Harful Kaaf · حَرْفُ الْكَاف

كَئِيبٌ وَلَمْ أَكْرَبْ لِضَيْــقٍ وَلاَ ضَنْكِ
وَلَكِـــنْ لِشَوْقِـــي لِلْحِجَــازِ وَلِلنُّسْــكِ

Ka’ībun wa lam akrab li-ḍayqin walā ḍanki
wa lākin li-shawqī li-l ḥijāzi wa li-n nuski

I am sorrowful, yet I am not distressed by narrowness or hardship, but rather by my longing for the Hijaz and the acts of worship.

تَنَـــادَى رِجَــالٌ لِلْعَــــرُوضِ وَإِنَّنِــي
عُقِلْتُ بِذَنْبِي ، هَلْ لِذَا الْقَيْدِ مِنْ فَكِّ ؟

Tanādā rijālun li-l ʿarūḍi wa innanī
ʿuqiltu bi-dhanbī hal li-dhā-l qaydi min fakki

Men have called one another to the journey, while I am held back by my sins; is there any release from this shackle?

لَئِــنْ فَكَّنِي الْهَادِي وَأَدْنَى مَــزَارَهُ
سَأُخْلِصُ نُسْكِي لِلْعَلِي رَافِعِ السَّمْكِ

La’in fakkanī-l hādī wa adnā mazārahu
sa-ukhliṣu nuskī li-l ʿaliyyi rāfiʿi-s samki

If the Guide releases me and brings his visitation near, I shall purify my worship for the Exalted, the Elevator of the heavens.

سِوَى أَنَّنِي أَقْضِـــــي لُبَانَـــةَ عَاشِـــقٍ
بِرَوْضَةِ خَيْرِ النَّاسِ أَضْحَكُ أَوْ أَبْكِي

Siwā annanī aqḍī lubānata ʿāshiqin
bi-rawḍati khayri-n nāsi aḍḥaku aw abkī

Except that I seek to fulfill the desire of a lover in the garden of the best of mankind, whether I laugh or I weep.

أَرَانِي إِذَا مَــــا جِئْـــتُ يَوْمًا مُحَمَّــدًا
سَيَجْبُرُ كَسْرِي طَارِدُ الشَّرِّ وَالشِّرْكِ

Arānī idhā mā ji’tu yawman Muḥammadan
sa-yajburu kasrī ṭāridu-sh sharri wa-sh shirki

I see that if I ever come to Muhammad, the expeller of evil and polytheism will mend my brokenness.

أَقُودُ إِلَى الرَّحْمَـــنِ قَوْمًـــا أَضَاعَهُــمْ
صَنَادِيدُ فِي أَقْصَى الضَّلاَلَةِ وَالشِّرْكِ

Aqūdu ila-r raḥmāni qawman aḍāʿahumu
ṣanādīdu fī aqṣā-ḍ ḍalālati wa-sh shirki

I lead toward the Compassionate a people who were led astray by tyrants in the furthest reaches of misguidance and polytheism.

فَإِنْ لَمْ يُدَارِكْنِـــــي وَقَرْنِـــي تَلَفُّــتٌ
مِنْ أَحْمَدَ وَا قَوْمَا مِنَ الْجَهْلِ وَالْإِفْكِ

Fa-in lam yudāriknī wa qarnī talaffutun
min Aḥmada wā qawmā mina-l jahli wa-l ifki

If I and my generation are not reached by a glance from Ahmad—O my people—from the ignorance and the lies!

عَسَى اللّٰهُ أَنْ يَأْتِــي بِفَتْــــحٍ وَنُصْــرَةٍ
يَصِيرُ عَدُوُّ الدِّينِ فِي الضِّيقِ وَالضَّنْكِ

ʿAsā-llāhu an ya’tiya bi-fatḥin wa nuṣratin
yaṣīru ʿaduwwu-d dīni fī-ḍ ḍayqi wa-ḍ ḍanki

Perhaps Allah will bring a victory and aid through which the enemy of the religion falls into distress and hardship.

عَلَيْــــــهِ صَــــــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
أَتُوبُ مِنْ أَعْمَالِي جَمِيعًا وَمِنْ نُسْكِي

ʿAlayhi ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
atūbu min aʿmālī jamīʿan wa min nuskī

Upon him be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; I repent from all my deeds and my worship.

عَلَيْـــــــــهِ صَـــــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
فَلاَ ضَرَّ صَحْبِي آخِرَ الدَّهْرِ مَا يُنْكِي

ʿAlayhi ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
falā ḍarra ṣaḥbī ākhira-d dahri mā yunkī

Upon him be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; may nothing harmful or painful ever touch my companions until the end of time.

عَلَيْــــــهِ صَــــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
وَتَرْفَعُ أَوْلاَدِي وَتُعْلِي بِهِمْ سَمْكِي

ʿAlayhi ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
wa tarfaʿu awlādī wa tuʿlī bihim samkī

Upon him be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; may they elevate my children and raise my status through them.

عَلَيْــــهِ صَـــــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُــمَّ سَلاَمُـــــــهُ
أَلُوكُ وَيَرْضَى الْهَاشِمِي حَامِدًا لَوْكِي

ʿAlayhi ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
alūku wa yarḍā-l hāshimiyyu ḥāmidan lawkī

Upon him be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; I recite my praises and the Hashemite accepts my words with praise.

عَلَيْــــــهِ صَـــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
عُبَيْدٌ بِلاَ تَقْوًى وَكَسْبٍ وَلاَ نُسْــكِ

ʿAlayhi ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
ʿubaydun bilā taqwā wa kasbin walā nuski

Upon him be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; a humble servant without piety, merit, or worship.

عَلَيْــــــهِ صَـــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
نَعِيشُ عَلَى أَمْنٍ مِنَ الْهَـتْكِ وَالْفَتْكِ

ʿAlayhi ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
naʿīshu ʿalā amnin mina-l hatki wa-l fatki

Upon him be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; we live in safety from disgrace and slaughter.

عَلَيْـــــهِ صَــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
وَأَعْبُدُ حَقًّا مَالِكَ الْأَمْرِ وَالْمُلْــكِ

ʿAlayhi ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
wa aʿbudu ḥaqqan mālika-l amri wa-l mulki

Upon him be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; I truly worship the Owner of the command and the kingdom.

عَلَيْـــــهِ صَـــــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُــــــهُ
رِضَى اللّٰهِ عَنْ شَيْخِي أَبِي عَبْدِهِ بَنْكِي

ʿAlayhi ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
riḍā-llāhi ʿan shaykhī Abī ʿAbdihi Bankī

Upon him be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; may the pleasure of Allah be upon my Shaykh, Abu Abdi-Allah (Al-Hajj Abdoulaye) Niass.

عَلَيْـــــــهِ صَــــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــــمَّ سَلاَمُـــــهُ
مَدَى الدَّهْرِ حَوْكِي فِي الْأَمِينِ كَذَا سَبْكِي

ʿAlayhi ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
madā-d dahri ḥawkī fī-l amīni kadhā sabkī

Upon him be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; throughout time is my weaving and my molding of praise for the Trustworthy one.

عَلَيْـــــهِ صَــــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُــــــمَّ سَلاَمُــــهُ
وَآلٍ وَصَحْبٍ نَزَّهُوا الدِّينَ عَنْ إِفْكِ

ʿAlayhi ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
wa ālin wa ṣaḥbin nazzahū-d dīna ʿan ifki

Upon him be the blessings of Allah and then His peace, and upon the Family and Companions who purified the religion from falsehood.