بمدح الرسول أرفع قدري

وأرجي بنظمه حط وزري

By praising the Messenger, I raise my standing,

and hope through this verse to have my burden of sin lifted.

أن من قد اسنى الإله عليه

لغني عن كل نظم ونثر

For the one whom God has praised

has no need of any poetry or prose.

وكفاه ما أنزال الله فيه

من ثناء من الأنام وشكر

What God revealed concerning him suffices him,

in place of humankind's praise and gratitude.

إنما عادة المحبين أن يغروا

بذكر الأحباب والحب يغري

Yet lovers are accustomed to become enamored

of recalling their beloveds, for love entices.

وإذا ما دعاهم الشوق لبو

ه على ظهر كل بر وبحر

Whenever longing calls them, they answer

it across every land and sea.

واستطابوا فيه وردو المنايا

والتقوها ما بين سحر ونحر

For its sake they find approaching death sweet,

and meet it between breast and throat.

واسستظلوا الهواجر في الفقر

بشوق يذيب قلب الجمر

They seek shade from the midday heat in the wastes [reading uncertain],

with yearning that melts the heart of embers.

واستضاءوا في ليلهم بسنا الوجد

فباتوا مثل الكواكب تسري

They light their night with the radiance of longing,

and spend it journeying like the stars.

وغدوا بين لوعة تخرق الترب

ودمع على الترائب يجري

Morning finds them amid anguish that pierces the earth,

and tears flowing over their breasts.

وإذا شارفوا العقيق تراءوا

من رباه سنا القباب لزهر

When they draw near al-Aqiq, they behold,

from its hills, the radiance of the gleaming domes.

وتلقاهمو بشير التلاقي

بقبول تسري قبيل الفجر

The herald of reunion greets them

with an east wind drifting just before dawn,

وشذا الروضة التي بين أزكى

منبر فيالدنا واشرف قبر

and the fragrance of the garden lying between the purest

pulpit in the world and the noblest grave.

حبذا ذاك من مقام كريم

يشتري يومه بكل العمر

How lovely is that noble resting place,

whose single day is bought with a whole lifetime!

حيث لاح الحما وأهووا إلى الأرض

ليقضوا بها سجود الشكر

When the sanctuary appears, they fall to the ground

to perform there the prostration of gratitude.

ثم قاموا تجاه من ظله الضا

في يظل الأنام يوم الحشر

Then they stand facing him whose ample shade

shelters humankind on the Day of Gathering.

وثناهم ببابه حصر الهيبة في

بث شوقهم عن حصر

At his door, awe's speechlessness holds them back

from giving full expression to their longing.

فاكتفوا بالدموع تعرب عن كل

أدواء غلة في الصدر

They content themselves with tears that express all

the ailments of burning thirst within the breast.

ثم أدوا ما أوجب الفوز بالقرب

إليه عليهمو من نذر

Then they fulfill what the attainment of nearness

to him has bound them to offer in vows.

وأقاموا في الأمن لولم يرعهم

صدر الركب عن حماة بذعر

They would remain in safety, had they not been startled by

the caravan's fearful departure from Hama [perhaps 'his sanctuary'].

ما طوى القرب شقة البعد حتى

عاجلتها يد الفراق بنشر

No sooner has nearness folded up distance's expanse

than separation's hand hastens to unfold it.

إنما عاد كل فرد من الزوار

عن بابه بأجزل وفر

Indeed, each visitor returns

from his door with the richest bounty.

أكرم الخلق أملوه وراموا

منه عز الغني بذل الفقر

They place their hopes in the noblest of creation and seek

from him the dignity of sufficiency through poverty's humility.

فحووا اللاخرى به من قبول السعي

أو في فخر وأنفع ذخر

Through him, accepted striving wins them for the Hereafter

the fullest honor and the most beneficial treasure.

واكتسوا بالرضي وقد فارقوه

حلة عن ملابس الذنب تعرى

As they leave him, they clothe themselves, through good pleasure,

in a robe that strips away the garments of sin.

صفوة الله خاتم الرسل خير الخلق

مبدي افيمان ما حي الكفر

God's chosen one, seal of the messengers, best of creation,

bringer of faith, effacer of unbelief.

خصه الله منزل الكتب في الذكر

الحكيم الموحي أرفع ذكر

God, revealer of the Books, distinguishes him in the Remembrance,

wise and revealed, with the loftiest mention.

