Harful Baa · حَرْفُ الْبَاءِ

بِحُبِّ الْإِمَـــــامِ الْهَاشِمِـــي أَتَقَـــرَّبُ
طَرِبْتُ لَهُ شَوْقًا وَذُو الشَّوْقِ يَطْرَبُ

Bi-ḥubbi al-imāmi al-Hāshimiyyi ataqarrabu
Ṭaribtu lahu shawqan wa-dhū al-shawqi yaṭrabu

Through the love of the Hashemite Imam, I draw near [to Allah]; I am filled with joy out of longing for him, for the one of longing is always joyful.

أُخَيِّلُــــهُ فِــــي خَاطِــــرِي وَكَأَنَّمَـــا
أَرَاهُ عِيَانًــــا وَهْــــوَ مِنِّـــيَ يَقْــرُبُ

Ukhayyiluhu fī khāṭirī wa-ka’annamā
Arāhu ‘iyānan wa-huwa minnī yaqrubu

I imagine him in my thoughts as if I see him clearly with my own eyes, and as if he is close to me.

فَإِنْ يَكُ جِسْمَانِــــي بِكُـــوسِ فَإِنَّنِــي
لِحَضْرَتِهِ الْعُلْيَــــا بِرُوحِــي مُقَــرَّبُ

Fa-in yaku jismānī bi-Kūsi fa-innanī
Li-ḥaḍratihi al-‘ulyā bi-rūḥī muqarrabu

Even if my physical body is in Kous (Senegal), my spirit is brought close to his sublime presence.

أَرِقْتُ وَقَـــــدْ نَامَ الْأَخِـــلاَّ وَطَالَمَــا
بِذِي الشَّوْقِ يَلْهُو الْإِشْتِيَـــاقُ وَيَلْعَـبُ

Ariqtu wa-qad nāma al-akhillā wa-ṭālamā
Bi-dhī al-shawqi yal-hū al-ishtiyāqu wa-yal‘abu

I stayed awake while friends slept; how often does intense yearning toy and play with the one who longs?

لِكَاظِمَـــةٍ وَالسَّلْــعِ شَوْقِـــي فَمَنْ لَنَــا
بِعَلٍّ مِــــنَ الزَّرْقَــا بِطَيْبَــةَ مَشْــرَبُ

Li-Kāẓimatin wal-Sal‘i shawqī faman lanā
Bi-‘allin mina al-Zarqā bi-Ṭaybata mash-rabu

My longing is for Kazima and mount Sal‘; who will grant us a drink of the "Blue Water" in Medina (Tayba)?

مَشَارِبُ خَيْرِ الْخَلْــقِ صَفْــوَةِ هَاشِـمٍ
وَمَـــنْ حُبُّــــهُ نَـــارٌ بِقَلْبِـــي تَلَهَّــبُ

Mashāribu khayri al-khal-qi ṣafwati Hāshimin
Wa-man ḥubbuhu nārun bi-qalbi talahhabu

The drinking-places of the Best of Creation, the elite of Hashim; whose love is a fire blazing within my heart.

رَسُـــولٌ أَتَانَــــا بِالْمَلاَحِـــمِ هَادِيًــا
جَمِيعَ الْوَرَى وَالْجُودُ فِيهِ مُحَبَّـــبُ

Rasūlun atānā bil-malāḥimi hādiyan
Jamī‘a al-warā wal-jūdu fīhi muḥabbabu

A Messenger who came to us with epic battles, guiding all of creation; and generosity was beloved within him.

بِبَـــدْرٍ أَرَاهُـــمْ عِبْـــرَةً وَأَبَادَهُــــمْ
وَسَلْهُمْ عَنِ الْأَحْزَابِ حِينَ تَحَزَّبُوا

Bi-Badrin arāhum ‘ibratan wa-abādahum
Wa-sal-hum ‘an al-aḥzābi ḥīna taḥazzabū

At Badr, he showed them a lesson and destroyed them; and ask them about the Confederates (Ahzab) when they gathered against him.

وَقَدْ قَادَ لِلْبَطْحَا الْحَـرَامِ عَرَمْرَمًــا
وَقَدْ لاَنَ صَخْرٌ حَيْثُمَا الْأُسْدُ تَرْعَبُ

Wa-qad qāda lil-Baṭ-ḥā al-ḥarāmi ‘aramraman
Wa-qad lāna ṣakhrun ḥaythumā al-usdu tar‘abu

He led a massive, surging army to the sacred Valley of Makkah (Al-Batha); where even the rocks softened while lions were terrified.

