Harfur Raa · حَرْفُ الرَّاءِ

رُسُومِـــيَ أَمْــدَاحُ النَّبِيِّ وَلاَ فَخْـــرَا
فَمَا فِي سِوَى مَدْحِي لَهُ أَنْسِجُ الشِّعْرَا

Rusūmiya amdāḥu al-nabiyyi wa-lā fakhrā
Famā fī siwā madḥī lahu ansiju al-shi‘rā

My characteristics are the praises of the Prophet—and I do not say this out of pride; for I weave no poetry except in his praise.

رَفَضْــــتُ جَمِيعَ الشِّعْـــرِ غَيْرَ مَدِيحِــهِ
سِوَى دَعْوَةِ الْمَوْلَى أَوْ أَنْ أَقْصِدَ الذِّكْرَا

Rafaḍtu jamī‘a al-shi‘ri ghayra madīḥihi
Siwā da‘wati al-Mawlā aw an aqṣida al-dhikrā

I have rejected all poetry except for his odes, save for calling upon the Master or intending His remembrance.

رَجَعْـــــتُ إِلَـــى الْمَوْلَى بِأَحْمَــدَ عَاشِقًــا
وَأَمْسَيْتُ مِنْ مَدْحِ النَّبِي أَعْتَلِي الشِّعْرَى

Raja‘tu ila al-Mawlā bi-Aḥmada ‘āshiqan
Wa-amsaytu min madḥi al-nabiyyi a‘talī al-Shi‘rā

I have returned to the Master through Ahmad as a lover; and through the Prophet's praise, I have risen above the star of Sirius (al-Shi'ra).

رَقِيتُ ذُرَى الْعِرْفَــــانِ فِي الْعِلْـمِ فَائِقًــا
وَرُضْتُ عَوِيصَاتِ الْعُلُومِ وَلاَ فَخْرَا

Raqītu dhura al-‘irfāni fī al-‘ilmi fā’iqan
Wa-ruḍtu ‘awīṣāti al-‘ulūmi wa-lā fakhrā

I have ascended the peaks of Gnosis, excelling in knowledge, and I have tamed the most difficult of sciences—and I do not say this out of pride.

رَأَيْـــــتُ رَسُــــولَ اللّٰهِ جَـــادَ بِبُغْيَتِــي
وَمَا غَابَ عَنِّي الدَّهْرَ بَرًّا وَلاَ بَحْرَا

Ra’aytu Rasūla Allāhi jāda bi-bughyatī
Wa-mā ghāba ‘annī al-dahra bar-ran wa-lā baḥrā

I have seen that the Messenger of Allah granted me my desire; he has never been absent from me, whether on land or at sea.

رَفَعْتُ لِوَاءَ الذِّكْــــرِ وَالْمَدْحِ غَارِقًــا
بِبَحْرِ حَبِيبِي حَيْــثُ أَلْـهَـمَنِي الذِّكْــرَا

Rafa‘tu liwā’a al-dhikri wal-madḥi ghāriqan
Bi-baḥri ḥabībī ḥaythu alhamaniya al-dhikrā

I have raised the banner of remembrance and praise, drowning in the sea of my Beloved, where he inspired me with his mention.

رِمَاحِي وَأَسْيَافِـــي النَّبِي وَكِنَانَتِـــي
وَأَرْمِي بِهِ وَجْهَ الَّذِي يَقْصِدُ الضُّــرَّا

Rimāḥī wa-asyāfī al-nabiyyu wa-kinānatī
Wa-armī bi-hi wajha al-ladhī yaqṣidu al-ḍur-rā

My spears, my swords, and my quiver are the Prophet; and through him, I strike the face of whoever intends me harm.

رَمَيْتُ بِـــهِ فِي عَيْنِهِــــمْ وَنُحُورِهِــمْ
وَقَدْ سُلِبُوا مِنْ عِزِّهِمْ عُوِّضُوا فَقْــرَا

Ramaytu bi-hi fī ‘aynihim wa-nuḥūrihim
Wa-qad sulibū min ‘izzihim ‘ūwiḍū faqrā

Through him, I have struck their eyes and their throats; they were stripped of their might and given poverty in exchange.

رَمَوْنِي وَمَا نَالُوا مُـــرَادًا وَإِنَّنِــي
بِذِكْرِ رَسُــــلِ اللّٰهِ أَقْتُلُهُــــمْ صَبْــرَا

Ramawnī wa-mā nālū murādan wa-innanī
Bi-dhikri rasuli Allāhi aqtuluhum ṣabrā

They shot at me but achieved nothing; for indeed, through the remembrance of the Messenger of Allah, I defeat them with steadfastness.

