نوى ولو أن الفعل وافق ما نوى

نوى ولو أن الفعل وافق ما نوى

أزالته أيام اللقاء من النوى

أزالته أيام اللقاء من النوى

He resolved—and had his deed matched what he intended,

He intended, even if the deed did not match the intention,

the days of reunion would have freed him from separation.

The days of meeting erased it from intention.

محب روى عنه الضني ما بقلبه

محب روى عنه الضني ما بقلبه

من الشوق نحو الظاعنين فما غوى

من الشوق نحو الظاعنين فما غوى

A lover whose wasting sickness told what lay within his heart,

A lover narrated about him the blame of what was in his heart,

of longing for those departing—and did not err.

Of longing for the departure, but did not deviate.

نأوا وثنوه ظامياً وبجفته

نأوا وثنوه ظامياً وبجفته

مسيل لو أن الركب وارده توي

مسيل لو أن الركب وارده توي

They went far away and turned him back, thirsty; in his [eyelid]

They avoided and censured him as gloomy, and with his dullness,

ran a stream: had the caravan come to it, it would have perished.

A flood, if only the caravan frequented his watering place.

كثيب معنى في اليدار تلاعبت

كثيب معنى في اليدار تلاعبت

بمهجته يوم الرحيل يد الجوي

بمهجته يوم الرحيل يد الجوي

A tormented sand dune in the [dwellings]—

A hill of meaning playing

the hand of anguish toyed with his life-blood on departure day.

With his soul on the day of departure, the hand of bidding farewell.

عليل نحيل مالأ دواء قلبه

عليل نحيل مالأ دواء قلبه

سوى قرب من بأنوارهم في الحشادوا

سوى قرب من بأنوارهم في الحشادوا

Sickly and wasted, [there is no] remedy for his heart

A sickly thin one filled his heart with no cure

save nearness to those whose lights are in his breast [ending unclear].

Except nearness to them in the settlements they frequented.

أعاد فراق الحي ماء جفونه

أعاد فراق الحي ماء جفونه

لهيباً إذا ما سال في خده كوى

لهيباً إذا ما سال في خده كوى

Parting from the tribe turned the water of his eyelids

The departure of loved ones brought back the water of his eyes,

into flame that seared his cheek whenever it flowed.

Ablaze when it flows down his cheek it burned.

سروا طلبي أحبابهم وتأخرت

سروا طلبي أحبابهم وتأخرت

به حالة كم أخرت قبل ذا الهوى

به حالة كم أخرت قبل ذا الهوى

They travelled by night [seeking] their beloveds, while a condition delayed

They traveled seeking their loved ones, and my state lingered,

him—a condition that had often caused delay before this passion.

How much it lingered before this love!

وما موقن بالقرب منهم كمن غدا

وما موقن بالقرب منهم كمن غدا

غداً آيساً هيهات ليسا علي السوا

غداً آيساً هيهات ليسا علي السوا

One certain of nearness to them is not like one who becomes

He who is certain of nearness to them is not like one who tomorrow,

despairing tomorrow—far from it: the two are not equal.

Despairing, goes out tomorrow, never! They are not equal.

كووا شقة البيداء وهي عريضة

كووا شقة البيداء وهي عريضة

بأيدي المطايا في السرى نحو ذي طوى

بأيدي المطايا في السرى نحو ذي طوى

They seared the desert's stretch, broad though it was,

They crossed the open desert vast,

with their mounts' forelegs, travelling by night toward Dhu Tuwa.

With their riding beasts toward the enclosure of folded robes.

وطوبى لهم أن شارفوا رمل عالج

وطوبى لهم أن شارفوا رمل عالج

والوي بهم حادي الركاب عن اللوى

والوي بهم حادي الركاب عن اللوى

Blessed are they for approaching the sands of ʿAlij,

Blessed are they who approached the sands of Al-‘Ulajj,

while the camel-driver turned them away from al-Liwa.

And the torrents guided the caravan away from deviation.

وبان لهم بأن المصلى وروضت

وبان لهم بأن المصلى وروضت

موارده روض الوصال الذي ذوي

موارده روض الوصال الذي ذوي

The [ban trees] of al-Musalla appeared to them, and

And the prayer site and its meadow appeared to them,

its watering places greened the garden of reunion that had withered.

The meadow of union to which we are brought near.

وأموا حمى من أنزل الله وحيه

وأموا حمى من أنزل الله وحيه

عليه وفي العراج عن ربه روى

عليه وفي العراج عن ربه روى

They sought the sanctuary of him upon whom God sent His revelation,

And they arrived at the sanctuary Allah sent down revelation upon,

and who, at the [Ascension], recounted what came from his Lord.

And quenched their thirst from their Lord in the heights.

نبي غدا أعلى النبيين رتبة

نبي غدا أعلى النبيين رتبة

فلم يحو خلق منهم مثل ما حوى

فلم يحو خلق منهم مثل ما حوى

A prophet who became the highest of the prophets in rank,

A prophet who became highest in rank of prophets,

no creature among them attaining the like of what he attained.

So no creature comprises what he comprised.

أبي الهدى هادي الورى موضع التقى

أبي الهدى هادي الورى موضع التقى

شفيع البرايا صاحب الحوض واللوا

شفيع البرايا صاحب الحوض واللوا

Father of guidance, guide of mankind, abode of piety,

My father of guidance, guide of humankind,

intercessor for creation, master of the Pool and the Banner;

Intercessor of creation, companion of the Cistern and banners.

أمان لنا من كل أهلك الورى

أمان لنا من كل أهلك الورى

قدينا به إذ بين أظهرنا ثوي

قدينا به إذ بين أظهرنا ثوي

a safeguard for us against all that destroyed mankind—

Our protection from every lethal disaster,

we were [protected?] through him when he dwelt in our midst.

