# Al Faswlul Khaamisu · الْفَصْلُ الْخَامِسُ

From [Qasida Al Burda · قصيدة البردة](https://qasaaid.zayfir.app/app/qasaaid/691c712ac9a45b73e98077a8) by [Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Sa'id al-Busiri](https://qasaaid.zayfir.app/app/authors/691c70fac9a45b73e980779f)

**1.** جَاءَتْ لِدَعْوَتِهِ الأَشْجَارُ سَاجِدَةً / تَمْشِي إِلَيْهِ عَلَى سَاقٍ بِلاَ قَدَمِ

_Jāʾat li daʿwatihil ashjāru sājidatan / Tamshī ilayhi ʿalā sāqin bilā qadami_

Trees came prostrating to him when he called,
Walking towards him on trunks without feet

**2.** كَأَنَّمَا سَطَرَتْ سَطْرًا لِمَا كَتَبَتْ / فُرُوعُهَا مِنْ بَدِيعِ الْخَطِّ بِاللَّقَمِ

_Ka annamā saṭarat saṭran limā katabat / Furūʿuhā min badīʿil khaṭṭi bil laqami_

As though they had inscribed lines of splendid calligraphy
With their branches along the path.

**3.** مِثْلَ الغَمَامَةِ أَنَّى سَارَ سَائِرَةً / تَقِيهِ حَرَّ وَطِيسٍ لِلْهَجِيرِ حَمِي

_Mithlal ghamāmati annā sāra sāʾiratan / Taqīhi ḥarra waṭīsin lil hajīri ḥamī_

Like the cloud that hovered over him wherever he went,
Shielding him from the intense oven of the midday heat.

**4.** أَقْسَمْتُ بِالْقَمَرِ المُنْشَقِّ إِنَّ لَهُ / مِنْ قَلْبِهِ نِسْبَةً مَبْرُورَةَ القَسَمِ

_Aqsamtu bil qamaril munshaqqi inna lahu / Min qalbihi nisbatan mabrūratal qasami_

I swear by the [Lord of the] moon that was split in two
a true oath: it has truly a connection with his heart.

**5.** وَمَا حَوَى الغَارُ مِنْ خَيْرٍ وَمِنْ كَرَمِ / وَكُلُّ طَرْفٍ مِنَ الكُفَّارِ عَنْهُ عَمِي

_Wa mā ḥawal ghāru min khayrin wa min karamin / Wa kullu ṭarfin minal kuffāri ʿanhu ʿamī_

And by the goodness and nobility contained in the cave
While the disbelievers’ every glance was blind to him.

**6.** فَالصِّدْقُ فِي الغَارِ وَالصِّدِّيقُ لَمْ يَرِمَا / وَهُمْ يَقُولُونَ مَا بِالْغَارِ مِنْ أَرِمِ

_Faṣ ṣidqu fīl ghāri waṣ ṣiddīqu lam yarimā / Wa hum yaqūlūna mā bil ghāri min arimi_

Truthfulness and the True One in the cave wavered not
While they said ‘No one who breathes is in the cave!’

**7.** ظَنُّوا الحَمَامَ وَظَنُّوا الْعَنْكَبُوتَ عَلَى / خَيْرِ الْبَرِيَّةِ لَمْ تَنْسُجْ وَلَمْ تَحُمِ

_Ẓannul ḥamāma wa ẓannul ʿankabūta ʿalā / Khayril bariyyati lam tansuj wa lam taḥumi_

They supposed that a dove would never perch,
Or a spider would spin its web, for the Best of Creation

**8.** وِقَايَةُ اللهِ أَغْنَتْ عَنْ مُضَاعَفَةٍ / مِنَ الدُّرُوعِ وَعَنْ عَالٍ مِنَ الأُطُمِ

_WiqāyatuLlāhi aghnat ʿan muḍāʿafatin / Minad durūʿi wa ʿan ʿālin minal uṭumi_

Their protection by Allah absolved them of need
for additional armour or for lofty fortresses.

