1. يا يارقاً لاحَ من قُبا سحَراً

    بحيثُ حلَّ منَ النُهى سحراً

    O lightning flash that gleamed from Quba before dawn,

    where it settled in the mind as enchantment.

  2. أُعارَ قلبيَ خفقاً وأخلفَ فاستعارَ

    من سُحبِ مُقلتي مطَراً

    It lent my heart a flutter and broke its promise, so it borrowed

    rain from the clouds of my eye.

  3. وأذكرَني العهدَ من سعادَ ولَم

    أنسَ وهاجَ الأحزانَ والفِكَرا

    And it reminded me of Su'ad's pledge, which I had not

    forgotten, and stirred sorrows and thoughts.

  4. أيام نُسقى معَها الشمولَ على

    رَوضٍ يُشاكِلُ زَهرُهُ الزَهَرا

    The days when, with her, we were served wine in

    a meadow whose blossoms resembled the bright stars;

  5. وغُصنُهُ طَرَباً تُمَيِّلُه

    ريحُ الشمالِ ليلثُمَ النهرا

    and its bough, in delight, was swayed

    by the north wind, so it might kiss the river.

  6. ونَهرُهُ كالحسامِ جرَّدَني

    وسطَ الرياضِ بسيلُ مُنهَمِراً

    And its river, like a sword, stripped me bare

    amid the gardens, with a gushing torrent.

  7. وزَهرُهُ فيه صار منتَظِماً

    لمّا غدا القَطرُ فيه منتشراً

    And its blossoms there became arrayed

    when rain was scattered through it.

  8. أم هل أطيبُ بطيبَةٍ زَمَناً

    وهَل أعودُ من عِطرِها عَطِرا

    Or shall I enjoy a time in Tayba,

    and return fragrant from its perfume?

  9. وهل أرى مُنشِداً بساحتها

    مدحَ الرسولِ المبعوثِ من مُضَرا

    And shall I see one reciting in its courtyard

    the praise of the Messenger sent from Mudar—

  10. محمدِ المصطفى الرسول ومن

    على جميع الأرسال قد ظَهَرا

    Muhammad, the Chosen One, the Messenger, and he

    who has surpassed all messengers,

  11. قُطبٍ على الأنبياءءِ قاطبةً

    وخَيرِ كلّ الأملاكِ والسفُرا

    the pole above all the prophets,

    and the best of all angels and envoys?

  12. لولاهُ ما طَلَعت ذكاءُ ولا

    لاحَ الهِلالُ والكونُ ما ظَهَرا

    Were it not for him, Dhuka, the sun, would not have risen, nor

    would the crescent have shone, nor the universe appeared.

  13. له المحاسنُ كلّها جُمِعَت

    فكاملُ الحُسنِ فيه ما شُطِرا

    For him all beauties were gathered,

    so perfect beauty in him remained undivided.

  14. يُخجِلُ شمسَ الضحى بطَلعَتِهِ

    وقمرُ التمّ نورهُ قمِرا

    He shames the forenoon sun with his countenance,

    and his light outshone the full moon.

  15. وقدُّهُ فَضَحَ الغُصون ومَن

    جِسمهُ راح يفضَحُ الدُرَرا

    And his stature shamed the boughs, and his

    body came to shame pearls.

  16. نورُ الصباحِ يحكي أُسرَّتَهُ

    وسُدفَةُ الليل تُشبهُ الشعَرا

    Morning light mirrors his brow,

    and night's darkness resembles his hair.

  17. كم معجزاتٍ على يدَيهِ بَدَت

    عن حصرها كلُّ شاعرٍ حَصِرا

    How many miracles appeared at his hands!

    Every poet was at a loss to count them.

  18. فما تُعَدُّ ولا يحاطُ بها

    ومن يَعُدُّ النجومَ والمطرا

    For they cannot be counted or fully encompassed,

    and who can count the stars and the rain?

  19. قد خَصَّهُ ربُّه الحكيمُ

    بمعجزِ الكتابِ فأعجَزَ الشُعرا

    His wise Lord has singled him out

    with the miracle of the Book, thus confounding the poets.

  20. ويومَ مولِدِهِ بدَت عِبَرٌ

    لمن رآها يا حُسنَها عِبَراً

    And on the day of his birth, instructive signs appeared

    for whoever saw them—what splendid lessons!

  21. بنورِه نارُ فارسٍ خمدت

    كذاك كسرى إيوانهُ كُسِرا

    By his light, Persia's fire died out;

    likewise, Kisra's vaulted hall was shattered.

  22. والظبيُ والضبُّ والذراعُ لهُ

    قد أفصَحَت بالكلام دونَ مرا

    And to him the gazelle, the lizard, and the foreleg

    spoke plainly, beyond dispute.

  23. وقد رأي ربّهُ بمُقلَتِهِ

    ليلَةَ أسرى ولَم يَزِغ بَصَراً

    And he saw his Lord with his own eye

    on the night he journeyed, and his sight did not stray.

  24. والشمس قد ردها الإلاه له

    بعدَ المغيبِ وشقَّقَ القَمَرا

    And God returned the sun to him

    after sunset, and split the moon.

  25. في كفِّهِ سبَّحَ الحصى وبها

    فاض الزُلالُ المعينُ وانفجرا

    In his palm the pebbles glorified God, and in it

    clear, flowing water welled up and burst forth.

  26. وُرقُ الحمام حمَت مكانتَتَه

    كذا له العنكبوت قد سَتَرا

    Grey doves protected his place;

    likewise, the spider concealed him.

  27. والعينُ قد ردَّها وأعذَبَها

    بريقِه وسخاً بها بَدَرا

    And he restored the spring and sweetened it

    with his saliva—filth had appeared in it.

  28. والدوحُ قد أقبلت بلا قَدمٍ

    تَسجُدُ بينَ يديهِ إذ أمَرا

    And the great trees came without feet,

    prostrating before him when he commanded.

  29. وكم وكم راحةٍ براحتهِ

    نيلت وأذهَبَ لمسُها ضَرَرا

    And how much, how much relief through his palm

    was gained, and its touch dispelled harm!

  30. هذا هو الفردُ في محاسِنِه

    هذا الذي لا يُقاس بِالنُظرا

    This is he, unique in his beauties;

    this is he who cannot be compared with peers.

  31. أسألُ ربّي الإلهَ يَمنَحُني

    بجاهه ما يُقِرُّ لي النظَرا

    I ask my Lord, God, to grant me

    through his standing, what will gladden my sight,

  32. وأن يكونَ الختامُ لي حَسَناً

    إذا رأيتُ الحمامَ قد حَضَرا

    and that my end may be good

    when I see that death has come.

  33. فيا رسولَ الإلاهِ تَشفَعُ لي

    فإنني قد أتَيتُ مُفتَقِرا

    So, Messenger of God, intercede for me,

    for I have come in need.

  34. قد حَمَّلَتني مآثمي ثِقلاً

    وليس لي شافعٌ سواك يُرى

    Indeed, my sins have laid a burden upon me,

    and no intercessor for me is seen but you.

  35. ثمَّ الصلاةُ عليك ما سجَعَت

    وُرقُ على ورقِ الربا الخضِرا

    Then blessings upon you, as long as there is cooing

    from grey doves on the leaves of green hills,

  36. وما شَدا شائمٌ بروقَ قُبا

    يا بارِقاً لاح من قُبا سحَراً

    and as long as a watcher of Quba's lightning sings:

    O lightning flash that gleamed from Quba before dawn!