ياO ربLord صلbestow blessings علىupon النبيthe Prophet
يا رب صل على النبي
محمدMuhammad بحرa sea العطاbounty
محمد بحر العطا
O Lord, bestow blessings upon the Prophet,
O Lord, send blessings upon the Prophet
Muhammad, the sea of bounty.
Muhammad, the sea of generosity
هاbehold قدindeed أتيتI have come الهناour God
ها قد أتيت الهنا
للبابto the door فاقبلَso accept مَنone who شَطاstrayed far
للباب فاقبلَ مَن شَطا
Behold, I have come, our God,
To the door, so accept whoever has erred
To the door; so accept one who has strayed far.
And I have indeed come to You, my Creator
ولقدand indeed أتيتكI have come to you خالقيmy Creator
ولقد أتيتك خالقي
متذللاhumbled ومفرِّطاand neglectful
متذللا ومفرِّطا
Indeed, I have come to you, my Creator,
Humbled and neglectful
Humbled and neglectful.
And grey hair has appeared on my temples
والشيبand gray hair لاحappeared بعَارضيon my cheek
والشيب لاح بعَارضي
ولماand not yet دِعتُI desisted (unclear form) عنfrom الخَطاwrongdoing
ولما دِعتُ عن الخَطا
And gray hair has appeared upon my cheek,
And when I was called from the mistakes
Yet I have not desisted from wrongdoing.
And so has old age shown on my parting
وكذاكand likewise بانappeared بمفرقيat my hair’s parting
وكذاك بان بمفرقي
ومشىand walked رويداًslowly بالخطاwith steps
ومشى رويداً بالخطا
Likewise, it has appeared at my hair’s parting,
And walked slowly with mistakes
And walked slowly, step by step.
And I, whose body is weak
وأناand I الذيwho جسميmy body عليلailing
وأنا الذي جسمي عليل
بالذنوبfrom sins وساقطاand fallen
بالذنوب وساقطا
And I am one whose body is ailing
With sins and falling
From sins, and fallen low;
Perplexed and regretful
متحيراًbewildered متأسفاًregretful
متحيراً متأسفاً
ولَفيand indeed in يديmy hand قدalready اسقطاwas dropped (an idiom of remorse)
ولَفي يدي قد اسقطا
Bewildered and regretful,
And in my hands I have dropped
And wringing my hands in remorse.
And they were ashamed of the meeting
واخجلتاهand oh, my shame! منat اللقاthe meeting
واخجلتاه من اللقا
ومنand at العتابthe reproach اذاwhen الغطاthe veil
ومن العتاب اذا الغطا
Oh, my shame at the meeting,
And of the rebuke when it covers
And at the reproach when the veil [is lifted].
My life and the days of youth
عمريmy lifetime وأيامand the days الصباof boyhood
عمري وأيام الصبا
وشبابٍand youth ولّىhas gone بلrather سطاassailed
وشبابٍ ولّى بل سطا
My lifetime and the days of boyhood,
And a neglected youth
And youth has gone—nay, dealt a violent blow.
And I despair except from You
وأيستand I have despaired إِلاexcept منكمof you
وأيست إِلا منكم
غفراًforgiveness لمنfor one who قدindeed أفرطاwent too far
غفراً لمن قد أفرطا
And I have despaired of all but you—
Forgiveness for those who were excessive
Forgiveness for one who has gone too far.
For my righteousness You are Able
فعلىfor, concerning صلاحيmy reform قادرable
فعلى صلاحي قادر
بيديكin your hands ياO ربLord العطاbounty
بيديك يا رب العطا
For you are able to set me right;
In Your hands, O Lord of generosity
Bounty is in your hands, O Lord.
I am not distinguishing
انيindeed I فلستso I am not مفرقاdistinguishing
اني فلست مفرقا
بينbetween الصوابwhat is right كذاlikewise الخطاwhat is wrong
بين الصواب كذا الخطا
Indeed, I cannot distinguish
Between right and wrong
Between what is right and what is wrong.
A weak slave, drowning
عبدa servant ضعيفweak غارقdrowning
عبد ضعيف غارق
بالذنبin sin انيindeed I فيin غطاa veil
بالذنب اني في غطا
A weak servant, drowning
In sins, I am indeed in the dark
In sin—indeed, I am under a veil,
And contaminated and defiled
وملوثٌand stained ومدنسٌand defiled
وملوثٌ ومدنسٌ
بالوزرby guilt رِقٌّa slave أمعطاstripped bare
بالوزر رِقٌّ أمعطا
And stained and defiled
With burdens, soft and bent over
By guilt—a slave stripped bare;
And procrastinating and excuses
ومسوِفٌand procrastinating ومعللٌand making excuses
ومسوِفٌ ومعللٌ
وضنينand miserly نفسof soul مفرطاneglectful
وضنين نفس مفرطا
And procrastinating and making excuses,
And the sighing of a neglectful soul
And miserly of soul, neglectful,
And rushing to disobedience
والىand toward المعاصيsins مُهروِلاًhurrying
والى المعاصي مُهروِلاً
كالافعوانlike the male viper الارقطاthe speckled
كالافعوان الارقطا
And hurrying toward sins,
Like the crawling snakes
Like the speckled male viper.
