Harful Daal · حَرْفُ الدَّالِ

دَعَانِي إِلَى حُبِّ الْعَرُوضِ شُهُـــودُ
سُهَادِي وَحِبْرِي وَالطُّرُوسُ شُهُودُ

Da‘ānī ila ḥubbi al-‘arūḍi shuhūdu
Suhādī wa-ḥibrī wal-ṭurūsu shuhūdu

Witnesses have called me to the love of the "Vast One" (the Prophet); my sleeplessness, my ink, and my parchments are all witnesses.

دُمُوعِي عَلَى الْخَدَّيْنِ كَالْغَرْبِ مَوْهِنًا
مَعَ الشَّيْــــبِ وَالْأَجْنَاسُ ثَـــمَّ رُقُــودُ

Dumū‘ī ‘ala al-khaddayni kal-ghar-bi mawhinan
Ma‘a al-shaybi wal-ajnāsu thamma ruqūdu

My tears on my cheeks flow like a pouring bucket in the deep of night, along with my graying hair, while all other kinds of people are asleep.

دَلِيلٌ عَلَى مَا قَدْ دَهَانِي وَإِنَّنِــي
عَرَانِيَ حَالٌ فِي الْوِدَادِ شَدِيــــدُ

Dalīlun ‘alā mā qad dahānī wa-innanī
‘Arāniya ḥālun fī al-widādi shadīdu

This is evidence of what has afflicted me; indeed, a powerful state of affection has seized me.

دَهَانِي غَرَامٌ حَرَّمَ النَّوْمَ مَوْهِنًا
وَحَلَّلَ حَرْقِي وَالْغَرَامُ وَقُــودُ

Dahānī gharāmun ḥarrama al-nawma mawhinan
Wa-ḥallala ḥarqī wal-gharāmu waqūdu

Ecstatic love has afflicted me, forbidding sleep in the night, while making my burning permissible—and love is the fuel.

لَقَدْ حَرَّمَ الْوَجْـــدُ الْحَلاَلَ مُحَلِّــــلاً
حَرَامًا وَهَلْ هَـــذَا الْقَضَاءُ سَدِيدُ

Laqad ḥarrama al-wajdu al-ḥalāla muḥallilan
Ḥarāman wa-hal hādhā al-qaḍā’u sadīdu

Deep passion has forbidden what was [ordinarily] permissible and permitted the [ordinarily] forbidden; is this decree not most sound?

فَمَنْ حَادَ عَنْ نَهْجِ الرَّسُولِ فَإِنَّنِي
عَلَى نَهْجِهِ مَا عِشْتُ فَهْوَ حَمِيـــدُ

Faman ḥāda ‘an nahji al-Rasūli fa-innanī
‘Alā nahjihi mā ‘ishtu fahuwa ḥamīdu

So whoever deviates from the path of the Messenger—as for me, I am on his path as long as I live, for he is the praised one.

أَسِيـــــرُ غَــــرَامٍ لاَ أَزَالُ مُتَيَّمًــــا
وَعَنْ نَهْجِ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ لَسْتُ أَحِيدُ

Asīru gharāmin lā azālu mutayyaman
Wa-‘an nahji khayri al-khalqi lastu aḥīdu

I am a prisoner of ecstatic love, remaining forever captivated; and from the path of the Best of Creation, I never stray.

إِذَا سَارَ خَيْرُ النَّاسِ سِرْتُ وَرَاءَهُ
وَإِنْ حَلَّ يَوْمًا فَالْمَسِيـــــرُ بَعِيـــدُ

Idhā sāra khayru al-nāsi sirtu warā’ahu
Wa-in ḥalla yawman fal-masīru ba‘īdu

If the best of mankind travels, I travel behind him; and if he ever settles, then the journey remains far [until I reach him].

عَلَيْهِ صَــــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــــمَّ سَلاَمُــــهُ
بِكُلِّ مُرَادَاتِــي الْكَرِيـــــمُ يَجُــــودُ

‘Alayhi ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Bi-kulli murādātī al-karīmu yajūdu

Upon him be the prayer of Allah and then His peace; through him, the Generous One grants all my desires.

عَلَيْــهِ صَـــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُـــهُ
تَكُونُ لَنَا الْحُسْنَى وَبَعْــدُ مَزِيــدُ

‘Alayhi ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Takūnu lanā al-ḥusnā wa-ba‘du mazīdu

Upon him be the prayer of Allah and then His peace; may the "best reward" (Paradise) be ours, and even more thereafter.

عَلَيْهِ صَلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــــمَّ سَلاَمُـــهُ
وَآلٍ وَصَحْبٍ مَا الْفُؤَادُ عَمِيدُ

‘Alayhi ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Wa-ālin wa-ṣaḥbin mā al-fu’ādu ‘amīdu

Upon him be the prayer of Allah and then His peace, and upon the family and companions as long as the heart remains lovesick.