Harful Laami · حرف اللام

لَئِنْ صَدَّنِي عَنْ قَبْرِ أَحْمَدَ سَرْبَــــخُ
فَمَا صَدَّنِي عَنْ شَوْقِهِ الدَّهْرَ فَرْسَخُ

La’in saddanī ‘an qabri Aḥmada sarbakh
Fa-mā saddanī ‘an shawqihi al-dahra farsakh

Even if a desolate desert bars me from the grave of Ahmad, no distance of leagues has ever barred me from longing for him.

وَمَا صَدَّنِي عَنْ ذِكْرِهِ عَذْلُ عَاذِلٍ
فَقَدْ زَادَنِي تَذْكَارَ طَــــهَ الْمُوَبِّــــخُ

Wa-mā saddanī ‘an dhikrihi ‘azlu ‘ādhilin
Faqad zādani tadhkāra Ṭāha al-muwabbikhu

The blame of the censurer has not barred me from mentioning him; rather, the one who rebukes me only increases my remembrance of Taha.

لِسَانِي وَقَلْبِي الدَّهْرَ ذِكْرُ مُحَمَّــــــدٍ
وَمَنْ حَالُهُ حَالِي مَدَى الدَّهْرِ يَشْمَخُ

Lisānī wa qalbī al-dahru dhikru Muḥammadin
Wa man ḥāluhu ḥālī madā al-dahri yashmakh

My tongue and my heart are forever occupied with the remembrance of Muhammad, and whoever's state is like mine shall remain exalted throughout time.

فَإِنَّ قَرِينَ الْمَرْءِ حَقًّا حَبِيبُــــــــهُ
وَلَوْ كَانَ بُعْدٌ بَيْنَ ذَيْنِ فَيُفْسَــــخُ

Fa-inna qarīna al-mar’i ḥaqqan ḥabībuhu
Wa law kāna bu‘du bayna dhayni fayufskh

For a person's true companion is indeed his beloved, even if there is a physical distance between them that suggests a separation.

وَإِنَّ إِلَــــهَ الْخَلْقِ أَدْرَجَ حُبَّـــــــهُ
عَلَى حُبِّ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ يَا مَنْ يُوَبِّخُ

Wa inna ilāha al-khalqi adrāja ḥubbahu
‘Alā ḥubbi khayri al-khalqi yā man yuwabbikhu

The God of creation has integrated His own love into the love of the Best of Creation, O you who rebuke me.

كَذَا طَاعَـــةُ الْـهَادِي كَطَاعَةِ رَبِّهِ
وَتَذْكَارُهُ تَذْكَارُهُ وَهْوَ مُصْـــــرِخُ

Ka-dhā ṭā‘atu al-hādī ka-ṭā‘ati rabbihi
Wa tadhkāruhu tadhkāruhu wa huwa muṣrikh

Likewise, obedience to the Guide is like obedience to his Lord, and remembering him is remembering Him, and he is a savior.

فَمَنْ بَايَعَ الْمُخْتَــــارَ فَهْوَ مُبَايِــــعٌ
لِرَبِّــــهِ إِلَــــهِ الْعَرْشِ ذَلِكَ أَشْمَخُ

Fa-man bāya‘a al-mukhtāra fahuwa mubāyi‘un
Li-rabbihi ilāhi al-‘arshi dhālika ashmakh

Whoever pledges allegiance to the Chosen One has indeed pledged allegiance to my Lord, the God of the Throne; that is the loftiest station.

كَفَانِي وِدَادُ الْخَتْمِ طَـــــــــهَ مُحَمَّدٍ
مَوَدَّتُهُ عِنْدِي مِنَ الصُّمِّ أَرْسَـــــخُ

Kafānī widādu al-khatmi Ṭāha Muḥammad
Mawaddatuhu ‘indī mina al-ṣummi arsakhu

The affection of the Seal, Taha Muhammad, is enough for me; my love for him is more firmly rooted than the solid mountains.

وَرُتْبَةُ كُلِّ الْمَادِحِيــــنَ قَصِيــــرَةٌ
عَنْ إِدْرَاكِ مَا عِنْدِي فَسَبْقِيَ يَرْسَخُ

Wa rutbatu kulli al-mādiḥīna qaṣīratun
‘An idrāki mā ‘indī fasabqiyu yarsakh

the rank of all other praisers falls short of perceiving what I possess, for my precedence in this is firmly established.

فَبَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ الْمَادِحِينَ سَرَابِـــــــخٌ
وَعُورٌ فَمَا جِيبَتْ لِمَدْحِيَ سَرْبَـــخُ

Fa-baynī wa bayna al-mādiḥīna sarābikh
Wa ‘ūrun fa-mā jībat li-madḥī sarbakh

Between me and other praisers are vast deserts and rugged terrains; no desert has been traversed that matches the depth of my praise.

فَشِعْرِيَ أَوْصَافُ الْأَمِينِ وَإِنَّهَـــــا
عَدِيمَةُ كُفْءٍ فَهْوَ أَحْمَدُ مُصْــــرِخُ

Fa-shi‘riyā awṣāfu al-amīnī wa innahā
‘Adīmatun kuf’in fahuwa Aḥmadu muṣrikh

For my poetry consists of the attributes of the Trustworthy one, and they are without equal; he is Ahmad, the one who answers the cry for help.

صَلاَةٌ وَتَسْلِيمٌ عَلَى طَــــــهَ أَحْمَدٍ
وَآلٍ وَصَحْبٍ مِثْلَ طِيبٍ يُضَمَّخُ

Ṣalātun wa taslīmun ‘alā Ṭāha Aḥmadin
Wa ālin wa ṣaḥbin mithla ṭibin yuḍammakh

Blessings and peace be upon Taha Ahmad, and the family and companions, like a fragrance that is richly applied.