Harful Waaw · حَرْفُ الْوَاو

وَلَمَّـــــا جَفَانِي فِيــكَ كُــلُّ جَهُــولِ
رَفَضْتُ بِدَوْرِي فِيــــكَ كُــلَّ خَلِيــلِ

Wa lammā jafānī fīka kullu jahūli
rafaḍtu bi-dawrī fīka kulla khalīli

And when every ignorant person treated me with coldness for your sake, I in turn rejected for your sake every close friend.

وَصَيَّرْتُ طَــهَ الْهَاشِمِيَّ مُؤَيِّــدِي
وَذَاكَ أَنِيسِـــي بَلْــهَ كُـلَّ زَمِيـــلِ

Wa ṣayyartu Ṭāhā-l hāshimiyya mu’ayyidī
wa dhāka anīsī bal-ha kulla zamīli

And I made Taha the Hashemite my supporter; he is my intimate companion, let alone any mere colleague.

وَقَدْ حَاوَلُوا تَعْسًا لَهُــمْ لِجَهَالَــةٍ
ضِــرَارِي وَإِنِّي فِي جِوَارِ جَلِيلِ

Wa qad ḥāwalū taʿsan lahum li-jahālatin
ḍirārī wa innī fī jiwāri jalīli

They attempted, woe to them in their ignorance, to harm me, while I am in the protection of the Majestic One.

وَقَدْ مَكَرُوا مَكْرًا وَرَبِّي بِفَضْلِهِ
أَبَادَهُــــمُ فَالْكُـــــلُّ جِـــــدُّ ذَلِيــلِ

Wa qad makarū makran wa rabbī bi-faḍlihi
abādahumu fa-l kullu jiddu dhalīli

They plotted a plot, but my Lord by His grace destroyed them, so everyone became utterly abased.

وَآبُوا حَيَـــــارَى نَادِمِينَ أَذِلَّــةً
وَأَبْقَى خَدِيمًــا لِلْأَمِينِ رَسُولِي

Wa ābū ḥayārā nādimīna adhillatan
wa abqā khadīman li-l amīni rasūlī

They returned bewildered, regretful, and humiliated, while I remain a servant to the Trustworthy one, my Messenger.

وَقَدْ ضَرَّهُمْ فَقْرٌ وَذُلٌّ وَفَاقَةٌ
وَعَارٌ وَخَوْفٌ عِنْدَ كُلِّ سَبِيلِ

Wa qad ḍarrahum faqrun wa dhullun wa fāqatun
wa ʿārun wa khawfun ʿinda kulli sabīli

Poverty, humiliation, and want afflicted them, along with shame and fear at every path.

وَإِنِّيَ فِي خَيْرٍ وَمَيْرٍ وَرِفْعَةٍ
وَأَمْنٍ وَإِيمَــانٍ بِطَــهَ مُنِيلِــي

Wa inniya fī khayrin wa mayrin wa rifʿatin
wa amnin wa īmānin bi-Ṭāhā munīlī

While I am in goodness, abundance, and elevation, and in security and faith through Taha, my bestower.

وَإِنْ أَعْمَلُوا فِي كُلِّ مَكْرٍ وَحِيلَةٍ
فَمَا ضَرَّنِي دَهْـــرِي أَقَـــلُّ قَلِيــلِ

Wa in aʿmalū fī kulli makrin wa ḥīlatin
fa-mā ḍarranī dahrī aqallu qalīli

Even if they employ every plot and ruse, not the slightest thing has harmed me throughout my life.

وَإِنْ وَعَدُوا أَوْ أَوْعَدُوا فَإِخَالُهُمْ
مَجَانِينَ لَمْ يُوفُـــوا وَلَــوْ بِفَتِيــلِ

Wa in waʿadū aw awʿadū fa-ikhāluhum
majānīna lam yūfū walaw bi-fatīli

If they make promises or threats, I consider them madmen who have not fulfilled even the smallest bit.

وَإِنِّي بِرَبِّي قَــدْ غَنِيتُ وَإِنَّنِي
بِعَيْنِي تَسَـــاوَى حَاتِــمٌ بِبَخِيــلِ

Wa innī bi-rabbī qad ghanītu wa innanī
bi-ʿaynī tasāwā Ḥātimun bi-bakhīli

And I have become enriched through my Lord, and in my eyes, the generous Hatim has become equal to the miser.

