أرحها فقد مل الظلام سراها

وأنحلها بعد المدى وبراها

Give them rest: darkness itself has wearied of their night journey.

The distance has made them lean and worn them away.

وغادرها جلداً وعظماً حنينها

إلى منزل فيه اللقاء قراها

Their longing has left them skin and bone,

For a dwelling where reunion is their welcome.

ألست تراها كلما ذكر الحمى

تمد له أعناقها وخطاها

Do you not see them, whenever the sanctuary is mentioned,

Stretch their necks and lengthen their strides toward it?

وتصغي إلى شدو الحداة فتكتفي

بذلك عن جذب الزمام براها

They listen to the camel-drivers' song, finding it enough,

Their nose-rings needing no tug on the reins beyond that.

سرى وحنين واشتياق ثلاثة

برت لحمها برى السهام مداها

Night travel, longing, and yearning—three things

Have pared their flesh as knives pare arrow-shafts.

سطور قطار كالخيال طروسها

إذا مثلت للسهام فراها

Rows of a camel-train, their pages phantomlike;

When they face the scorching heat, it rends them.

وانضاء شوق كالخيال إذا ونت

أعاد لها رجع الحداة فواها

And mounts worn thin by longing, ghostlike, whenever they flag,

The camel-drivers' refrain restores their [strength?].

سفائن تطفو في السرب بلجة

مموجة لا يلقي طرفاها

Ships floating through the [mirage?] upon a deep sea,

Billowing, its two shores never meeting.

طومى لا تشفى الوكايا أوامها

ولا ماء صداء يزيل صداها

Thirsting [text uncertain], with waterskins unable to ease their thirst,

Nor does the water of Ṣadāʾ dispel their thirst.

ولم يروها إلا تناول نقبها

بطيبة ينسني بردها برادها

Nothing quenched them save reaching its mountain passes,

At Ṭaybah, whose coolness makes me forget [unclear wording].

نشاوي على الأكوار من خمرة السرى

وكأس الكرى قد ألويا بطلاها

Intoxicated upon the saddles by the wine of night travel,

And sleep's cup—the two have bent their necks.

كأن غصونا في الرحال يميلها

سحير على الانضاء مر صباها

As though branches in the saddles were swayed

At dawn, upon worn-out mounts, by the passing east wind.

إذ هبطوا أرضاً أوة مض بارق

تروض من سح الدموع ثراها

When they descended into a land, lightning flashed [text uncertain],

Whose soil grew green from the pouring of tears.

يطنونه نار الفريق على الحمى

تبدت لهم وهناً ولاح سناها

They take it for the encampment's fire upon the sanctuary;

It appeared to them at night, and its radiance shone.

ويعتسفون البيد يرشدهم بها

إلى الدار أن ضلو الطريق شذاها

They cross the trackless wastes, where they are guided

Toward the abode, if they lose the road, by its fragrance.

وتهديهم أنوارها إلا كواكب السماء

إذا حاروا ولا قمراها

Its lights guide them—not [text uncertain] the stars of heaven,

When they are bewildered, nor its two moons.

إذا عاينوا أعلامها وضعوا لها

خدوداً على وجه الثرى وجباها

When they behold its landmarks, they lay before it

Cheeks and foreheads upon the earth's face.

ولا سيما شارفوها وشاهدوا

حدائق وجاثوا بالعيون رباها

Especially when they draw near it and behold

Gardens, roaming its hills with their eyes.

وزال عنهم واستلذت نفوسهم

ورود المنايا في بلوغ مناها

And [their burden] left them, and their souls found sweet

Encountering death in attaining their desire.

وأثمرت الآمال بعد امتناعها

بنيل أمانيهم وطاب جناها

Hopes bore fruit after withholding themselves,

As their wishes were attained, and sweet was their harvest.

وجاءوا إلى باب السلام وقبلوا

ثراه ونادوا بالسلام شفاها

They came to Bāb al-Salām and kissed

Its soil, calling out greetings of peace aloud.

