Harfut Taa · حَرْفُ التَّاءِ

تَذَكَّـــرْتُ وَالْأَشْـــوَاقُ وَالذِّكَـــرَاتُ
لِنَحْــــــوِ رَسُـــولِ اللّٰهِ وَالزَّفَــرَاتُ

Tadhakkartu wal-ashwāqu wal-dhikarātu
Li-naḥwi Rasūli Allāhi wal-zafarātu

I remembered, and longings and memories arose, directed toward the Messenger of Allah, accompanied by sighs.

وَفِيهِ غَرَامِي ثُمَّ وَجْدِي وَلَوْعَتِــي
وَأُمْلِــــي إِلَيْــهِ الدَّهْــرَ وَالْعَبَـرَاتُ

Wa-fīhi gharāmī thumma wajdī wa-law‘atī
Wa-umlī ilayhi al-dahra wal-‘abarātu

In him is my ecstatic love, my passion, and my yearning; toward him, I pour out my life and my tears.

وَلَمْ أَحْجُ أَنْ فِي الْكَوْنِ شَيْءٌ أُحِبُّهُ
سِـــوَاهُ فَوَقْتِــي فِيــهِ وَالسَّكَــرَاتُ

Wa-lam aḥju anna fī al-kawni shay’un uḥibbuhu
Siwāhu fa-waqtī fīhi wal-sakarațu

I cannot imagine that there is anything in the universe I love besides him; my time is spent in him, even in moments of spiritual intoxication.

وَهَلْ يَتَأَتَّى حُــــبُّ غَيْــرِ مُحَمَّــدٍ
وَمَا الشِّعْــرُ إِلاَّ فِيـــهِ وَالنَّغَمَــاتُ

Wa-hal yata’attā ḥubbu ghayri Muḥammadin
Wa-mā al-shi‘ru illā fīhi wal-naghamātu

How could the love of any besides Muhammad be possible? And what is poetry if not for him, and what are melodies?

فَمَا عَشِقَ الْمَاضُــونَ غَيْــرَ مُحَمَّـــدٍ
وَمَا يَعْشَقُ الْمَاضُونَ تِي الْحَضَرَاتُ

Famā ‘ashiqa al-māḍūna ghayra Muḥammadin
Wa-mā ya‘shaqu al-māḍūna tī al-ḥaḍarātu

Those of the past loved none but Muhammad, and those of the past only found ecstasy in these [Prophetic] Presences.

وَمَا وَجَدَ الْمَاضُـــونَ غَيْرَ مُحَمَّــدٍ
فَأَحْمَدُ مِــــنْ رَحْمَانِنَـــا رَحَمَــاتُ

Wa-mā wajada al-māḍūna ghayra Muḥammadin
Fa-Aḥmadu min Raḥmāninā raḥamātu

Those of the past found none but Muhammad; for Ahmad is a manifestation of mercies from our Most Merciful Lord.

لَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَالشُّكْرُ الْعَظِيمُ وَأَحْمَدٌ
عَلَيْـهِ أَتَــتْ مِــنْ رَبِّــهِ صَلَــوَاتُ

Lahu al-ḥamdu wal-shukru al-‘aẓīmu wa-Aḥmadun
‘Alayhi atat min rabbihi ṣalawātu

To Him belongs the praise and great thanks; and upon Ahmad, prayers from his Lord have descended.

أُرِيدُ لِقَا الْمَاحِي وَذَنْبِــيَ حَاجِزِي
وَإِنْ يَلْحَظِ الْمَاحِي طُوِي الْعَقَبَاتُ

Urīdu liqā al-Māḥī wa-dhanbiya ḥājizī
Wa-in yal-ḥaẓi al-Māḥī ṭuwiya al-‘aqabātu

I desire the meeting with the "Eraser" (Al-Māḥī), but my sin is a barrier; yet if the Eraser casts a glance [at me], the obstacles are folded away.

