Harfuz Zaayi · حرف الزاي

زَمَمْتُ رِكَابَ الشَّوْقِ أَنْحُو الْمُجَمَّعَا
بِهِ جَمَــــــعَ اللّٰهُ الْمَفَاخِـــرَ أَجْمَعَـــا

Zamamtu rikāba al-shawqi anḥu al-mujamma‘ā
Bihi jama‘a Allāhu al-mafākhira ajma‘ā

I have tightened the reins of my longing to head toward the one in whom Allah has gathered all points of pride together.

خَرَجْتُ بِهِ مِنْ كُلِّ ضِيقٍ وَشِدَّةٍ
دَخَلْتُ بِهِ حِصْنًا حَصِينًا مُمَنَّعَــا

Kharajtu bihi min kulli ḍīqin wa shiddatin
Dakhaltu bihi ḥiṣnan ḥaṣīnan mumanna‘ā

Through him, I emerged from every constriction and hardship, and through him, I entered a fortified, impregnable fortress.

نَبِيٌّ عَظِيمُ الْقَدْرِ مِفْتَــــاحُ رَحْمَــــةٍ
بِهِ صِرْتُ عَيْنَ الْجَيْشِ لَيْثًا مُدَرَّعَا

Nabiyyun ‘aẓīmu al-qadri miftāḥu raḥmatin
Bihi ṣirtu ‘ayna al-jayshi laythan mudarra‘ā

A Prophet of magnificent worth and a key to mercy; through him, I became the vanguard of the army, a lion clad in armor.

لِسَانِيَ ذِكْرُ الْمُصْطَفَى سَيَنَالُــــهُ
مَدِيحٌ ذَكِيُّ الْعَرْفِ دَهْرًا مُشَيَّعَــا

Lisānī dhikru al-muṣṭafā sayanāluhu
Madīḥun dhakiyyu al-‘arfi dahran mushayya‘ā

My tongue is the remembrance of the Chosen One; he shall receive my praises, which waft like pure fragrance throughout the ages.

سَأَخْدُمُهُ فِي كُلِّ وَقْتٍ وَبُرْهَةٍ
إِلَى اللّٰهِ شُكْرًا مُنْشِدًا وَمُقَطِّعَا

Sa’akhdumuhu fī kulli waqtin wa burhatin
Ilā Allāhi shukran munshidan wa muqaṭṭi‘ā

I shall serve him at every time and every moment, out of gratitude to Allah, chanting and composing poetry.

لِأَنِّي مَتَى أَلْزَمْتُ فِكْرِيَ مَدْحَهُ
خَلَصْتُ مِنَ الْآثَامِ أَجْمَعَ أَكْتَعَا

Li-annī matā alzamtu fikriya madḥahu
Khalashtu mina al-āthāmi ajma‘a akta‘ā

For whenever I occupy my thoughts with his praise, I am purified of all sins, every single one of them.

خَلَصْتُ مِنَ الْإِشْرَاكِ وَالشَّكِّ وَالْوَنَى
إِلَى جَنَّةِ الْعِرْفَانِ حُــــــــرًّا مُقَنَّعَـــا

Khalashtu mina al-ishrāki wa al-shakki wa al-wanā
Ilā jannati al-‘irfāni ḥurran muqanna‘ā

I was delivered from polytheism, doubt, and lethargy into the garden of gnosis, free and content.

وَتَرْدَادُ ذِكْرِ الْمُصْطَفَى الدَّهْرَ رَاحَتِي
وَرُوحِي وَرَوْحِي سَامِعًا وَمُسَمِّعَـــا

Wa tardādu dhikri al-muṣṭafā al-dahra rāḥatī
Wa rūḥī wa rawḥī sāmi‘an wa musammi‘ā

Repeating the remembrance of the Chosen One is my lifelong comfort, my soul, and my rest, whether listening or reciting.

وَمَدْحُ سِوَى الْهَادِي الْمُقَفَّى مَذَلَّةٌ
وَمَيْنٌ فَكُلُّ الْمَـــدْحِ فِيـــهِ تَجَمَّعَـا

Wa madḥu siwā al-hādī al-muqaffā madhallatun
Wa maynun fa-kullu al-madḥi fīhi tajamma‘ā

To praise any besides the Guide, the Final Successor, is a humiliation and a lie, for all true praise is gathered in him.

فَمِنْ جُودِهِ الدُّنْيَا وَالْأُخْرَى وَعِلْمُهُ
أَمَدَّ قِلاَمَ اللَّوْحِ بَعْضُ الَّذِي وَعَــى

Fa-min jūdihi al-dunyā wa al-ukhrā wa ‘ilmuhu
Amadda qilāma al-lawḥi ba‘ḍu alladhī wa‘ā

From his generosity come this world and the next, and his knowledge provided the Pen of the Guarded Tablet with but a fraction of what he grasped.

وَمِن حُسْنِهِ حُورُ الْجِنَانِ تَزَيَّنَتْ
وَمِنْ نُورِهِ نُورُ الْبُدُورِ تَفَرَّعَـــا

Wa min ḥusnihi ḥūru al-janāni tazayyanat
Wa min nūrihi nūru al-budūri tafarra‘ā

From his beauty, the maidens of Paradise adorned themselves, and from his light, the light of the full moons branched out.

وَمِنْ آيِــــهِ آيُ النَّبِيِّــــينَ قَبْلَـــهُ
فَلَيْسَ سِوَى الْمُخْتَارِ خَفَّضَ رَفَّعَا

Wa min āyihi āyu al-nabiyyīna qablahu
Fa-laysa siwā al-mukhtāri khaffaḍa rafa‘ā

From his signs come the signs of the Prophets before him; none but the Chosen One is the true arbiter of lowering or elevating.

فَكَنْزُ الْبَرَايَا وَهْوَ سِـرُّ إِلَـهِــــهِ
فَلَوْلاَهُ لاَ تُلْفِي عَرِيبًا تَمَتَّعَـــــا

Fa-kanzu al-barāyā wa huwa sirru Ilāhihi
Fa-lawlāhu lā tulfī ‘arīban tamatta‘ā

He is the treasure of all creation and the secret of his Lord; were it not for him, you would not find a single soul enjoying life.

أَأَذْكُرُ حَاجَاتِي أَمْ أَسْكُتُ سَيِّــــدِي
عَلَيْكَ صَلاَةُ اللّٰهِ وَالصَّحْبِ أَجْمَعَا

A’adhkuru ḥājātī am askutu sayyidī?
‘Alayka ṣalātu Allāhi wa al-ṣaḥbi ajma‘ā

Shall I mention my needs or remain silent, my Master? Upon you be the blessings of Allah and upon all the companions.