وَيَوْمَ حُنَيْنٍ فَــرَّقَ الْجَيْـــشَ وَحْــدَهُ
أَنَا الضَّيْغَمُ الشَّهْمُ الشُّجَاعُ الْمُدَرَّبُ

Wa-yawma Ḥunaynin farraqa al-jay-sha waḥ-dahu
Anā al-ḍayghamu al-shahmu al-shujā‘u al-mudarrabu

And on the day of Hunayn, he scattered the [enemy] army alone, [saying]: "I am the brave, noble, and trained lion!"

فَأَعْطَى أَبَا سُفْيَـــانَ مِائَـــةَ نَاقَــةٍ
وَصَفْوَانَ حَتَّى صَارَ مِمَّنْ تَقَرَّبُوا

Fa-a‘ṭā Abā Sufyāna mi’ata nāqatin
Wa-Ṣafwāna ḥattā ṣāra mimman taqarrabū

He gave Abu Sufyan a hundred camels, and he gave Safwan until he became one of those who drew near [to Islam].

وَمَالِـــكُ وَالْعَبَّـــاسُ أَقْرَعُ مِنْهُــمُ
عُيَيْنَةُ قَدْ نِيلُـــوا عَطَـاءً فَقُرِّبُــوا

Wa-Māliku wal-‘Abbāsu Aqra‘u minhumu
‘Uyayna-tu qad nīlū ‘aṭā’an fa-qurribū

Malik, al-Abbas, and al-Aqra‘—among them was ‘Uyayna; they were all granted gifts and brought close.

فَكُلٌّ لَهُ مَا الْإِبْنِ حَــــرْبٍ وَإِنَّمَــا
يُغَيِّرُنِي مَنْ حَظُّـــهُ ذَا الْمُحَبَّــبُ

Fa-kullun lahu ma al-ibni Ḥar-bin wa-innamā
Yughayyirunī man ḥaẓ-ẓuhu dhā al-muḥabbabu

Everyone received what the son of Harb (Abu Sufyan) received; but what moves me is the one whose portion is this beloved [Prophet].

عَلَيْـــهِ صَــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
صَـــلاَةً وَتَسْلِيمًـــا بِهَا أَتَقَــرَّبُ

‘Alayhi ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Ṣalātan wa-taslīman bi-hā ataqarrabu

Upon him be the prayer of Allah and then His peace; a prayer and salutation through which I draw near.

عَلَيْـــهِ صَــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
صَـــلاَةً بِهَا نَفْسُ الْعُبَيْدِ تُهَــذَّبُ

‘Alayhi ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Ṣalātan bi-hā naf-su al-‘ubaydi tuhadh-dhabu

Upon him be the prayer of Allah and then His peace; a prayer through which the soul of this small servant is refined.

عَلَيْـــهِ صَــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
وَيَصْفُو فُؤَادِي وَالْغَيَاهِبُ تَذْهَبُ

‘Alayhi ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Wa-yaṣ-fū fu’ādī wal-ghayāhibu tadh-habu

Upon him be the prayer of Allah and then His peace; so that my heart becomes pure and the darkness disappears.

عَلَيْـــهِ صَــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
فَمَا لِيَ إِلاَّ مَذْهَبَ الْحُبِّ مَذْهَـبُ

‘Alayhi ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Famā liya illā madh-haba al-ḥubbi madh-habu

Upon him be the prayer of Allah and then His peace; for I have no path (madh-hab) except the path of love.

عَلَيْـــهِ صَــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
تُبَشِّرُ خَيْرَ الْخَلْقِ مِنِّي وَتُطْرِبُ

‘Alayhi ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Tubash-shiru khayra al-khal-qi minnī wa-tuṭ-ribu

Upon him be the prayer of Allah and then His peace; may it bring glad tidings from me to the Best of Creation and fill him with joy.

عَلَيْـــهِ صَــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
تَسُوقُ لِأَصْحَابِي الْعَطَايَا وَتَجْلِبُ

‘Alayhi ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Tasūqu li-aṣ-ḥābī al-‘aṭāyā wa-taj-libu

Upon him be the prayer of Allah and then His peace; may it drive and bring gifts to my companions.

عَلَيْـــهِ صَــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
إِذَا اجْتَمَعَ الْمُدَّاحُ أَحْظَى وَأَغْلِبُ

‘Alayhi ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Idhā-j-tama‘a al-muddāḥu aḥ-ẓā wa-agh-libu

Upon him be the prayer of Allah and then His peace; when the praisers gather, may I be the most fortunate and the victor.

عَلَيْـــهِ مَــعَ الْآلِ الْكِــرَامِ وَصَحْبِــهِ
صَلاَةٌ كَأَزْكَى الطِّيبِ بَلْ هِيَ أَطْيَبُ

‘Alayhi ma‘a al-āli al-kirāmi wa-ṣaḥ-bihi
Ṣalātun ka-azkā al-ṭībi bal hiya aṭ-yabu

Upon him, along with the noble family and his companions, be a prayer like the purest perfume—nay, it is even more fragrant.