Harfuz Zaa · حرف الظاء

ظَفِرْنَا بِسِرٍّ قَبْلَنَا لَيْـــــسَ يُحْفَـــــظُ
فَبَحْرُ رَسُـــولِ اللّٰهِ بِالسِّـــرِّ يَلْفِـــظُ

Ẓafirnā bi-sirrin qablanā laysa yuḥfaẓu
Fa-baḥru Rasūli Allāhi bis-sirri yalfiẓu

We have triumphed with a Secret that was not preserved (manifested) before us, for the Ocean of the Messenger of Allah is now casting forth that Secret.

وَقَدْ عَلِمَ الْأَقْوَامُ أَنِّي خَدِيمُهُ
الْمُتَيَّمُ شَوْقًا وُدَّهُ الدَّهْرَ أَحْفَظُ

Wa-qad ‘alima al-aqwāmu annī khadīmuhu
Al-mutayyamu shawqan wuddahu ad-dahra aḥfaẓu

All people have come to know that I am his servant—one enslaved by longing, guarding his love for all eternity.

شُغِفْتُ بِحُبِّ الْـهَاشِمِيِّ وَإِنَّمَـــا
أَخَالُ سَفِيهًا مَنْ سِوَاهُ يُقَـــــرِّظُ

Shughiftu bi-ḥubbi al-Hāshimiyyi wa-innamā
Akhālu safīhan man siwāhu yuqarriẓu

I am infatuated with the love of the Hashimite, and indeed, I consider him a fool who offers his praises to anyone else.

فَلَيْسَ كَرِيمٌ يُرْتَجَى غَيْرُ أَحْمَدٍ
وَلَيْسَ مَلِيحًا مَا سِوَاهُ فَيُلْفَــظُ

Fa-laysa karīmun yurtajā ghayru Aḥmadin
Wa-laysa malīḥan mā siwāhu fa-yulfaẓu

There is no generous one to be hoped in besides Ahmad, and there is nothing beautiful besides him worth mentioning.

وَمَاذَا عَلَى بَرْهَامَ تَـــامَ بِحُبِّـــهِ
كَرِيمٌ جَمِيلُ الْخُلْقِ مَا قَطُّ يُغْلِظُ

Wa-mādhā ‘alā Barhāma tāma bi-ḥubbihi
Karīmun jamīlu al-khulqi mā qaṭṭu yughliẓu

And what is there to blame Barham for, when he is lost in the love of one so noble and beautiful in character, who was never harsh?

فَلَيْسَ عَلَىَّ اللَّوْمُ فِي ذِكْرِ وَصْفِهِ
وَإِنْ كُنْتُ لاَ أُغْنِي فَتِيلاً أُقَــرِّظُ

Fa-laysa ‘alayya al-lawmu fī dhikri waṣfihi
Wa-in kuntu lā ughnī fatīlan uqarriẓu

No blame can fall on me for mentioning his attributes, even if my praises cannot add even a fiber's worth to his actual worth.

فَذِكْرِي لَهُ إِكْسِيرُ كُـــلِّ سَعَـــادَةٍ
عَلَيْهِ صَلاَةٌ آخِرَ الدَّهْرِ تُحْفَـــــظُ

Fa-dhikrī lahu iksīru kulli sa‘ādatin
‘Alayhi ṣalātun ākhira ad-dahri tuḥfaẓu

My remembrance of him is the elixir of all happiness; upon him be a prayer that is preserved until the end of time.

عَلَيْـــهِ صَــــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُــمَّ سَلاَمُـــــهُ
بِهَا أَرْتَقِي فِي الْحُبِّ وَالْمَدْحَ أَحْفَظُ

‘Alayhi ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Bihā artaqī fī al-ḥubbi wal-madḥa aḥfaẓu

Upon him be the prayer of Allah and then His peace, through which I ascend in love while preserving my songs of praise.

عَلَيْهِ صَـــــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُــــمَّ سَلاَمُــــهُ
لِأَبْقَـى خَدِيمًـــــا بِالثَّنَـــا أَتَلَفَّـــــظُ

‘Alayhi ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Li-abqā khadīman bith-thanā atalaffaẓu

Upon him be the prayer of Allah and then His peace, so that I may remain a servant forever uttering his eulogies.

عَلَيْهِ مَعَ الْآلِ الْكِرَامِ وَصَحْبِــــهِ
صَلاَةٌ وَتَسْلِيمٌ مَدَى الْدَّهْرِ تُحْفَظُ

‘Alayhi ma‘a al-āli al-kirāmi wa-ṣaḥbihi
Ṣalātun wa-taslīmun madā ad-dahri tuḥfaẓu

Upon him, along with the noble family and his companions, be a prayer and salutation preserved throughout the ages.