We have attained him as he settled among us.

حريص على رشد الورى شاهد لهم

حريص على رشد الورى شاهد لهم

رؤوف رحيم ليس ينطق عن هوى

رؤوف رحيم ليس ينطق عن هوى

Eager for mankind's right guidance, a witness for them,

Eager for the guidance of humankind, witness to them,

kind and merciful, speaking not from desire.

Compassionate, Merciful, not speaking from desire.

شفيق بأهل الرشد يأخذ رشده

شفيق بأهل الرشد يأخذ رشده

بحجرة من في نار باطله هوى

بحجرة من في نار باطله هوى

Compassionate toward the rightly guided, his guidance takes hold

Gentle to people of guidance, seizing his guidance,

of the [waistband] of one who fell into the fire of his falsehood.

With a barrier against whom the fire of vain desire consumed.

فينصر من يهدي طريق نجاته

فينصر من يهدي طريق نجاته

ويعشي الذي ينويإذا ما التوى التوي

ويعشي الذي ينويإذا ما التوى التوي

Thus it aids whomever it guides along the path to his salvation,

He gives victory to whom guides his path of salvation,

and blinds the one who intends, if ruin turns aside [wording unclear].

And shelters whom corrupt desire confuses when it twists.

اضاءت لرائها لوامع رشده

اضاءت لرائها لوامع رشده

فطوبى لذي لب إلى ضوئها ضوي

فطوبى لذي لب إلى ضوئها ضوي

The gleams of his guidance shone for their beholder;

His opinions shone illuminations of guidance,

blessed is the discerning one who sought refuge in their light.

So blessed is he who turns towards its gleam and wants it.

وتباً لذي غي رأي سنن الهدى

وتباً لذي غي رأي سنن الهدى

بداو لوي عن نوره مع من لوى

بداو لوي عن نوره مع من لوى

Woe to the erring one who saw the paths of guidance

But woe to him who deviates the opinion of guidance’s path,

appear, yet turned from their light with those who turned away.

Deviating from its light along with whom desire twisted.

تبدي له حوض الهداية سلسلاً

تبدي له حوض الهداية سلسلاً

فعاف وروض الرشد ريان فاجتوى

فعاف وروض الرشد ريان فاجتوى

The sweet-flowing Pool of guidance appeared before him,

It shows him the Cistern of guidance in a chain,

but he rejected it; the garden of guidance was lush, yet he shunned it.

But he is useless, and the meadow of guidance is verdant without him.

ألم ينظروا والحق أبيض أبلج

ألم ينظروا والحق أبيض أبلج

يريهم مكاناً في هدائتهم سوى

يريهم مكاناً في هدائتهم سوى

Did they not look, though truth is white and radiant,

Have they not considered while the truth is whiter than white?

showing them a level place in their [guidance]?

It shows them a place in their guidance other than it.

وينقذ من بالله آمن من لظى

وينقذ من بالله آمن من لظى

إذا وهجها يوماً أصاب الشوي شوي

إذا وهجها يوماً أصاب الشوي شوي

He saves those who believe in God from blazing fire,

And it saves those who believe in Allah from the flames

when its heat one day strikes the limbs and roasts them.

When their blaze strikes those it burns some day.

نبي زوي الله الوجود لكي نرى

نبي زوي الله الوجود لكي نرى

مواقع أنوار الهدى في الذي زوى

مواقع أنوار الهدى في الذي زوى

A prophet—God folded existence together so that we might see

A prophet whose existence Allah adorned so we can see

where the lights of guidance fall within what He folded.

Places of the lights of guidance in what he adorned.

وآتاه من كل الكنوز مفاتحاً

وآتاه من كل الكنوز مفاتحاً

فلم يرضها زهداً وبات على الطوى

فلم يرضها زهداً وبات على الطوى

He gave him the keys to every treasure,

And gave him keys to all treasures, but he was not pleased with them,

but he declined them in renunciation and spent the night hungry.

And spent the night in asceticism on the ground.

رفيق رقيق القلب أن خائف لجا

رفيق رقيق القلب أن خائف لجا

إلى ظله آوى وإن سائل أوى

إلى ظله آوى وإن سائل أوى

Gentle and tender-hearted: if a frightened person sought refuge

A gentle, gentle-hearted companion, so if a fearful one sought refuge

in his shade, he sheltered him; and if a petitioner came, he showed compassion.

In his shade, he sheltered, and if a beggar, he housed.

عليه سلام الله ماذر شارق

عليه سلام الله ماذر شارق

وأومض برق في السحاب أو انطوى

وأومض برق في السحاب أو انطوى

Upon him be God's peace whenever the sun rises,

Upon him Allah’s peace as long as the morning gleams

and lightning flashes in the clouds or vanishes.

And lightning flashes in the clouds or is folded away.

وكرمه مهديه للخلق رحمة

وكرمه مهديه للخلق رحمة

وصلى عليه من على عرشه استوى

وصلى عليه من على عرشه استوى

May the One who bestowed him on creation as mercy honor him,

And his Generosity made him a guide to creation as a mercy,

and may He who established Himself upon His Throne bless him,

And prayed upon him the One firm on His Throne.

وأنجز لي منه الشفاعة في غد

وأنجز لي منه الشفاعة في غد

وإن مطل الدهر المواعد أو لوى

وإن مطل الدهر المواعد أو لوى

and secure for me his intercession on the morrow,

And fulfill for me through him the intercession tomorrow,

even if time delays its promises or turns aside.

Even if the days of promise twist or wind.