Harfuz Zwaa · حَرْفُ الظَّاءِ

ظَعَنْــــتُ إِلَى اللّٰهِ الْجَلِيـــلِ مُحَافِظَـا
عَلَى حُبِّ خَيْرِ النَّاسِ لِلذِّكْرِ حَافِظَا

Ẓa‘antu ila Allāhi al-jalīli muḥāfiẓā
‘Alā ḥubbi khayri al-nāsi lidh-dhikri ḥāfiẓā

I set out toward Allah, the Majestic, while maintaining the love of the best of mankind and preserving his remembrance.

أَتِيــهُ بِــهِ أَعْلُــــو الثُّرَيَّا وَكَيْـــفَ لاَ
وَقَدْ ذُقْتُ مَعْنَى الذِّكْرِ بِالذِّكْرِ وَاعِظَا

Atīhu bihi a‘lū al-Thurayyā wa-kayfa lā
Wa-qad dhuqtu ma‘nā al-dhikri bidh-dhikri wā‘iẓā

I wander [ecstatically] through him, rising above the Pleiades—and why not, when I have tasted the meaning of remembrance, acting as a counselor through that remembrance?

وَخَيرُ جَلِيسِـــي مَنْ يُــرَدِّدُ ذِكْــــرَهُ
أُحِبُّ فَتًـى يَشْدُو بِالْأَمْـــدَاحِ لاَفِظَــا

Wa-khayru jalīsī man yuraddidu dhikrahu
Uḥibbu fatan yashdū bil-amdāḥi lāfiẓā

The best of my companions is the one who repeats his mention; I love a youth who chants the praises, giving them voice.

فَإِنْ فَاخَرَ الْأَقْـــوَامُ يَوْمًـــا فَلَــمْ أَزِدْ
عَلَى ذَا خَدِيـــمُ الْمُنْحَمِنَّــا مُحَافِظَــا

Fa-in fākhara al-aqwāmu yawman falam azid
‘Alā dhā khadīmu al-Munḥaminna muḥāfiẓā

If the peoples ever boast of their pride, I do not add anything to this: "I am a preserving servant of the Bestower (the Prophet)."

فَلاَ سَقَرًا أَبْغِي وَلاَ بُؤْسَ إِنَّمَـــا
مُرَادِي أَمِينٌ لاَ يَزَالُ مُلاَحِظَــا

Falā saqaran abghī wa-lā bu’sa innamā
Murādī Amīnun lā yazālu mulāḥiẓā

I seek neither Hellfire nor misery; rather, my only desire is the Trustworthy One, that he may never cease observing me.

تَسَتَّــرْتُ فِي ظِــــلِّ الْأَمِيـــنِ مُحَمَّــدٍ
كَفَى مِنْ صَلاَحِ الْحَالِ إِنْ كَانَ لاَحِظَــا

Tasattartu fī ẓilli al-Amīni Muḥammadin
Kafā min ṣalāḥi al-ḥāli in kāna lāḥiẓā

I have taken cover in the shadow of the Trustworthy One, Muhammad; it is enough for the rectitude of my state if he but gazes upon me.

عَلَيْــــهِ صَــــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
وَآلٍ وَصَحْبٍ مِنْهُ لاَقَوْا مَوَاعِظَا

‘Alayhi ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Wa-ālin wa-ṣaḥbin minhu lāqaw mawā‘iẓā

Upon him be the prayer of Allah and then His peace, and upon the family and companions who received from him his exhortations.