Harful Baa · حَرْفُ الْبَاءِ

بِسَلْعٍ إِلَى وَادِي الْعَقِيقِ كَثِيبُ
حَنَنْتُ إِلَيْهِ وَالْفُــــؤَادُ كَئِيــبُ

Bi-Sal‘in ila wādī al-‘Aqīqi kathību
Ḥanantu ilayhi wal-fu’ādu ka’ību

At the hill of Sal’ near the valley of al-Aqiq, I yearned for him while my heart was dejected.

كَئِيبٌ عَلِيلٌ مُغْــــرَمٌ وَمُتَيَّـــــمٌ
بِهِ حَفَّتِ الْأَجْنَاسُ وَهْوَ غَرِيبُ

Ka’ībun ‘alīlun mughramun wa-mutayyamun
Bihi ḥaffati al-ajnāsu wa-huwa gharību

Dejected, ill, infatuated, and captivated; surrounded by people yet remaining a stranger.

غَرِيبٌ فَلاَ شَكْلٌ يُقَاسِي شُجُونَهُ
مُحَالٌ عَلَيْهِ الْوَصْلُ وَهْوَ قَرِيبُ

Gharībun falā shaklun yuqāsī shujūnahu
Muḥālun ‘alayhi al-waṣlu wa-huwa qarību

A stranger with no peer to share his grief; union seems impossible though he is near.

قَرِيبٌ إِلَيْهِ مَا يُحِبُّ وَيَشْتَهِـــي
بَعِيدٌ عَلَيْهِ الدَّهْرَ فَهْوَ عَجِيـــبُ

Qarībun ilayhi mā yuḥibbu wa-yashtahī
Ba‘īdun ‘alayhi al-dahra fahuwa ‘ajību

What he loves and desires is close to him, yet it remains eternally far—how strange!

عَجِيبٌ كَعِيسٍ حِينَ يَقْتُلُهَا الظَّمَا
عَلَيْهَا مِيَــــاهٌ كَالْفُـــرَاتِ عَـــذُوبُ

‘Ajībun ka-‘īsin ḥīna yaqtuluhā al-ẓamā
‘Alayhā miyāhun kal-Furāti ‘adhūbu

Strange like the camels dying of thirst while carrying water as sweet as the Euphrates.

تَوَهَّمْتُ آيَاتِ النَّبِـــــــي فَعَرَفْتُـــهُ
هُوَ الْكُلُّ مِنْهُ الْكُلُّ لَيْسَ عَرِيــــبُ

Tawahhamtu āyāti al-nabiyyi fa-‘araftuhu
Huwa al-kullu minhu al-kullu laysa ‘arību

I meditated on the signs of the Prophet and knew him: He is the All, from him comes the All, there is no doubt.

فَمِنْهُ أَبُوهُ مِنْهُ مُوسَـــــــى كَلِيمُـــهُ
كَذَا الْخِلُّ قَبْلَ الرُّوحِ وَهْوَ حَبِيـبُ

Fa-minhu abūhu minhu Mūsā kalīmuhu
Kadhā al-khillu qabla al-Rūḥi wa-huwa ḥabību

From him is his father (Adam), from him is Moses the Interlocutor, and the Friend (Abraham) before the Spirit (Jesus)—he is the Beloved.

فُيُوضَاتُ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ فَاضَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ
فَسَــــــادَ الَّذِي وَافَـــاهُ مِنْهُ نَصِيـــبُ

Fuyūḍātu khayri al-khalqi fāḍat ‘alayhimu
Fa-sāda al-ladhī wāfāhu minhu naṣību

The floods of the Best of Creation overflowed upon them; thus whoever received a portion of him became a master.

وَأُنْشِدُ بَيْتًا قَالَهُ الْفَحْلُ مَادِحًـــــا
وَمُثْنِي سِوَى خَيْرِ الْأَنَامِ كَذُوبُ

Wa-unshidu baytan qālahu al-faḥlu mādiḥan
Wa-muthnī siwā khayri al-anāmi kadhūbu

I recite a verse once said by a master of praise: for anyone who praises other than the Best of Mankind is a liar.

