Harful Daal · حَرْفُ الدَّالِ

فَأَحْمَـــدُ رَبِّي ثُـــــمَّ أَمْـــدَحُ سَيِّــدَا
تَوَسَّطَ لِلْأَكْوَانِ بَحْرًا قَـــــدْ أَزْبَــدَا

Fa-aḥmadu rabbī thumma amdaḥu sayyidā
Tawassaṭa lil-akwāni baḥran qad azbadā

I praise my Lord then I laud a Master who is the center of the universes, like a surging ocean.

فَقَدْ طَالَمَا أَسْـــــدَى لِأَفْقَـــرِ أَعْبُــدٍ
مَوَاهِبَ لَنْ تُحْصَى عَطَاءً مُؤَكَّــدَا

Faqad ṭālamā asdā li-afqari a‘budin
Mawāhiba lan tuḥṣā ‘aṭā’an mu’akkadā

How long has he bestowed upon the poorest of servants gifts that cannot be counted—a confirmed giving.

بُرُوزَ تَجَلِّي الْحَقِّ خَيْـــرَ مُكَـــوَّنٍ
فَنَدْعُوكَ بِاسْمِ الْعَبْدِ لَوْ كُنْتَ سَيِّــدَا

Burūza tajallī al-ḥaqqi khayra mukawwanin
Fa-nad‘ūka bi-smi al-‘abdi law kunta sayyidā

The manifestation of the Truth's epiphany, the best of creation; we call you "Servant" even though you are "Master."

فَأَنْـــتَ أَرَانِـــي اللّٰهُ أَكْــرَمُ مُرْسَــلٍ
وَأَشْمَــخُ قَـــدْرًا دَيْدَنًــا ثُــمَّ مَحْتِــدَا

Fa-anta arānī Allāhu akramu mursalin
Wa-ashmakhu qadran daydanan thumma maḥtidā

You are, as Allah showed me, the noblest Messenger, highest in rank, in nature, and in origin.

أَلَمْ يَكْفِ فَخْرًا مَا وُصِفْــتَ بِآيِــهِ
فَلِلْمَدْحِ حَقًا قَدْرُ مَنْ قَالَ مُسْــرِدَا

Alam yakfi fakhran mā wuṣifta bi-āyihi
Fa-lil-madḥi ḥaqqan qadru man qāla musridā

Is it not enough pride that you were described by His verses? For the one reciting praise, your rank is the true measure.

أَلَــمْ يُعْجِـــزِ الْأَلْبَــابَ آيٌ تَوَاتَــرَتْ
لَدَى الْمَوْلِدِ السَّامِي وَحَسْبُكَ مَوْلِـــدَا

Alam yu‘jizi al-albāba āyun tawātarat
Lada al-mawlidi al-sāmī wa-ḥasbuka mawlidā

Have the recurring miracles at your lofty birth not dazzled the minds? Sufficient for you is such a birth.

وَبَعْدُ تَبَدَّتْ فِي الرَّضَاعِ غَرَائِبٌ
وَحُسْنُ مُحَيَّا الْبَدْرِ يَكْفِيهِ مَحْمَدَا

Wa-ba‘du tabaddat fī al-raḍā‘i gharā’ibun
Wa-ḥusnu muḥayyā al-badri yakfīhi maḥmadā

Afterwards, wonders appeared during his nursing; and the beauty of that "full moon" face is enough for his praise.

وَفِــيٌّ وَوَهَّــــابٌ وَلِــيٌّ وَنَاصِــرٌ
تَقِيٌّ نَقِيٌّ سَيْفُ مَوْلاَهُ فِي الْعِدَى

Wafiyyun wa-wahhābun waliyyun wa-nāṣirun
Taqiyyun naqiyyun sayfu mawlāhu fī al-‘idā

Loyal, a giver, a guardian, and a helper; pious, pure, the sword of his Master against enemies.

عَفِيفٌ وَسَمْحٌ أَرْيَحِيٌّ أَخُو سَخَــا
شُجَاعٌ كَرِيمٌ رَاحِمٌ هَبْـــهُ مُنْجِــدَا

‘Afīfun wa-samḥun aryaḥiyyun akhū sakhā
Shujā‘un karīmun rāḥimun habhu munjidā

Chaste, tolerant, brisk, a brother of generosity; brave, noble, merciful—the ultimate rescuer.