وَلِمْ لاَ وَمَمْدُوحِي الْكَرِيمُ مُحَمَّدٌ
فَكُلُّ عَطًا مِنْ غَيْـــرِهِ كَضَئِيــلِ

Wa lim lā wa mamdūḥī-l karīmu Muḥammadun
fa-kullu ʿaṭān min ghayrihi ka-ḍa’īli

And why not, when the one I praise is the generous Muhammad? For every gift from others is but a meager thing.

وَإِنِّي بِلَيْلِي بَعْدَ وَهْـــنٍ بِكَوْلَــخٍ
سَمَا لِيَ شَوْقِي مَا دَرَيْتُ مَثِيلِــي

Wa innī bi-laylī baʿda wahnin bi-Kawlakha
samā liya shawqī mā daraytu mathīlī

And I, in my night after the late hours in Kaolack, my longing rose such that I knew no equal to myself.

وَلَمْ أَرَ شَيْئًا غَيْرَ وَجْــهِ مُحَمَّــدٍ
فَمَا غَيْرُ وَجْــهِ الْهَاشِمِــي بِجَمِيلِ

Wa lam ara shay’an ghayra wajhi Muḥammadin
fa-mā ghayru wajhi-l hāshimī bi-jamīli

I saw nothing except the face of Muhammad, for nothing besides the face of the Hashemite is truly beautiful.

وَلَيْسَ بِتَجْسِيمِ الْمَعَانِــي مُبَالِغًــا
قَتِيــــلُ وِدَادٍ فِيـــهِ جِـــــدُّ قَتِيــلِ

Wa laysa bi-tajsīmi-l maʿānī mubālighan
qatīlu widādin fīhi jiddu qatīli

And it is no exaggeration in personifying meanings; one slain by affection for him is truly a martyr of love.

وَأَجْمَلُ كُلِّ النَّاسِ حَقًّـــا مُحَمَّدٌ
وَكُلُّ فَتًى أَجْرَى لَـــهُ بِجَــزِيلِ

Wa ajmalu kulli-n nāsi ḥaqqan Muḥammadun
wa kullu fatan ajrā lahu bi-jazīli

The most beautiful of all people truly is Muhammad, and for every youth, he has bestowed abundantly.

لَهُ الْحُسْنُ وَالْإِحْسَانُ حَقًّا فَكُلُّنَــا
بِظِلٍّ وَرِيفٍ مِنْ عَطَــاهُ ظَلِيــلِ

Lahu-l ḥusnu wa-l iḥsānu ḥaqqan fa-kullunā
bi-ẓillin warīfin min ʿaṭāhu ẓalīli

To him belongs beauty and excellence truly, for we are all sheltered in the lush shade of his giving.

عَلَيْـــكَ صَــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
مُحِبُّكَ يَرْجُو مِنْكَ خَيْـــرَ مَقِيــلِ

ʿAlayka ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
muḥibbuka yarjū minka khayra maqīli

Upon you be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; your lover hopes from you the best place of rest.

عَلَيْــكَ صَــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
أَرِحْنِيَ مِنْ عِبْءٍ عَلَـــيَّ ثَقِيــلِ

ʿAlayka ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
ariḥniya min ʿib’in ʿalayya thaqīli

Upon you be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; relieve me of a burden that is heavy upon me.

عَلَيْـــــكَ صَـــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
بِيَ النَّقْصُ مَهْمَا كُنْتَ عَيْـنَ كَمِيــلِ

ʿAlayka ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
biya-n naqṣu mahmā kunta ʿayna kamīli

Upon you be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; in me is deficiency, while you are the very essence of perfection.

عَلَيْــهِ مَــعَ الْآلِ الْكِرَامِ وَصَحْبِهِ
وَتَشْمَــلُ أَزْوَاجًــا وَكُــلَّ قَبِيــلِ

ʿAlayhi maʿa-l āli-l kirāmi wa ṣaḥbihi
wa tashmalu azwājan wa kulla qabīli

Upon him be blessings along with the noble Family and his Companions, and may it include the wives and every tribe.