ألاhear! ياO ابنson of العفيفal-Afif (the chaste) ياO
ألا يا ابن العفيف يا
شهابShihab (meteor) الدينal-Din (the faith) ياO أحمدAhmad
شهاب الدين يا أحمد
Hear, O son of al-Afif, O
O son of chastity, O Shihāb al-Dīn O Ahmad
Shihab al-Din, O Ahmad!
When fate befell you, thank and praise only Him
لماfor what قدرwas decreed عليكfor you إلاonly
لما قدر عليك إلا
لهto Him أشكرgive thanks وأحمدand praise
له أشكر وأحمد
For what has been decreed for you—only
Be well-mannered, for manners best befit slaves
To Him give thanks and praise.
And are most praiseworthy
تأدبconduct yourself properly فالأدبfor good manners بالعبيدin servants
تأدب فالأدب بالعبيد
أليقmore fitting وأحمدand more praiseworthy
أليق وأحمد
Show good manners, for good manners in servants
And submit to fate and destiny
Are more fitting and more praiseworthy.
So you may be rewarded and praised
وسلمand submit للقضاto the decree والقدرand destiny
وسلم للقضا والقدر
تؤجرyou will be rewarded وتحمدand praised
تؤجر وتحمد
And submit to decree and destiny:
Entrust and even submit, be a believer and Muslim
You will be rewarded and praised.
And be a learned teacher
وفوضand entrust your affairs بلrather وسلمand submit تكنyou will be مؤمنa believer ومسلمand a Muslim
وفوض بل وسلم تكن مؤمن ومسلم
وكنand be عالمlearned معلمa teacher
وكن عالم معلم
And entrust your affairs—rather, submit—and you will be a believer and a Muslim.
And be one who praises and thanks
And be a learned teacher.
The Lord of the Supreme Throne
وكنand be حامدone who praises وشاكرand gives thanks
وكن حامد وشاكر
لربto the Lord of العرشthe Throne الأمجدthe most glorious
لرب العرش الأمجد
And be one who praises and gives thanks
For what has passed or will come
To the most glorious Lord of the Throne,
So you may be called Muhammad
علىfor ماwhatever مرwas bitter أوطاor was pleasant (continued)
على ما مر أوطا
بcompletes 'was pleasant' كيso that تدعىyou may be called محمدMuhammad (much-praised)
ب كي تدعى محمد
For whatever is bitter or sweet,
O Ahmad do not fret over letters
So that you may be called Muhammad.
For fretting over fate's decrees brings troubles
ألاhear! ياO أحمدAhmad لاdo not
ألا يا أحمد لا
تحملburden yourself بالمكاتيبwith written decrees
تحمل بالمكاتيب
Hear, O Ahmad, do not
This world and its affairs are wondrous things
Burden yourself with written decrees,
Happy is he who wonders at its marvels
فإنfor indeed أهلthose given to التحمالburdening themselves
فإن أهل التحمال
بالمقضىwith what is decreed متاعيبweary
بالمقضى متاعيب
For those who burden themselves
Happy is he who takes from it
With what is decreed are weary.
Provision, remembrance, reflection and patience
وذيand this الدنياworld وأحواand conditions (continued)
وذي الدنيا وأحوا
لهاcompletes 'its conditions' أشياthings أعاجيبwondrous
لها أشيا أعاجيب
And this world and its conditions
O blessed is he who has renounced it
Are things most wondrous.
And renounced and avoided it
لقدtruly فازhas prospered الذيthe one who منfrom
لقد فاز الذي من
عجائبهاits wonders أشياthings أعاجيبwondrous
عجائبها أشيا أعاجيب
Truly, successful is the one who, from
And worshipped God through obedience
Its wonders—wondrous things—
Say, O Lord, O Lord
لقدtruly فازhas prospered الذيthe one who منfrom
لقد فاز الذي من
عجائبهاits wonders تزودtook provisions
عجائبها تزود
Truly, successful is the one who, from
Grant me integrity
Its wonders takes provisions.
For integrity brings us greatest honor
تزودtake provisions بالتذكرthrough remembrance وفيهاand in it بالتفكرthrough reflection
تزود بالتذكر وفيها بالتفكر
وعنهاand away from it بالتصبرthrough patient restraint
وعنها بالتصبر
Take provisions through remembrance, and in it through reflection,
Through it we attain happiness in the Abode of Eternity
And withdraw from it through patient restraint.
