إِذاwhen سَجاsettles into stillness لَيلُthe night of خَطبa calamity مُظلِمdark وَغَشيand envelops
إِذا سَجا لَيلُ خَطب مُظلِم وَغَشي
فَلُذthen seek refuge بِعَبدِwith Abd العَزيزal-Aziz المَهدَويal-Mahdawi القُرَشيal-Qurashi
فَلُذ بِعَبدِ العَزيز المَهدَوي القُرَشي
When the dark night of calamity settles and closes in,
Then seek refuge with Abd al-Aziz al-Mahdawi al-Qurashi.
وَالجأand seek shelter لِذاكَat that الكَثيبِthe sand mound الفَردِthe peerless والقِand lay down بِهِat it
وَالجأ لِذاكَ الكَثيبِ الفَردِ والقِ بِهِ
عَصاthe staff of مَسيرِكَyour journey واسعَدand be happy فيهِin it وَاِنتَعِشand regain strength
عَصا مَسيرِكَ واسعَد فيهِ وَاِنتَعِش
And seek shelter at that peerless sand mound, and lay down there
Your traveling staff; rejoice there and regain your strength.
وَالثَمand kiss ثَرىthe earth of رَوضِهِhis garden المِعطارِthe fragrant واهدِand offer لَهُto him
وَالثَم ثَرى رَوضِهِ المِعطارِ واهدِ لَهُ
تَحيَّةًa greeting كُلَّevery إِبكارٍearly morning وَكُلَّand every عَشيevening
تَحيَّةً كُلَّ إِبكارٍ وَكُلَّ عَشي
And kiss the earth of his fragrant garden, and offer him
A greeting every morning and every evening.
وَقُلand say لَهُto him بِأَبيby Abu بَكرٍBakr أَبيكyour father أَنَلgrant
وَقُل لَهُ بِأَبي بَكرٍ أَبيك أَنَل
نَزيلَكyour guest الأَمنَsafety مِمّاfrom whatever هالَhas terrified مِنof دَغَشِdarkness
نَزيلَك الأَمنَ مِمّا هالَ مِن دَغَشِ
And say to him: By Abu Bakr, your father, grant
Your guest safety from whatever darkness has terrified him.
بالحاتِميِّby al-Hatimi الَّذيwho وافاكَcame to you مُقتَبِساًseeking light
بالحاتِميِّ الَّذي وافاكَ مُقتَبِساً
يَعشوhe gropes لِنورِكَtoward your light فيمَنamong those who أُمَّهُsought it وَغَشيand drew near
يَعشو لِنورِكَ فيمَن أُمَّهُ وَغَشي
By al-Hatimi, who came to you seeking light,
Groping toward your light among those who sought it and drew near.
وَبالظَريفِand by al-Zarif وَبالباجيand by al-Baji وَصالِحand Salih مَنthose who
وَبالظَريفِ وَبالباجي وَصالِح مَن
نَزيلُهُمtheir guest آمِنٌsafe مِنfrom كَفِّthe grasp of مُنتَهِشِa ravager
نَزيلُهُم آمِنٌ مِن كَفِّ مُنتَهِشِ
And by al-Zarif, al-Baji, and Salih, those
Whose guest is safe from a ravager’s grasp.
بالشَيخِby Shaykh جَرّاحJarrah عَجِّلhasten بالدَواءwith the remedy لماfor what
بالشَيخِ جَرّاح عَجِّل بالدَواء لما
أَلَمَّhas afflicted بِالقَلبِthe heart مِنof جُرحٍa wound وَمِنand of خَدشِa scratch
أَلَمَّ بِالقَلبِ مِن جُرحٍ وَمِن خَدشِ
By Shaykh Jarrah, hasten the remedy for what
Has afflicted the heart with wounds and scratches.
بِحَقِّby the right of جيرَةِthe neighbors of هَذاthis السَفحِslope قاطِبَةًall together
بِحَقِّ جيرَةِ هَذا السَفحِ قاطِبَةً
ابلُلُmoisten جَناحيَmy wing فَضلاًas a kindness بالنَدىwith dew وَرِشand provide feathers
ابلُلُ جَناحيَ فَضلاً بالنَدى وَرِش
By the right of all the neighbors of this slope,
In kindness, moisten my wing with dew, and feather it,
حَتّىso that أَطيرَI may fly سُرورّاjoyfully فيin الحَياةِlife وَفيand on
حَتّى أَطيرَ سُرورّا في الحَياةِ وَفي
يَوِday (incomplete spelling) المَعادِthe Return إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle الناسُpeople فيin دَهَشِbewilderment
يَوِ المَعادِ إِذا ما الناسُ في دَهَشِ
So I may fly joyfully in life and on
The Day of Return, when people are bewildered.