So when is the salvation, when is the rescue
فمتىso when الخلاصdeliverance متىwhen النجاsalvation
فمتى الخلاص متى النجا
أنقذنsave me ربيmy Lord بالعطاwith bounty
أنقذن ربي بالعطا
So when will deliverance come, when salvation?
Save me, my Lord, with generosity
Save me, my Lord, with your bounty.
With pardon, I am hopeful
بالعفوfor pardon أنيindeed I طامعhopeful
بالعفو أني طامع
ولديand with me الرجاءhope مرابطاkeeping watch
ولدي الرجاء مرابطا
For pardon I am indeed hopeful,
And my hope is stationed
And hope keeps watch beside me.
This wrongdoer, for how long
هذاthis المسيءwrongdoer الىuntil متىwhen
هذا المسيء الى متى
تلكthose القبائحugly deeds لاقطاgathering
تلك القبائح لاقطا
How long will this wrongdoer
Will You endure those uglinesses
Keep gathering those ugly deeds?
If You do not save me, then I am
انif لمnot تداركنيyou come to my aid فانيthen indeed I
ان لم تداركني فاني
فيin شفاa brink ولفيand indeed in بطاslowness
في شفا ولفي بطا
If you do not come to my aid, then I
On the brink and about to fall
Am on the brink and, indeed, slow to act.
A humble servant, mixing
هاbehold قدindeed أتىhas come بمحمدthrough Muhammad
ها قد أتى بمحمد
عبدa servant ذليلlowly خالطاmixing
عبد ذليل خالطا
Behold, through Muhammad there has come
Pleading, interceding
A lowly servant, with mixed deeds,
Taking refuge, taking precautions
متوسلاًseeking a means of approach مستشفعاseeking intercession
متوسلاً مستشفعا
متحصناًtaking refuge متحوطاguarding himself
متحصناً متحوطا
Seeking a means of approach and intercession,
No doubt, he is Your beloved one
Taking refuge and guarding himself.
And the best to convey mistakes
لاno غرwonder فهوfor he is محبكمyour lover
لا غر فهو محبكم
ولخيرand of the best منof those who نقلmoved الخطاthe steps
ولخير من نقل الخطا
No wonder, for he is your lover,
And upon him is Gabriel the Majestic
And a lover of the best who ever took a step.
Night and day, descending
وعليهand upon him جبريلGabriel الجلىthe illustrious
وعليه جبريل الجلى
أمسيwas at evening وأضحىand was at morning هابطاdescending
أمسي وأضحى هابطا
And upon him illustrious Gabriel
I am Mirqani Hashim
Descended at evening and at morning.
A servant for You, resembling the river bank
أناI ميرغنيMirghani هاشمHashim
أنا ميرغني هاشم
عبدa servant لكمof yours شبهlike الوطاthe ground underfoot
عبد لكم شبه الوطا
I am Mirghani Hashim,
And all my reliance
A servant of yours, like the ground underfoot.
Is forever upon You, it has not erred
وأناand I جميعall معوّليmy reliance
وأنا جميع معوّلي
أبداًforever عليكمon you ماnot خطاhas erred
أبداً عليكم ما خطا
And as for me, all my reliance
And upon You send blessings always
Is forever on you; it has not erred.
O best of those who rode the cloud
وعليكand upon you صلىmay he bestow blessings دائماًalways
وعليك صلى دائماً
ياO خيرthe best منof those who ركبrode المطاmounts
يا خير من ركب المطا
And may blessings always be upon you,
Lord Most Generous, Forgiver
O best of those who rode mounts,
Of the sin which has been implicated
ربa Lord كريمgenerous غافرforgiving
رب كريم غافر
ذنبthe sin الذيof the one who متورطاis entangled
ذنب الذي متورطا
From a generous Lord, who forgives
And the Family and the noble Companions
The sin of one ensnared in it,
The foremost of the pious, the sea of generosity
والآلand the family والصحبand the companions الكرامthe noble
والآل والصحب الكرام
أولىpossessors of التقىpiety بحرa sea العطاbounty
أولى التقى بحر العطا
And upon your family and noble companions,
How unjust is the universe, white and dark
Those endowed with piety, a sea of bounty,
Morning and mixing
ماas long as أظلمgrew dark الديجورpitch-black night وابيضand grew white الthe
ما أظلم الديجور وابيض ال
صباحmorning وخالطاand mingled
صباح وخالطا
As long as pitch-black night darkens and white grows the
Or what protects the prayers
Morning, mingling with it;
And that middle timing
أوor ماas long as يحافظfaithfully observes للصلاfor prayer
أو ما يحافظ للصلا
والوقتand the time ذاكthat الأوسطاthe middle one
والوقت ذاك الأوسطا
Or as long as one faithfully observes prayer,
And that middle time.
Partial English translation: 60 of 62 Arabic lines translated.