"فَفِي كُلِّ حَيٍّ قَدْ خَبَطْتَ بِنِعْمَةٍ
فَحُقَّ لِشَأْسٍ مِنْ جَدَاكَ ذَنُــوبُ"

"Fa-fī kulli ḥayyin qad khabaṭta bi-ni‘matin
Fa-ḥuqqa li-sha’sin min jadāka dhanūbu"

"In every tribe you have bestowed a blessing; so it is only right that Shas receives a bucket of your bounty."

بِحَقِّكَ فَاشْفَعْ فِـــي فَإِنِّي مُقَيَّــــدٌ
مَعَ الْعُرْجِ خَلْفًا وَالْقُيُودُ ذُنُــــوبُ

Bi-ḥaqqika fash-fa‘ fī fa-innī muqayyadun
Ma‘a al-‘urji khalfan wal-quyūdu dhunūbu

By your right, intercede for me, for I am shackled among the lame followers, and my shackles are my sins.

فَأَنْتَ شَفِيعُ الْمُذْنِبِينَ وَغَيْرِهِمْ
فَلاَ ضَرَّنِي مَا قَدْ يَخُطُّ رَقِيبُ

Fa-anta shafī‘u al-mudhnibīna wa-ghayrihim
Falā ḍarranī mā qad yakhuṭṭu raqību

For you are the intercessor for the sinners and all others; so the records of the watcher (angel) shall not harm me.

أَ أَحْمَدُ يَا مَاحِي الضَّلاَلِ مُحَمَّدًا
وَعَاقِبُ كُلِّ الْمُرْسَلِينَ حَبِيــبُ

A-Aḥmadu yā māḥī al-ḍalāli Muḥammadan
Wa-‘āqibu kulli al-mursalīna ḥabību

O Ahmad, O Eraser of misguidance, O Muhammad, the Seal of all Messengers and the Beloved.

أَحَاشِرُ يَا طَـــهَ الْمُقَفَّى مُبَشِّــــرًا
أَجِرْ مُذْنِبًا مِمَّـــــا جَنَاهُ يَـــذُوبُ

A-ḥāshiru yā Ṭāhā al-muqaffā mubash-shiran
Ajir mudhniban mimmā janāhu yadhūbu

O Gatherer, O Taha, the Followed One, the Bringer of glad tidings; protect a sinner who is melting from his transgressions.

تَسَلَّمْ أَيَا مَحْمُودُ قَلْبِــي وَفُكَّنِـــي
عَنِ النَّفْسِ عَلِّي مِنْ سِوَاكَ أَتُوبُ

Tasallam ayā Maḥmūdu qalbī wa-fukkanī
‘An al-naf-si ‘allī min siwāka atūbu

O Mahmud, take possession of my heart and free me from my self, so that I may turn away from all but you.

قَدِ اخْتُرْتَ مِنْ مُخْتَارِ مُخْتَارِ عُرْبِهِ
أَتَحْفِرُ عَاصٍ جَــــاءَ وَهْوَ سَلِيــــبُ

Qadi-khturta min mukhtāri mukhtāri ‘urbihi
A-taḥfiru ‘āṣin jā’a wa-huwa salību

You were chosen from the elite of the elite of the Arabs; would you then rebuff a sinner who comes to you stripped of everything?

شَفَاعَتُكَ الْعُظْمَى لِمِثْلِي فَكُنْ لَنَا
شَفِيعًا فَإِنِّي الْيَوْمَ جِئْتُ أُنِيــــبُ

Shafā‘atuka al-‘uẓmā li-mithlī fakun lanā
Shafī‘an fa-innī al-yawma ji’tu unību

Your Greatest Intercession is for the likes of me, so be an intercessor for us, for today I have come repenting.

وَتَرْفَعُنِي وَلْتَرْضَ عَنِّي فَإِنْ يَكُنْ
سِوَاكَ نَصِيبٌ مَا أَتَانِي نَصِيـــبُ

Wa-tar-fa‘unī wal-tar-ḍa ‘annī fa-in yakun
Siwāka naṣībun mā atānī naṣību

Elevate me and be pleased with me; for if my portion is from other than you, I have no portion at all.

إِذَا رَضِيَ الْمُخْتَارُ عَنِّي فَلَمْ أُبَلْ
مَقَالَ وُشَاةٍ : وَيْكَ هِنْدُ غَضُوبُ

Idhā raḍiya al-Mukhtāru ‘annī falam ubal
Maqāla wushātin: wayka Hindu ghaḍūbu

If the Chosen One is pleased with me, I care not for the talk of slanderers: "Woe to you, Hind is angry!"

