوةِ مُضطرٍّ به ضَرَرٌ
يَدعوكَ وهو بَعيدُ الإِلفِ نازِحُهُ
So hear the prayer of one in peril and distress
Who calls you from afar without familiarity
قد غادرَته النوى رهنَ الخُطوب ولَم
يزل يُماسيه منها ما يُصابِحُهُ
Passion took him hostage burdened with worries
That greet him every eve and dawn persistent
أَضحى غَريباً بأَرض الهِند لَيسَ له
سوى تفكُّره خِلٌّ يطارحُهُ
He lives estranged in India’s land without
Save his contemplation to console and assist
لَعَلَّ رُحماكَ من بَلواهُ تُنقذُه
وَيُصبح البينُ قد بانَت بوارحُهُ
Perhaps your mercy will save him from his plight
And the estrangement will show him reunited
فاِشفَع فدَيتُكَ في عَبدٍ تكاءَدَهُ
من الحوادِثِ ما أَعياهُ جامِحُهُ
So intercede my master for a slave laden with
Afflictions that made him helpless and resisting
يَرجو شفاعَتَكَ العُظمى إذا شَهِدت
بما جَناه على عَمدٍ جوارحُهُ
He hopes for your great intercession witnessing
What his hands have done deliberately offending
وَسل إِلهكَ يَعفو عَن جَرائمِهِ
قبلَ السؤالَ فَلا تَبدو قبائحُهُ
Ask your Lord to pardon his trespasses
Ere the inquiry shows his disgrace pending
أَنتَ الشَهيدُ عَلَينا وَالشَفيعُ لنا
فمن شفعتَ له تُستر فضائحُهُ
You are our witness and intercessor for us
When you intercede his faults remain hidden
وَلي مطالِبُ شَتّى أَنتَ مُنجحُها
فَضلاً إِذا أَعيت الراجي مناجِحُهُ
And I have numerous requests you grant
Blessings, when the hopeful suitor loses hoping
عَلَيكَ من صَلواتِ اللَه أَشرَفها
ومن تحيَّاته ما طابَ فائحُهُ
Upon you the finest prayers Allah offers
And the most fragrant greetings He presents
والآلِ والصَحب ما غَنَّت مطوَّقَةٌ
ولاحَ من بارق الجَرعاء لائحُهُ
And to your family and companions what singer
Trilled or flashes of lightning discharged exposing