فَأَوْصَافُـــهُ غَيْبِيَّــــةٌ عِنْــدَ رَبِّنَــــا
لَقَدْ جَهِلَ الْمُخْتَارَ غَيْرُ الَّذِي ابْتَدَا

Fa-awṣāfuhu ghaybiyyatun ‘inda rabbinā
Laqad jahila al-Mukhtāra ghayru al-ladhī-btadā

His attributes are in the Unseen with our Lord; none truly knows the Chosen One except the One who originated him.

أُحِــبُّ رَسُــولَ اللّٰهِ أَرْجُــو لِقَــاءَهُ
وَمِنْ قَبْلُ بِالْأَمْدَاحِ مَا زِلْتُ مُنْشِدَا

Uḥibbu Rasūla Allāhi arjū liqā’ahu
Wa-min qablu bil-amdāḥi mā ziltu munshidā

I love the Messenger of Allah and hope to meet him; and even before that, I remain a singer of his praises.

تَيَقَّنْــــتُ أَنْ بِالْحُــبِّ أَلْقَـــى نَبِيَّنَــا
وَأَظْفَرُ بِالْحَاجَاتِ عَبْـــدًا مُسَــوَّدَا

Tayaqqantu an bil-ḥubbi alqā nabiyyanā
Wa-aẓfaru bil-ḥājāti ‘abdan musawwadā

I have become certain that through love I shall meet our Prophet and win my needs as a servant made a master.

وَكَـــــانَ نَبِيًّـــا حِيـــنَ آدَمُ طِينَــةٌ
وَمَــاءٌ فَفَــاقَ الْمُرْسَلِيــنَ مُمَجَّــدَا

Wa-kāna nabiyyan ḥīna Ādamu ṭīnatun
Wa-mā’un fa-fāqa al-mursalīna mumajjadā

He was a Prophet while Adam was yet between clay and water; thus he surpassed the Messengers in glory.

نُجُومٌ وَذَاكَ الشَّمْسُ مِنْهُ تَكَسَّبُــوا
عُلُومًـــا وَأَسْــرَارًا وَآيًا وَسُـؤْدَدَا

Nujūmun wa-dhāka al-shamsu minhu takassabū
‘Ulūman wa-asrāran wa-āyan wa-su’dadā

They are stars, and he is the Sun; from him they acquired sciences, secrets, signs, and sovereignty.

يَمِيـــنُ رَسُـــولِ اللّٰهِ يُمْــنُ أَحِبَّــةٍ
وَكَفٌّ تَسُوقُ الْمُعْتَدِينَ إِلَى الرَّدَى

Yamīnu Rasūli Allāhi yum-nu aḥibbatin
Wa-kaffun tasūqu al-mu‘tadīna ila al-radā

The right hand of the Messenger is a blessing for the lovers, and a palm that drives transgressors to ruin.

أَلاَ يَا رَسُولَ اللّٰهِ صِلْنِي وَأَوْصِلَنْ
وَكَثِّرْ لِيَ الْخَيْرَاتِ سَيْبًا مُجَـــدَّدَا

Alā yā Rasūla Allāhi ṣilnī wa-awṣilan
Wa-kath-thir liya al-khayrāti sayban mujaddadā

O Messenger of Allah! Connect me and cause me to arrive; increase for me the good things in renewed flows.

وَتَغْمُرُنِي الْأَنْفَالُ مِــنْ كُـلِّ وِجْهَــةٍ
فَتُثْمِرَ لِي الْعِرْفَانَ وَالشُّكْـرَ وَالْـهُـدَى

Wa-taghmurunī al-anfālu min kulli wij-hatin
Fa-tuthmira liya al-‘irfāna wal-shukra wal-hudā

May the spoils (Anfal) overwhelm me from every direction, bearing fruit for me as gnosis, gratitude, and guidance.

وَإِنْ كَانَ يَرْقَـــى بِالْبَــلاَءِ مُحَبَّــبٌ
فَبِالشُّكْرِ أَرْقَى فَوْقَهُ شَاكِـــراً يَــدَا

Wa-in kāna yarqā bil-balā’i muḥabbabun
Fa-bish-shukri arqā fawqahu shākiran yadā

If a beloved [of God] rises through affliction, then through gratitude I rise even higher, thanking the Hand.

صَلاَةٌ وَتَسْلِيمٌ عَلَـــى خَيْـــرِ سَيِّــدٍ
مَعَ الْآلِ وَالْأَصْحَابِ كُلٌّ قَدِ اهْتَدَى

Ṣalātun wa-taslīmun ‘alā khayri sayyidin
Ma‘a al-āli wal-asḥābi kullun qadi-htadā

Prayer and peace be upon the best Master, and upon the family and companions, all of whom were guided.