إلى أحمد المختار نُهدي تحية

إلى أحمد المختار نُهدي تحية

تُفاوحُ روض الحزنِ بلّله المزنُ

تُفاوحُ روض الحزنِ بلّله المزنُ

To Ahmad, the Chosen One, we offer a greeting

We send greetings to Ahmed Al Mukhtar

whose fragrance rivals an upland meadow watered by rainclouds.

Whose garden of sorrow is fanned by melancholy

إذا نافحت معناه زاد تأرُّجا

إذا نافحت معناه زاد تأرُّجا

وإن لثمتْ يمناه قابله اليمن

وإن لثمتْ يمناه قابله اليمن

When it mingles fragrance with his essence, the fragrance grows richer;

If you inhale its meaning, it grows more fragrant

and if it kisses his right hand, good fortune meets him.

And if you kiss its right, it is met by blessing

أسيِّر أشواقي رسولاً بعَرفها

أسيِّر أشواقي رسولاً بعَرفها

لتسعدها منه العوارف والمن

لتسعدها منه العوارف والمن

I send my longings as a messenger, bearing their fragrance,

I send my longing as a messenger in its path

so that his kindnesses and bounty may gladden them.

So it may bring him blessings from the righteous

وأرجو لديه الفضلَ فهو منيلُه

وأرجو لديه الفضلَ فهو منيلُه

وما خاب لي منه الرجاء ولا الظنُّ

وما خاب لي منه الرجاء ولا الظنُّ

And I hope for bounty from him, for he is its bestower;

I hope for merit from him, for he is its fountain

and neither my hope in him nor my expectation has failed me.

My wishes and thoughts of him were never in vain

عليه اعتمادي حين لا ليَ حيلةٌ

عليه اعتمادي حين لا ليَ حيلةٌ

إليه استنادي حين ينبو بي الركن

إليه استنادي حين ينبو بي الركن

On him I rely when I have no recourse;

I depend on him when I have no other recourse

to him I turn for support when the pillar fails me.

I lean on him when every pillar has abandoned me

به وثقتْ نفسي الضعيفة بعدما

به وثقتْ نفسي الضعيفة بعدما

أضرَّ بها من ضعف قوتها الوهن

أضرَّ بها من ضعف قوتها الوهن

In him my weak soul placed its trust, after

In him my fragile soul found trust, after

frailty had harmed it because its strength was weak.

Weakness had damaged its strength and vitality

إليه صلاتي قد بعثتُ مشفعا

إليه صلاتي قد بعثتُ مشفعا

سلاماً به الإحسان ينساقُ والحسنُ

سلاماً به الإحسان ينساقُ والحسنُ

To him I have sent my prayer of blessing, accompanying it with

To him I send my prayer as intercessor

a salutation that draws benevolence and beauty along with it.

Greetings through which kindness flows and beauty