مُحَمَّدُ مَاحٍ أَحْمَـــدٌ وَهْـــوَ حَاشِــرٌ
وَعَاقِبُ مَنْ تَعْلُو بِــــهِ الدَّرَجَــاتُ

Muḥammadu Māḥin Aḥmadun wa-huwa Ḥāshirun
Wa-‘Āqibu man ta‘lū bihi al-darajātu

He is Muhammad, the Eraser, Ahmad, and the Gatherer; and the Final One (Al-‘Āqib) through whom ranks are elevated.

لِعِيسَى وَإِبْرَاهِيـــمَ كُــلٍّ مَزِيَّــةٌ
فَذَا لَـهُـمَا التَّبْشِيــرُ وَالدَّعَــوَاتُ

Li-‘Īsā wa-Ibrāhīma kullun maziyyatun
Fa-dhā lahumā al-tabshīru wal-da‘awātu

For Jesus and Abraham, each has a special merit; for them both were the glad tidings and the supplications [regarding his coming].

عَلَيْـــهِ صَــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
لَنَا عَظُمَتْ مِــــنْ أَجْلِهِ بَرَكَـاتُ

‘Alayhi ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Lanā ‘aẓumat min ajlihi barakātu

Upon him be the prayer of Allah and then His peace; for his sake, great blessings have been granted to us.

عَلَيْـــهِ صَــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
فَتَقْرُبُ مِنِّـــي عَامَــهُ عَرَفَــاتُ

‘Alayhi ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Fa-taqrubu minnī ‘āmahu ‘Arafātu

Upon him be the prayer of Allah and then His peace; through it, [the station of] Arafat draws near to me this year.

وَيَحْلُو شَرَابِي مِنْ أَرِيسٍ وَرُومَةٍ
وَتَدْنُو لَنَا الْأَنْـــــوَارُ وَالثَّمَــرَاتُ

Wa-yaḥlū sharābī min Arīsin wa-Rūmatin
Wa-tadnū lanā al-anwāru wal-thamarātu

My drink from [the wells of] Aris and Ruma becomes sweet; and the lights and fruits draw near to us.

فَآتِــــي بَقِيعًـــا مَوْهِنًــا وَإِقَامَتِــي
لَدَى حَـــرَمِ الْمَاحِي فَتِـي قُرُبَاتُ

Fa-ātī Baqī‘an mawhinan wa-iqāmatī
Lada ḥarami al-Māḥī fa-tī qurubātu

I come to al-Baqi in the deep of night, and my stay within the Sanctuary of the Eraser is my way of drawing near.

أُنَاجِيـــهِ يَـا خَيْــرَ الْأَنَامِ فَإِنَّنِــي
أَسِيرُ غَــــرَامٍ مَطْلَبِي لَحَظَــاتُ

Unājīhi yā khayra al-anāmi fa-innanī
Asīru gharāmin maṭlabī laḥaẓātu

I whisper to him: "O Best of Mankind! I am a prisoner of love; my only request is for a few moments [of your presence]."

عَلَيْـــكَ صَــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
تُفَـــرَّجُ لِي الْأَحْـزَانُ وَالْكُرُبَاتُ

‘Alayka ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Tufarraju lī al-aḥzānu wal-kurubātu

Upon you be the prayer of Allah and then His peace; may my sorrows and afflictions be relieved through it.

عَلَيْـــكَ صَــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
فَتَسْهُلُ لِي الطَّاعَــاتُ وَالنَّفَقَـاتُ

‘Alayka ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Fa-tas-hulu lī al-ṭā‘ātu wal-nafaqātu

Upon you be the prayer of Allah and then His peace; may acts of obedience and spending [in charity] be made easy for me.

عَلَيْـــهِ مَعَ الْآلِ الْكِرَامِ وَصَحْبِهِ
بِهَا دَامَ لِي الْأَشْوَاقُ وَالذِّكَـرَاتُ

‘Alayhi ma‘a al-āli al-kirāmi wa-ṣaḥbihi
Bi-hā dāma lī al-ashwāqu wal-dhikarātu

Upon him, along with the noble family and his companions; through it, my longings and memories endure for me.