**9.** مَا سَامَنِي الدَّهْرُ ضَيْمًا وَاسْتَجَرْتُ بِهِ / إِلاَّ وَنِلْتُ جِوَارًا مِنْهُ لَمْ يُضَمِ

_Mā sāmanid dahru ḍayman wastajartu bihi / Illā wa niltu jiwāran minhu lam yuḍami_

Never, when fate oppressed me, have I sought refuge in him
but that I found sanctuary with him and was oppressed no more.

**10.** وَلاَ الْتَمَسْتُ غِنَى الدَّارَيْنِ مِنْ يَدِهِ / إِلاَّ اسْتَلَمْتُ النَّدَى مِنْ خَيْرِ مُسْتَلَمِ

_Wa laltamastu ghinad dārayni min yadihi / Illāstalamtun nadā min khayri mustalami_

And never have I sought wealth in both worlds from his hand
Without receiving largesse from the best of givers.

**11.** لاَ تُنْكِرِ الْوَحْيَ مِنْ رُؤْيَاهُ إِنَّ لَهُ / قَلْبًا إِذَا نَامَتِ العَيْنَانِ لَمْ يَنَمِ

_Lā tunkiril waḥya min ruʾyāhu inna lahu / Qalban idhā nāmatil ʿaynāni lam yanami_

Do not deny the revelations he received in his dreams;
For though his eyes slept, he had a heart that slept not.

**12.** وَذَاكَ حِينَ بُلُوغٍ مِنْ نُبَوَّتِهِ / فَلَيْسَ يُنْكَرُ فِيهِ حَالُ مُحْتَلِمِ

_Wa dhāka ḥīna bulūghin min nubuwwatihi / Fa laysa yunkaru fīhi ḥālu muḥtalimi_

That was when he attained his Prophetic status;
the night dreams of mature men cannot be denied!

**13.** تَبَارَكَ اللهُ مَا وَحَيٌ بِمُكْتَسَبٍ / وَلاَ نَبيُّ عَلَى غَيْبٍ بِمُتَّهَمِ

_Tabārak Allahu mā waḥyun bi muktasabin / Wa lā nabiyyun ʿalā ghaybin bi muttahami_

Blessed is Allah! Revelation is not something acquired!
Nor can a Prophet’s knowledge of the Unseen be deemed suspect.

**14.** كَمْ أَبْرَأَتْ وَصِبًا بِاللَّمْسِ رَاحَتُهُ / وَأَطْلَقَتْ أَرِبًا مِنْ رِبْقَةِ اللَّمَمِ

_Kam abraʾat waṣiban bil lamsi rāḥatuhu / Wa aṭlaqat ariban min ribqatil lamami_

How many sick people were healed by the touch of his hand;
how many released from the tight knots of madness!

**15.** وَأَحْيَتِ السَّنَةَ الشَّهْبَاءَ دَعْوَتُهُ / حَتَّى حَكَتْ غُرَّةً فِي الأَعْصُرِ الدُّهُمِ

_Wa aḥyatis sanatash shahbāʾa daʿwatuhu / Ḥattā ḥakat ghurratan fīl aʿṣurid duhumi_

His supplication brought life to a grey year [of drought] –
Marked it out from dark years like [a horse’s] white blaze.

**16.** بِعَارضٍ جَادَ أَوْ خِلْتَ البِطَاحَ بِهَا / سَيْبًا مِنَ اليَمِّ أَوْ سَيْلاً مِنَ العَرِمِ

_Bi ʿāriḍin jāda aw khiltal biṭāḥa bihā / Sayban minal yammi aw saylan minal ʿarimi_

With generous rainclouds, so much that you would have thought
That the valleys flowed with sea water or the flood of ʿArim.

Source: https://qasaaid.zayfir.app/app/qasaaid/691c712ac9a45b73e98077a8/book/691c7161c9a45b73e98077db/chapter/691c723cc9a45b73e98077f7