وطافت به الركبان من كل وجهة

وقد أنسيت بالقرب منه وجاها

Caravans circled about him from every direction,

Their soreness forgotten in their closeness to him.

وأفحمها هول المقام فلم تطق

سوى الدمع أن ينهي إليه جواها

The awe of that station struck them mute; they had no power

Save for tears to convey their heart's burning to him.

وبثت حنينا لا يواري أوراه

وشوقاً شديد الحال لا يتناهى

They poured forth a longing whose blaze could not be hidden [text uncertain],

And a yearning fierce in its intensity, without end.

وحلت حمى أعلى البنين رتبة

وأعظمهم يوم القيامة جاها

They entered the sanctuary of the highest-ranked of sons [text uncertain],

The greatest among them in standing on Resurrection Day:

محمد الداعي إلى الله والذي

به أرشد الله الورى

Muhammad, who calls to God, and the one

Through whom God guided humankind.

وأول من ينشق عنه ضريحه

إلى رتب عند الإله حباها

The first whose grave will split open,

To ranks beside God that He has bestowed.

شفاعته العظمى وقد جئت الورى

لا هول ما قد راعها وعراها

His supreme intercession, when humankind [text unclear],

No terror [text uncertain] from what has frightened and befallen them.

وحوض كما قد جاء في وصف نعته

ذا هو أمته الظلماء شفاها

And a pool, as has been related in its description,

It heals his darkened community [text uncertain].

رأت نعته الأحبار قبل فبشرت

بمبعثه كهل الورى وفتاها

The rabbis had seen his description before, and gave glad tidings

Of his advent to the mature and the young among humankind.

وأبدت لهم أوصافه وكأنما

تشاهدها من نفسه وتراها

They disclosed his qualities to them, as though

They witnessed and saw them in his very person.

وصدقه منهم نفوس زكية

نهاها فلم تبغ الفساد نهاها

Among them were souls that believed him, pure

In their minds; their minds sought no corruption.

وعاندوه منهم مع العلم أنفس

محققة غطي اليقين هوها

Yet among them were souls that opposed him despite knowing,

Certain, but with their certainty veiled by desire [text uncertain].

وخابت مساعي الجن يوم ولاده

من السمع أمته فضاع عناها

The efforts of the jinn failed on the day of his birth,

In the hearing they sought; their toil was wasted.

وإيوان كسرى شق والنار أخمدت

وساوة لم يجر البحيرة ماها

Kisrā's palace was rent, and the fire extinguished;

At Sāwah, the lake's water no longer flowed.

كذلك لما استرضعته حليمة

رأت في بيتها اليمن منه وشاها

Likewise, when Ḥalīmah took him to nurse,

She saw blessing from him in her home and her sheep [text uncertain].

ومدت كما شاءت وزال هوالها

وذمت نساء الحي حال رجاها

She was supplied as she wished, and her fears vanished [text uncertain].

The women of the tribe disparaged the state of her hopes.

وجاءته أعلام النبوة وهو في

حراً فلقد فاق البقاع حراها

Signs of prophethood came to him while he was in

Ḥirāʾ; that Ḥirāʾ excelled all other places.

ووافاه جبريل بأول سورة

وقال له اقرأ باسمه فقراها

Gabriel came to him with the first surah,

And said to him, “Read in His name,” and he read it.

وأرسله الرحمن يوقظ أمة

به طال في ليل الظلال كراها

The All-Merciful sent him to awaken a community

Through him—long had its slumber lasted in the night of shadows.

وعم الورى طراً بما خص قومه

به من سنا إرشادها وهداها

He encompassed all humankind with what He had bestowed upon his people,

Of the radiance of their instruction and guidance.

فعادوه وهو الصادق القول عندهم

ليبلغ أيام العناد مداها

Yet they made him their enemy, though to them his word was truthful,

So that the days of obstinacy might reach their full course.