وَإِنْ سَأَلُونِي عَنْ حَبِيبِي وَمَذْهَبِي
جَوَابِي رَسُـــــولُ اللّٰهِ حِينَ أُجِيــبُ

Wa-in sa’alūnī ‘an ḥabībī wa-madh-habī
Jawābī Rasūlu Allāhi ḥīna ujību

If they ask me about my beloved and my path, my answer when I respond is: "The Messenger of Allah."

إِذَا بَخِلَ الْمَمْـــــدُوحُ يَوْمًا فَإِنَّنِـــي
حَبِيبِي وَمَمْدُوحِي الْكَرِيمُ وَهُوبُ

Idhā bakhila al-mamdūḥu yawman fa-innanī
Ḥabībī wa-mamdūḥī al-karīmu wahūbu

If those usually praised are stingy one day, my beloved and my praised one is the Generous Bestower.

أَنَطْتُ بِهِ كُــلَّ الْمَطَامِـــعِ يَافِعًـــا
وَشَرْخًا وَشَيْخًا قَدْ عَلاَهُ مَشِيبُ

Anāṭu bihi kulla al-maṭāmi‘i yāfi‘an
Wa-sharkhan wa-shaykhan qad ‘alāhu mashību

I attached all my hopes to him as a youth, in my prime, and as an old man whose hair has turned gray.

بِبُرْدَتِكَ الْعُظْمَى أَجَزْتَ لِمَادِحٍ
أَجِـزْنِي بِبُرْدٍ لَمْ يَشُبْهُ لَهِيـــبُ

Bi-bur-datika al-‘uẓmā ajazta li-mādiḥin
Ajiznī bi-bur-din lam yashub-hu lahību

With your Greatest Mantle (Burda) you rewarded a praiser; so reward me with a mantle untouched by any flame.

تَقُولُ أَلاَ يَا نَارُ بَرْدًا مُسَلِّمًـــــا
لِذَا الْعَبْدِ كُونِي مَا أَقَامَ عَسِيبُ

Taqūlu alā yā nāru bardan musalliman
Lidhā al-‘abdi kūnī mā aqāma ‘asību

You shall say: "O Fire, be coolness and peace for this servant," as long as the palm-branch remains firm.

عَلَيْهِ صَــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
يُمَزِّقُ أَشْلاَءَ الْبُغَـــــاةِ كَلِيــبُ

‘Alayhi ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Yumazziqu ashlā’a al-bughāti kalību

Upon him be the prayer of Allah and then His peace; may the "Kalib" (divine force) tear apart the remains of the oppressors.

عَلَيْهِ صَلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُــــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
أُوَافِيهِ بِالْأَمْدَاحِ وَهْــوَ يُثِيــبُ

‘Alayhi ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Uwāfīhi bil-amdāḥi wa-huwa yuthību

Upon him be the prayer of Allah and then His peace; I bring him my praises and he rewards me.

عَلَيْهِ صَلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُــــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
فَإِنِّي لَدَيْـــــهِ بِالثَّنَاءِ خَطِيــبُ

‘Alayhi ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Fa-innī ladayhi bith-thanā’i khaṭību

Upon him be the prayer of Allah and then His peace; for I am an orator in his presence with my extolling.

خَطِيبٌ وَقَوَّالٌ لَدَيهِ وَطَامِــعٌ
وَفَيضُ مَلاَذِ الْعَالَمِينَ سَكُوبُ

Khaṭībun wa-qawwālun ladayhi wa-ṭāmi‘un
Wa-fayḍu malādhi al-‘ālamīna sakūbu

An orator, a speaker in his presence, and a seeker; while the flood of the refuge of the worlds pours forth.

عَلَيْهِ مَعَ الْأَلِ الْكِرَامِ وَصَحْبِـهِ
يَحِنُّ إِلَى مَاحِي الضَّلاَلِ نَجِيبُ

‘Alayhi ma‘a al-āli al-kirāmi wa-ṣaḥbihi
Yaḥinnu ila māḥī al-ḍalāli najību

Upon him, along with the noble family and his companions; the noble seeker yearns for the Eraser of misguidance.