عَلَيْـــــهِ صَـــــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُـــهُ
لِيَأْخُذَ لِي ثَأْرِي وَلَمْ أَكْتَسِــبْ وِزْرَا

‘Alayhi ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Li-ya’khudha lī tha’rī wa-lam aktasib wizrā

Upon him be the prayer of Allah and then His peace, that he may take my revenge for me while I incur no sin.

عَلَيْـــــــهِ صَــــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُــــمَّ سَلاَمُـــهُ
أَسُوسُ بِهَا قَرْنِي لِمَا يُصْلِحُ الْأُخْرَى

‘Alayhi ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Asūsu bihā qarnī limā yuṣliḥu al-ukhrā

Upon him be the prayer of Allah and then His peace; through it, I lead my generation toward what is best for the Hereafter.

عَلَيْـــــــهِ صَـــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُـــهُ
صَلاَةً بِهَا تَسْقِي الْبَسَاتِينَ وَالنَّهْـــرَا

‘Alayhi ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Ṣalātan bihā tasqī al-basātīna wal-nahrā

Upon him be the prayer of Allah and then His peace; a prayer that waters the gardens and the river.

عَلَيْــــــهِ صَــــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
تُدِيمُ لَنَا الْعَلْيَاءَ وَالْمَجْـــــدَ والسَّتْــرَا

‘Alayhi ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Tudīmu lanā al-‘alyā’a wal-majda wal-satrā

Upon him be the prayer of Allah and then His peace; perpetuating for us high standing, glory, and protection.

عَلَيْـــــــــهِ صَـــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُــــمَّ سَلاَمُـــهُ
صَلاَةً بِهَا تُشْكِي الشِّكَايَاتِ لِي الدَّهْرَا

‘Alayhi ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Ṣalātan bihā tushkī al-shikāyāti liya al-dahrā

Upon him be the prayer of Allah and then His peace; a prayer through which the complaints of the age are silenced for me.

عَلَيْـــــــــهِ صَــــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُـــهُ
لِيَقْبَــلَ خَيْــرُ الْخَلْــــقِ نَظْمِيَ وَالنَّثْــرَا

‘Alayhi ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Li-yaqbala khayru al-khalqi naẓmiya wal-nathrā

Upon him be the prayer of Allah and then His peace; may the Best of Creation accept my poetry and my prose.

عَلَيْــــــــــهِ صَـــــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
لِتَمْحُوَ بِي الْإِضْلاَلَ وَالشِّرْكَ وَالْكُفْـرَا

‘Alayhi ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Li-tamḥuwa bī al-iḍlāla wal-shirka wal-kufrā

Upon him be the prayer of Allah and then His peace; that through me, misguidance, polytheism, and disbelief may be erased.

عَلَيْـــــهِ صَـــــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُــــــهُ
تُعِزُّ بِهَـــا صَحْبِـــي وَتَكْفِيهِمُ الشَّـــرَّا

‘Alayhi ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Tu‘izzu bihā ṣaḥbī wa-takfīhimu al-shar-rā

Upon him be the prayer of Allah and then His peace; honoring my companions and sufficing them against evil.

عَلَيْــــــــــهِ صَـــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُـــهُ
تُسَهِّلُ حَجَّ الْبَيْـــتِ وَلْتَطْوِ لِي الْقَفْــرَا

‘Alayhi ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Tusah-hilu ḥajja al-bayti wal-taṭwi liya al-qafrā

Upon him be the prayer of Allah and then His peace; making easy the Pilgrimage and folding the vast deserts for me.

عَلَيْـــــــهِ صَــــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُـــهُ
تُسَخِّــــرُ لِي كُـــلَّ الْبَرَايَــا وَلاَ فَقْــرَا

‘Alayhi ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Tusakh-khiru lī kulla al-barāyā wa-lā faqrā

Upon him be the prayer of Allah and then His peace; subjecting all of creation to me, and leaving no poverty.

عَلَيْــــــــهِ صَــــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
وَآلٍ وَأَصْحَابٍ هُمُ الدَّوْلَةُ الْكُبْــرَى

‘Alayhi ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Wa-ālin wa-asḥābin humu al-dawlatu al-kubrā

Upon him be the prayer of Allah and then His peace, and upon the family and companions—they are the Supreme State.