أنجدته الأملاك يوم حنين

وببدر وقاتلت يوم بدر

The angels aided him on the day of Hunayn,

and at Badr, and fought on the day of Badr.

وأتته الشجارلما دعاها

ثم ولت مطبعة للأمر

The trees came to him when he called them,

then turned away, obedient to the command.

وكذاسبح الحصى في يديه

معلناً في تسبيحه والذكر

Likewise, the pebbles glorified God in his hands,

aloud in their glorification and remembrance.

وكذاك الأحجار أبدت سلاملا

كم ترى فات مثله ذا حجر

Likewise, the stones offered greetings of peace.

How often, you see, has their like eluded one endowed with reason!

عجباً من قلوب قوم ثناها الغي

عما وعاد صلد الصخر

Marvel at the hearts of people whom error turned

away from what the hard rock understood.

وحنين الجذع الذي أذرقى المنى

اضحى ممن يخوف لهجر

And the longing of the trunk, which, when he ascended [text unclear],

became one of those made fearful by abandonment.

هذه حالة الجماد فقل لي

هل لمثلي في مثلها من عذر

Such is the state of lifeless things; so tell me:

has one like me any excuse in such a case?

واتاه البعير يشكو إليه

ما به من هنائه والضر

The camel came to him, complaining

of its hardship and hurt.

وشكى جابر له ثقل الدين والحاج

خصمه في العسر

Jabir complained to him of debt's burden and the insistence

of his creditor during hardship.

ولديه تمر بوفيهم البعض

بمجموع ماله من تمر

He had dates that would repay them only in part,

even with the whole of his stock of dates.

فأتاه فاكتال حقهم منه

واضحى كحاله في الوفر

Then he came to him, and their due was measured out from it,

yet it remained as abundant as before.

وكذا غرس نخل سلمان في العام

بدا زاهياً بطلع وبسر

Likewise, Salman's palms were planted, and within the year

appeared flourishing, with blossoms and unripe dates.

وأتوه يشكون جديا كالأرض

شعاراً من الفقار الغبر

They came to him complaining of drought that clothed the earth [reading uncertain]

in a covering of dusty wastes.

جف من حبس قطره الزرع والضرع

وضاعت ظما وحوض البر

With rain withheld, the crops and udders dried up,

and [apparently wild beasts] perished of thirst on land.

وفدعا والسماء ليس بها غيم

فجادت بالقطر في كل قطر

So he prayed, though the sky held no cloud,

and it poured rain in every region.

وتوالت حتى أتوه ليتصحفوا

إلى اقاضي القفر

The rain continued until they came asking that it be diverted [reading uncertain]

toward the farthest reaches of the wilderness.

معجزات من رام احصاءها

حاول حصر الحصى وعد الدر

Whoever seeks to enumerate these miracles

attempts to count the pebbles and number the pearls.

ليت شعري هل بعد هذه التنائي

من لقاء يشفي لواعج صدري

Would that I knew whether, after this estrangement,

there will be a meeting to heal the burning griefs of my breast.

كنت بالصبر واثاقيل ذا الوقت

وها قد وهي بناء الصبر

I had trusted in patience before this time [reading uncertain],

but now the edifice of patience has weakened.

ثم قد ضاق عن بلوع الأماني

وامتداد الآمال ذرع العمر

Now it has grown too narrow for attaining wishes—

life's span—and for the stretching of hopes.

ما احتيالي فيه وخوف اغتيالي

دون ما ارتيه حير فكري

What stratagem have I? The fear of being snatched away

before attaining what I hope for has bewildered my thoughts.

ولكم فرقت يد العجز والحر

مان والياس منه مجموع أمري

How often the hand of helplessness and deprivation

and despair of it has scattered all my affairs!

فالى الله اشتكي وارجي

من مجيب المصطر كشف الضر

To God I complain, and hope

for relief from the Answerer of the distressed.

وغذا ما قضيت من قبل لقياه

كسري فعند جبر كسري

And if I die before meeting him,

my brokenness—there lies the mending of my brokenness [text unclear].

فصلاة الإله تسري إليه

ما تبدت في الأفلقق غرة فجر

May God's blessings flow to him,

as long as dawn's bright face appears on the horizons,

واجتلي ناظر سنا الشمس

واجتازت ونور الصبا بغصن نضر

and an eye beholds the sun's radiance,

and [unclear wording] youth's light passes by a fresh green bough.