وَكُنand be لِارِكَfor your neighbor (uncertain reading) مَعَwith أَهليهِhis household إِنَّindeed لَهُhe has
وَكُن لِارِكَ مَعَ أَهليهِ إِنَّ لَهُ
بِذاthrough this عَلَيكَupon you ذِماماًa binding claim بالخَضوعِwith humility وُشيwas embroidered
بِذا عَلَيكَ ذِماماً بالخَضوعِ وُشي
And stand by [your neighbor?] and his household, for he has
Through this a claim upon you, embroidered with humility.
الطَودthe mountain ظِليِّmy shade وَأَضحىand has become شاكياًcomplaining of حُرقيmy burning
الطَود ظِليِّ وَأَضحى شاكياً حُرقي
وَالماءُand water حَوليaround me وَياand O لَهفيmy anguish وَياand O عَطَشيmy thirst
وَالماءُ حَولي وَيا لَهفي وَيا عَطَشي
The mountain is my shade, yet it now laments my burning;
And water is around me—alas, my anguish! Alas, my thirst!
حاشاfar be it نَزيلَكyour guest أَنthat يَمضيhe should depart عَلىin مَضَضpain
حاشا نَزيلَك أَن يَمضي عَلى مَضَض
وَقَلبُهُand his heart بِسهامِwith the arrows of النائِباتِcalamities حُشيhas been stuffed
وَقَلبُهُ بِسهامِ النائِباتِ حُشي
Far be it that your guest should depart in pain,
His heart stuffed with the arrows of calamity.
وَفَضلُكُمand your bounty عَمَّتِhas encompassed الأَقطارَthe lands شُهرَتُهُits fame
وَفَضلُكُم عَمَّتِ الأَقطارَ شُهرَتُهُ
وَسارَand traveled مِنfrom تونِسٍTunis لِلهِندِto India وَالحَبَشِand Abyssinia
وَسارَ مِن تونِسٍ لِلهِندِ وَالحَبَشِ
And the fame of your bounty has spread throughout the lands,
And traveled from Tunis to India and Abyssinia.
نَعَمyes وَتَشهَدand you bear witness بالإِيمانِto faith ليfor me وَبِماand to what
نَعَم وَتَشهَد بالإِيمانِ لي وَبِما
عَلىupon ضَريحكyour tomb مِنof خَطيmy writing وَمِنand of نَقَشيmy engraving
عَلى ضَريحك مِن خَطي وَمِن نَقَشي
Yes, and may you bear witness to my faith, and to what
Is on your tomb in my writing and my engraving.
وَزادَكَand may He increase you اللَهُGod رَبّيmy Lord مِنof رِضاهُHis good pleasure إِلىuntil
وَزادَكَ اللَهُ رَبّي مِن رِضاهُ إِلى
لُقياكَmeeting you فيin جَنَّةِthe Garden of المأوىRefuge عَلىupon فُرُشcouches
لُقياكَ في جَنَّةِ المأوى عَلى فُرُش
And may God, my Lord, grant you more of His good pleasure, until
I meet you in the Garden of Refuge, upon couches,
مُجاوِرَdwelling beside المُصطَفىal-Mustafa المُختارthe Chosen عُدّتِناour mainstay
مُجاوِرَ المُصطَفى المُختار عُدّتِنا
يَومَon the day of المَعادِthe Return وَيَومَand the day of الهَولِterror وَالدُرَشِand bewilderment (uncertain reading)
يَومَ المَعادِ وَيَومَ الهَولِ وَالدُرَشِ
Dwelling beside al-Mustafa, the Chosen, our mainstay
On the Day of Return and the day of terror and [bewilderment?].
عَلَيكَupon you أَزكىthe purest صَلاةٍblessing تَجلthat clears away عَنfrom بَصَريmy sight
عَلَيكَ أَزكى صَلاةٍ تَجل عَن بَصَري
وَخاطِريand my mind غَيهَبَthe deep darkness of الأَوهامِdelusions وَالعَمَشand dim vision
وَخاطِري غَيهَبَ الأَوهامِ وَالعَمَش
Upon you be the purest blessing, clearing from my sight
And my mind the deep darkness of delusions and dim vision.