Dwelling alongside the Prophet Mustafa
ألاah! ياO بختgood fortune منone who قدhas already
ألا يا بخت من قد
زهدrenounced فيهاit وزهدand encouraged renunciation
زهد فيها وزهد
Ah, how fortunate is the one who has
The guiding Muhammad
Renounced it and encouraged renunciation,
And repent and return, and aspire and be devout
وجانبهاand avoided it
وجانبها
وللهand to God بالطاعةin obedience تعبدdevoted himself in worship
ولله بالطاعة تعبد
And kept apart from it,
Going to the Merciful Lord
And worshipped God in obedience.
He who aims for the Glorious Lord
وقلand say ياO ربLord ياO ربLord
وقل يا رب يا رب
هبgrant ليto me الاستقامهuprightness
هب لي الاستقامه
And say: O Lord, O Lord,
Will attain all he seeks in this life and the next
Grant me uprightness.
And be of open chest and enlightened heart
فإنfor indeed الاستقامهuprightness
فإن الاستقامه
لناfor us أعظمthe greatest كرامهhonor
لنا أعظم كرامه
For uprightness
Free of all impurities, pure and purifying
Is our greatest honor.
Complete, righteous, detached and manifest
بهاthrough it نيلattainment of السعاداhappiness (continued)
بها نيل السعادا
تcompletes 'happiness' فيin دارthe abode of المقامهlasting dwelling
ت في دار المقامه
Through it, happiness is attained
Constantly invoking God, detached from all else
In the abode of lasting dwelling.
Forsaking all creation, cutting off all ties
نجاورwe dwell as neighbors للنبيto the Prophet المصطفىthe chosen one
نجاور للنبي المصطفى
الهاديthe guide محمدMuhammad
الهادي محمد
We dwell beside the chosen Prophet,
Realizing the Realities
The guide, Muhammad.
That you may be granted such a heart
وكنand be تايبrepentant وآيبand returning وكنand be راغبhopeful وراهبand fearful
وكن تايب وآيب وكن راغب وراهب
إلىtoward الرحمنthe All-Merciful ذاهبjourneying
إلى الرحمن ذاهب
And be repentant and returning; be hopeful and fearful,
To find happiness and guidance
Journeying toward the All-Merciful.
In this life and on the Day
إلاsurely (apparently ألا) لاخابdoes not fail منone who يقصدseeks
إلا لاخاب من يقصد
الربthe Lord الممجدglorified
الرب الممجد
Surely, no one fails who seeks
When all limbs will testify
The glorified Lord.
And we will all ask our Lord
يقعcomes about لهfor him كلevery مطلوdesired thing (continued)
يقع له كل مطلو
بcompletes 'desired thing' فيin الدنياthis world وفيand in غدtomorrow
ب في الدنيا وفي غد
All he seeks comes to him
For a good end
In this world and tomorrow.
And to follow the best of mankind
وكنand be ذاone having صدرa breast مشروopened wide (continued)
وكن ذا صدر مشرو
حcompletes 'opened wide' ذاone having قلبa heart منورillumined
ح ذا قلب منور
And be one whose breast is opened wide,
And gather us and loved ones in the Abode of Peace
One whose heart is illumined,
O happy is he who dwells therein eternally
سليمsound منfree from جميعevery الدنسstain
سليم من جميع الدنس
طاهرpure مطهرpurified
طاهر مطهر
Sound, free from every stain,
May God allow us to attain His pleasure through it
Pure and purified,
And we look to none but God
صحيحhealthy صالحrighteous أبيضwhite
صحيح صالح أبيض
أجردbare ويظهرand becomes manifest
أجرد ويظهر
Healthy, righteous, white,
For God's bounty is endless
Bare and manifest,
And His generosity inexhaustible
بذكراللهwith remembrance of God معمورfilled
بذكرالله معمور
عنfrom غيرهall besides Him تجردstripped itself
عن غيره تجرد
Filled with the remembrance of God,
Exalted, unequaled in His glory
Stripped of all besides Him,
By the station of Mustafa, best of God's creation
تركforsook كلevery الخلائقcreature قطعsevered كلevery العلائقattachment
ترك كل الخلائق قطع كل العلائق
تحققattained realization بالحقائقof the truths
تحقق بالحقائق
Forsaking every creature, severing every attachment,
Who will intercede for all people
Attaining realization of the truths.
