Harful Baa · حَرْفُ الْبَاءِ

بَدَا لِيَ أَنَّ الْمُصْطَفَى الدَّهْرَ مُرْشِدِي
وَمَهْمَا يَكُنْ أَمْـــــرٌ فَذَلِــكَ مَسْنَــدِي

Badā liya anna al-Muṣṭafā al-dahra murshidī
Wa-mahmā yakun amrun fa-dhālika masnadī

It has become clear to me that the Chosen One is forever my guide; and whatever the matter may be, he is my support.

فَغَــوْثٌ وَغَيْــــثٌ مُنْجِـــدٌ وَمُكَــرَّمٌ
وَمَأْوًى لِعَافٍ وَهْوَ كَهْفِي وَصِنْدِدِي

Fa-ghawthun wa-ghaythun munjidun wa-mukarramun
Wa-ma’wan li-‘āfin wa-huwa kahfī wa-ṣindidī

He is succor and rain, a helper and honored one; a shelter for the seeker, he is my cave and my champion.

بَدَا وَبِقَاعُ الْأَرْضِ ظُلْمٌ وَظُلْمَةٌ
فَأَشْرَقَتِ الْأَرْجَا بِطَلْعَـــةِ أَحْمَــدِ

Badā wa-biqā‘u al-arḍi ẓulmun wa-ẓulmatun
Fa-ashraqati al-arjā bi-ṭal‘ati Aḥmadi

He appeared when the regions of the earth were filled with injustice and darkness; then the horizons shone with the dawning of Ahmad.

وَهَــذَا أَوَانُ الْخَيْرِ مِنْكَ فَإِنَّهُ
تَلاَطُمُ أَمْــــوَاجٍ لِشَــرٍّ مُمَهَّــدِ

Wa-hādha awānu al-khayri minka fa-innahu
Talāṭumu amwājin li-sharrin mumah-hadi

And this is the time for goodness from you, for indeed there is a clashing of waves of prepared evil.

فَهَلْ لَكَ أَنْ تُسْــــــدِي إِلَيْنَا كَرَامَــةً
تُجِيرُ عُقُولَ الْكُلِّ يَا خَيْــرَ مُنْجِــدِ

Fa-hal laka an tusdiya ilaynā karāmatan
Tujīru ‘uqūla al-kulli yā khayra munjidi

Would you then bestow upon us a miracle that protects the intellects of all, O best of helpers?

فَإِنْ تُولِنِي مِنْكَ الْجَمِيــلَ فَأَهْلُــهُ
وَإِنْ لَمْ أَكُنْ أَهْلاً فَإِنَّكَ مَقْصَدِي

Fa-in tūlinī minka al-jamīla fa-ahluhu
Wa-in lam akun ahlan fa-innaka maqṣadī

If you grant me beautiful favor from you, then you are its worthy source; and even if I am not worthy, you are still my destination.

وَمِنْكَ رَسُــــولَ اللّٰهِ نَالَ خِلاَفَــةً
أَبُو الْبَشَرِ الْأَسْمَى أَبُو كُلِّ مُرْشِدِ

Wa-minka Rasūla Allāhi nāla khilāfatan
Abū al-bashari al-asmā abū kulli murshidi

From you, O Messenger of Allah, did the supreme Father of Humanity (Adam) and the father of every guide attain succession.

وَمِنْكَ خَلِيلٌ وَالنَّجِيُّ وَرُوحُهُمْ
أُنِيلُوا مَقَامَاتٍ عَلَى كُـــلِّ سَيِّــدِ

Wa-minka Khalīlun wan-najiyyu wa-rūḥuhum
Unīlū maqāmātin ‘alā kulli sayyidi

From you, the Intimate Friend (Abraham), the Confidant (Moses), and the Spirit (Jesus) were granted stations above every master.

كَذَا يَشْكُرٌ مِنْ قَبْلِـهِـمْ وَسِوَاهُمُ
وَمِنْكَ سُلَيْمَانٌ حَوَى كُلَّ سُؤْدَدِ

Kadhā Yashkurun min qablihim wa-siwāhumu
Wa-minka Sulaymānu ḥawā kulla su’dadi

Likewise, Yashkur before them and others besides; and from you, Solomon encompassed all sovereignty.

وَمِنْكَ أَرُومُ الْفَوْزَ وَالْفَضْلَ وَالْجَدَا
عَلَى رَغْمِ أَنْفٍ مِـنْ شُنَاةٍ وَحُسَّــدِ

Wa-minka arūmu al-fawza wal-faḍla wal-jadā
‘Alā raghmi anfin min shunātin wa-ḥussadi

From you, I seek victory, grace, and bounty, despite the defiance of haters and enviers.

وَإِنَّ مُـــرَادِي أَنْ أَنَــــالَ خِلاَفَـةً
عَلَى وَفْقِ مَا أَهْوَى بِجَاهِ مُحَمَّــــدِ

Wa-inna murādī an anāla khilāfatan
‘Alā wafqi mā ahwā bi-jāhi Muḥammadi

Indeed, my desire is to attain a succession according to what I love, through the high standing of Muhammad.

بِلاَ سَبَبٍ مِنِّي مُعَافًى وَمُصْطَفًى
خَبِيرًا بَصِيرًا هَادِيًا كُـــلَّ مُهْتَــدِ

Bilā sababin minnī mu‘āfan wa-muṣṭafan
Khabīran baṣīran hādiyan kulla muhtadi

Without any effort on my part—being pardoned and chosen—an expert, a seer, guiding every rightly-guided person.

وَأَقْضِي لِكُلِّ الْأَوْلِيَاءِ مُرَادَهُــــمْ
بِلاَ كُلْفَةٍ فِي كُلِّ غَيْـــبٍ وَمَشْهَـدِ

Wa-aqḍī li-kulli al-awliyā’i murādahum
Bilā kulfatin fī kulli ghaybin wa-mash-hadi

That I may fulfill for all the saints their desires, without any burden, in every hidden and manifest realm.

وَأَهْدِي الْإِمَامَ الْمَهْدِيَ الْخَتْمَ مُرْشِدًا
لَهُ كُلَّ وَقْــــتٍ فِي مَجَــالٍ وَمَرْقَــدِ

Wa-ahdī al-imāma al-mahdiyya al-khatma murshidan
Lahu kulla waqtin fī majālin wa-marqadi

And that I may guide the Imam Mahdi, the Seal, as a mentor for him at all times, in every field and in his place of rest.

بِذَاتِكَ يَا رَبِّـــي بِسِـــرِّ صِفَاتِــهِ
وَنُورِكَ يَا رَبِّي أَبِي كُلِّ مَحْتِــدِ

Bi-dhātika yā rabbī bi-sirri ṣifātihi
Wa-nūrika yā rabbī abī kulli maḥtidi

By Your Essence, O my Lord, by the secret of his attributes; and by Your Light, O my Lord, the source of every noble lineage.

عَلَيْــــهِ صَـــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُــمَّ سَلاَمُـــهُ
مَعَ الْآلِ وَالصَّحْبِ الْكِرَامِ وَأَحْمَدِ

‘Alayhi ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Ma‘a al-āli wal-ṣaḥbi al-kirāmi wa-Aḥmadi

Upon him be the prayer of Allah and then His peace, along with the family, the noble companions, and Ahmad.