Al-Aliful Maqsoora · الألف المقصورة

أَلاَ حَيِّ طَـــلاًّ بِالْمُنَقَّـــى الَّـذِي حَــوَى
جِوَارَ الَّذِي تَهْوَى وَصَرِّحْ بِمَنْ تَهْوَى

Alā ḥayyi ṭallan bi-l-Munaqqā alladhī ḥawā
jiwāra alladhī tahwā wa-ṣarriḥ bi-man tahwā

O, greet the remains at Al-Munaqqa, which contains the neighborhood of the one you love, and declare openly who it is you love!

حَبِيبِي رَسُــــــــولُ اللّٰهِ أَحْمَـــدُ سَيِّــدِي
مُقَفًّى أَمِينٌ وَهْوَ فِي الرُّسْــلِ مُصْطَفَـى

Ḥabībī Rasūlu Allāhi Aḥmadu sayyidī
muqaffan amīnun wa-huwa fī al-rusli Muṣṭafā

My beloved is the Messenger of Allah, Ahmad, my master; the one who followed the prophets, the Trustworthy, the Chosen among the messengers.

نَـبِيٌّ مِــــــنَ الْمَـــوْلَى وَآدَمُ طِينَـــــةٌ
وَمَاءٌ فَلاَ يُلْفَى لِأَحْمَــدَ مِنْ شَـــرْوَى

Nabiyyun min al-Mawlā wa-Ādamu ṭīnatun
wa-mā’un falā yulfā li-Aḥmada min sharwā

He was a Prophet from the Lord while Adam was yet between clay and water; thus, no equal can ever be found for Ahmad.

فَتِيــبَ عَلَيْــــــهِ إِذْ تَوَسَّـــــلَ بِالْحَبِــــ
ــبِ حِبِّيَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ يَاسِينُ مُرْتَضَى

Fa-tība ʿalayhi idh tawassala bi-l-ḥabī-
-bi ḥibbī khayri al-khalqi Yāsīnu murtaḍā

Adam was forgiven when he sought intercession through the Beloved—my love, the best of creation, Yasin, the Well-Pleasing.

فَمَا زَالَ أَهْـــلُ الْحَـــقِّ ذَلِــكَ نَهْجُهُــمْ
أَبُــو بَشَـــرٍ نَقْفُــــو طَرِيقَتَــهُ الْمُثْلَــى

Famā zāla ahlu al-ḥaqqi dhālika nahjuhum
Abū Basharin naqfū ṭarīqatahu al-muthlā

The people of Truth have never ceased following that path; we follow the exemplary way of the Father of Mankind (Adam).

أَلاَ يَا رَسُــــولَ اللّٰهِ فَارْفَــعْ شِكَايَتِــي
لِمَوْلاَكَ أَنْــتَ الْقَـرْمُ خَيْـرُكَ يُرْتَجَـى

Alā yā Rasūla Allāhi fa-rfaʿ shikāyatī
li-Mawlāka anta al-qarmu khayruka yurtajā

O Messenger of Allah, raise my complaint to your Lord! You are the noble leader whose goodness is ever-hoped for.

فَإِنِّـــــي فَقِيـــرٌ ضَـــارِعٌ عِنْــــدَ بَابِــكَ
الْعَظِيمِ وَأَرْجُو الْفَيْضَ وَالْفَضْلَ وَالْجَدَا

Fa-innī faqīrun ḍāriʿun ʿinda bābika
al-ʿaẓīmi wa-arjū al-fayḍa wa-l-faḍla wa-l-jadā

For I am a poor, humble supplicant at your great door, hoping for the spiritual overflow, grace, and bounty.

وَمَا أَنَــــا مِنْكُــــمْ رَاضِيًــــا بِسِوَاكُـــمُ
فَكُـنْ لِـيَ يَـا مَحْمُـــودُ كُــنْ لِيَ مُنْتَقَــى

Wamā ana minkum rāḍiyan bi-siwākumu
fakun liyā yā Maḥmūdu kun liyā muntaqā

I am not satisfied with anyone from you except you yourself; so be for me, O Praised One (Mahmud), be for me a chosen protector.

وَهَبْ لِي مَقَامًــــا قَــدْ تَقَاصَــرَ دُونَــهُ
أَكَابِـــرُ أَقْطَــابِ الْفُحُــولِ مِـــنَ الْوَرَى

Wa-hab lī maqāman qad taqāṣara dūnahu
akābiru aqṭābi al-fuḥūli min al-warā

And grant me a spiritual station before which even the greatest of the supreme saints (Aqtab) fall short.

بِلاَ سَبَبٍ مِنِّــــي مُعَافًـــى وَمُصْطَفًــى
مُبَـــارَكَ نَسْـــلٍ مُهْتَدِيـــنَ ذَوِي غِنَــى

Bilā sababin minnī muʿāfan wa-muṣṭafan
mubāraka naslin muhtadīna dhawī ghinā

Granted without any merit of my own, in a state of well-being and being chosen, with a blessed progeny, guided and wealthy.

مَصُونًا عَنِ الْأَعْدَاءِ شَاهَتْ وُجُوهُهُــمْ
وَمَحْمُودَ أَفْعَـــالٍ كَرِيمًا عَلَـى الْعَطَــا

Maṣūnan ʿan al-aʿdā’i shāhat wujūhuhum
wa-maḥmūda afʿālin karīman ʿala al-ʿaṭā

Protected from enemies—may their faces be blackened—praiseworthy in deeds, and generous in giving.

بِجَــاهِ رَسُـــولِ اللّٰهِ أَحْمَـــدَ نَاصِـــرِي
وَفَاتِــحِ أَغْــلاَقِ الْوَلاَ لِمَــنِ اهْتَـــدَى

Bi-jāhi Rasūli Allāhi Aḥmada nāṣirī
wa-fātiḥi aghlāqi al-walā liman ihtadā

By the rank of the Messenger of Allah, Ahmad, my helper, the opener of the locks of saintly intimacy for those who are guided.

عَلَيْــــــهِ صَــــــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُـــهُ
صَلاَةً تُرَقِّينَـــا عَلَــــى كُـــلِّ مُعْتَلَـــى

ʿAlayhi ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
ṣalātan turaqqīnā ʿalā kulli muʿtalā

Upon him be the blessings of Allah and then His peace—a prayer that elevates us to every lofty height.

عَلَيْــــهِ صَــــــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــــمَّ سَلاَمُـــهُ
وَأَبْقَى خَدِيمًـا لِلْأَمِيـــنِ وَمُحْتَظَـــى

ʿAlayhi ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
wa-abqā khadīman lil-Amīni wa-muḥtaẓā

Upon him be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; may I remain a servant of the Trustworthy One and one who enjoys his favor.

عَلَيْـــــهِ صَــــــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُــــمَّ سَلاَمُـــهُ
مَعَ الْآلِ وَالصَّحْبِ الْكِرَامِ ذَوِي الْعُلَى

ʿAlayhi ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
maʿa al-āli wa-l-ṣaḥbi al-kirāmi dhawī al-ʿulā

Upon him be the blessings of Allah and then His peace, along with the Family and the noble, exalted Companions.