Harfuth Thaa · حَرْفُ الثَّاءِ

ثَنَائِي رَسُـــــولَ اللّٰهِ دَهْرِيَ أُحْــدِثُ
وَذَلِكَ عَهْـــــدٌ دَائِمًا لَسْـــتُ أَنْكُــثُ

Thanā’ī Rasūla Allāhi dahrī uḥ-dithu
Wa-dhālika ‘ahdun dā’iman lastu ankuthu

I renew my praise of the Messenger of Allah throughout time, and that is a lasting covenant I shall never break.

بِقَبْضٍ وَبَسْطٍ لاَ أُعَمِّلُ فِكْرَتِــي
لِمَدْحِ سِوَى الْمَاحِي بِذَا أَتَحَنَّــثُ

Bi-qab-ḍin wa-bas-ṭin lā u‘ammilu fikratī
Li-mad-ḥi siwā al-Māḥī bi-dhā ata-ḥannathu

In states of spiritual contraction and expansion, I do not employ my thoughts for the praise of anyone but the Eraser; in this, I perform my devotion.

وَمَا لِيَ زَادٌ فِــــي الْمَعَــادِ سِــوَاؤُهُ
فَلَيْتِي بِقَلْبِي رُوحُكَ الْقُدْسُ يَنْفُـــثُ

Wa-mā liya zādun fī al-ma‘ādi siwā’uhu
Fa-laytī bi-qalbī rūḥuka al-qud-su yan-futhu

I have no provision for the Return (Hereafter) other than him; so I wish that your Holy Spirit would breathe into my heart.

أَلاَ يَا رَسُولَ اللّٰهِ فَارْثِ لِحَالَتِـــي
خَدِيمٌ عَلَى سَــرْدِ الْمَدَائِـحِ يَمْكُـثُ

Alā yā Rasūla Allāhi far-thi li-ḥālatī
Khadīmun ‘ala sar-di al-madā’iḥi yam-kuthu

O Messenger of Allah, have pity on my condition; a servant who remains occupied in the continuous flow of odes.

يُزَاحِــمُ حَسَّانًا وَكَعْبًـــا لِمَدْحِكُــمْ
فَلَيْتِي أُرَى فِـــــي سِلْكِهِــمْ فَأُثَلِّــثُ

Yuzā-ḥimu Ḥassānan wa-Ka‘ban li-mad-ḥikum
Fa-laytī urā fī silkihim fa-uthallithu

He vies with Hassan and Ka'b in your praise; would that I be seen in their chain, making them a trio.

عَلَى عَرَجِي خَلْـــفَ الْجِيَادِ مُخَلَّفًــا
فَلَمْ أَرْضَ بِالسَّفْسَافِ وَقْتِيَ أُجْــدَثُ

‘Ala ‘arajī khal-fa al-jiyādi mukhal-lafan
Fal-am ar-ḍa bis-saf-sāfi waq-tiya uj-dathu

Despite my lameness, following behind the swift steeds and left behind—I have never been satisfied with trivialities while my time is passing.

وَأَنْتَ كَرِيـــمٌ جَابِـــرٌ ذُو مَكَانَــةٍ
أَغِثْنِي وَتُغْنِينِـــي فَفِيـــكَ أُحَــدِّثُ

Wa-anta karīmun jābirun dhū makānatin
Aghith-nī wa-tugh-nīnī fa-fīka uḥad-dithu

And you are generous, a mender of hearts, possessing high standing; aid me and make me independent, for it is of you that I speak.

عَلَيْــــكَ صَـــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
فَفِيكَ تِجَارَاتِي بِمَدْحِــــكَ أَحْــرُثُ

‘Alayka ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Fa-fīka tijārātī bi-mad-ḥika aḥ-ruthu

Upon you be the prayer of Allah and then His peace; for in you is my commerce, and through your praise, I plow [my fields].

عَلَيْـــكَ صَــــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
أَكُونُ خَدِيمًا عَهْدَهُ لَيْــسَ يَنْكُــثُ

‘Alayka ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Akūnu khadīman ‘ahdahu laysa yan-kuthu

Upon you be the prayer of Allah and then His peace; that I may be a servant whose covenant is never broken.

عَلَيْكَ صَــــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُــــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
وَآلٍ وَصَحْبٍ بَلَّغُوا وَتَحَدَّثُـــوا

‘Alayka ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Wa-ālin wa-ṣaḥbin bal-laghū wa-ta-ḥaddathū

Upon you be the prayer of Allah and then His peace, and upon the family and companions who conveyed and spoke.