ولباه سادات قضي الله رشدها

وألهمها كيما تفوز هداها

Noble leaders answered him, whose right guidance God decreed,

And He inspired them with guidance so that they might prevail.

دوآب بخسران السعادة من رأى

لشقوته دار الهدى فأباها

And he returned bereft of happiness [text uncertain] who saw

The abode of guidance but, in his wretchedness, refused it.

ولاقت عداه رغبة في شهادة

نفوس أحب الله ثم لقاها

His enemies were faced, out of a desire for martyrdom, by

Souls God loved, and then met [text uncertain].

وأنجدها في ذبها عنه في الوغى

بأملاكه العليا ورد عداها

He aided them as they defended him in battle,

With His exalted angels, and repelled their enemies.

وأبدى لهم بالنور من معجزاته

مواقع رشد ساقها وقضاها

He revealed to them, in light, among his miracles,

Manifestations of guidance that He brought forth and fulfilled.

وقوى بها تقواهم وأراهم

سناها بأبصار أزال غطاها

Through them He strengthened their piety, and showed them

Their radiance through eyes whose veil He had removed.

حصرت وماذا ابتغى وصفه به

قواف لواها عجزها وثناها

I am at a loss: what can I seek to describe him with?

Rhymes that their impotence has twisted and turned aside.

فآها على التقصير في كل حالة

وآها على تضييع عمري آها

Ah, for my shortcomings in every state!

And ah, for wasting my life—ah!

ترى هل أراني واقفاً بعدد اللنوى

بأبوابه أو أرتوي برواها

I wonder: shall I see myself standing, after separation [text uncertain],

At his gates, or quench my thirst with their waters?

وألثم أرضا شرفت أرضها من النبوة

فيما قد مضى قدماها

And kiss a land whose soil was ennobled by Prophethood—

By its two feet in times gone by?

أهل فمي يلقي مكاناً مشت به

فان ظفرت نفسي بذاك كفاها

Will my mouth touch a place where she walked [text uncertain]?

If my soul wins that, it will suffice it.

ونالت بهذا رتبة حسب من بها

ترفع قدراً أن يكون رقاها

Through this it would gain a rank; enough for whoever thereby

Rises in honor is to have ascended to it.

عساهاإذا زلت أقال عثارها

وإن خشيت ورد الحميم وقاها

Perhaps, if it slips, he will lift it from its stumble,

And if it fears drinking scalding water, he will shield it.

ولو لم أعلل مهجتي بلقائه

ولو قبل موتي ما أردت بقاها

Were I not consoling my soul with the hope of meeting him,

Even if only before my death, I would not wish it to live on.

ولكنها أودي بها الضعف التوت

بها حالتاها بؤسها ورخاها

But weakness has undone it; intertwined

Within it are its two states—its misery and ease.

عسى الله لا يأس مع الله أنه

يبلغ نفسي باللقاء مناها

Perhaps God—there is no despair with God—

Will bring my soul, through that meeting, to its desire.

ويقضي الذي أرجوه منه بجاهه

لديه وأن شف النفوس ومن وجاها

And grant what I hope for from Him, through his standing

Before Him, though souls are worn down by their soreness [text uncertain].

وألقى بلقيا هاذوبا لوانها

حوتها مطايا الركب كل مطاها

Through meeting him I cast off [sins?], even if

Every mount of the caravan had carried them.

وأن ذهبت نفسي لحاجة فقرها

ففي جاهه يوم المعاد غناها

And if my soul departs in the need of its poverty,

His standing will be its wealth on the Day of Return.

عليه سلام الله ما نطق امرؤ

بتحكم آيات الهدى وتلاها

God's peace be upon him as long as anyone speaks

With the authority of the verses of guidance, and recites them.

وما وضحت شمس الضحى في نهارها

وما لاح بدر في الدجى وتلاها

And as long as the forenoon sun shines in its daylight,

And a full moon gleams in darkness and follows it.