On Judgement Day
عسىmay تحظىyou obtain بذاwith this القلبheart
عسى تحظى بذا القلب
كيso that نسعدwe may be happy ونرشدand be rightly guided
كي نسعد ونرشد
May you be blessed with such a heart,
God's blessings and peace be upon him
So that we may be happy and rightly guided
As long as the stars shine bright
فيin الدنياthis world وفيand on يومa day
في الدنيا وفي يوم
بهon which الأعضاءthe limbs تشهدbear witness
به الأعضاء تشهد
In this world and on the day
Along with his noble Family and great Companions
When the limbs bear witness.
Let us always repeat his glory
ونطلبand we ask كلناall of us ربناour Lord
ونطلب كلنا ربنا
حسنgoodness of الختامthe ending
حسن الختام
And we all ask our Lord
Abundant, without end
For a good ending,
To the Lord who has blessed us
ويرزقناand may He grant us اتباعfollowing
ويرزقنا اتباع
النبيthe Prophet خيرthe best of الأنامhumankind
النبي خير الأنام
And that He grant us to follow
With favors beyond measure
The Prophet, the best of humankind,
ويجمعناand gather us والاحباand the loved ones (continued)
ويجمعنا والاحبا
بcompletes 'loved ones' فيin دارthe abode of السلامpeace
ب في دار السلام
And gather us with our loved ones
In the Abode of Peace.
ألاah! يافوزwhat triumph! منone who هوhe
ألا يافوز من هو
بهاtherein أمسىhas become مخلدabiding forever
بها أمسى مخلد
Ah, how triumphant is the one who
Has come to abide there forever!
عسىmay نظرهa glance منfrom اللهGod بهاthrough it نبلغwe attain رضاthe pleasure of اللهGod
عسى نظره من الله بها نبلغ رضا الله
ولاand not ننظرwe look سوىother than اللهGod
ولا ننظر سوى الله
May a glance from God bring us to God's good pleasure,
And may we look to none but God.
ففضلfor the bounty of اللهGod واسعvast
ففضل الله واسع
وجودهand His generosity ليسdoes not ينفدrun out
وجوده ليس ينفد
For God's bounty is vast,
And His generosity never runs out.
تعالىexalted is He عاليlofty in الشاrank (continued)
تعالى عالي الشا
نcompletes 'rank' فيin مجدهHis glory تفردstands alone
ن في مجده تفرد
Exalted is He, lofty in rank;
In His glory He stands alone.
بجاهby the rank of المصطفىthe chosen one خيرthe best of
بجاه المصطفى خير
خلقthe creation of اللهGod أجمعall of it
خلق الله أجمع
By the rank of the chosen one, the best
Of all God's creation,
غداtomorrow يومthe Day of القيامهResurrection
غدا يوم القيامه
لكلfor all الناسpeople يشفعhe intercedes
لكل الناس يشفع
Tomorrow, on the Day of Resurrection,
He will intercede for all people.
عليهupon him اللهGod صلىmay He bestow blessings
عليه الله صلى
وسلمand grant peace ماas long as تشعشعshines
وسلم ما تشعشع
May God bless him
And grant him peace, so long as there shines
قرأread or recited (unclear here) وناحand lamented or cooed قرىvillages (unclear here)
قرأ وناح قرى
علىupon غصنa branch وغردand sang
على غصن وغرد
[Unclear word], and [unclear word] coos
Upon a branch and sings.
معwith الآلthe family الكرامnoble والأصحابand the companions العظامgreat
مع الآل الكرام والأصحاب العظام
ترددis repeated بالدوامcontinually
تردد بالدوام
With the noble family and the great companions,
Repeated continually.
ونختمهاand we conclude it بجمدwith praise (apparently بحمد)
ونختمها بجمد
كثيرabundant مالهit has no حدlimit
كثير ماله حد
And we conclude it with praise,
Abundant and without limit,
لربfor a Lord قدindeed حباناfavored us
لرب قد حبانا
بنعمىwith blessings ليسnot تعتدcounted
بنعمى ليس تعتد
For a Lord who has favored us
With blessings beyond counting.
Partial English translation: 61 of 86 Arabic lines translated.