Harful Waaw · حَرْفُ الْوَاو

وَإِنْ سَأَلُوا قَدْ زُرْتُمُ الْقَــرْمَ عَاقِبَـــا
وَهَلْ أَتْحَفَ الزُّوَّارَ مِنْـــهُ مَوَاهِبَــا

Wa in sa’alū qad zurtumu-l qarma ʿāqibā
wa hal atḥafa-z zuwwāra minhu mawāhibā

And if they ask: "Have you visited the noble Master (the Prophet) as a successor? And has he gifted the visitors from his talents?"

فَقَدْ كَانَ أَنْدَى النَّاسِ شَرْقًا وَمَغْرِبًا
وَقَدْ طَالَمَا أَوْلَى الْغِنَـى وَالْمَكَاسِبَـا

Fa-qad kāna anda-n nāsi sharqan wa maghriban
wa qad ṭālamā awla-l ghinā wa-l makāsibā

For he was the most generous of people, East and West; and he has long bestowed wealth and gains.

لِمَنْ وَفَدُوا مِنْ تِي الْجَزِيرَةِ بَيْنَمَا
وَفَدْتُمْ مِنَ الْأَقْصَى لَقِيتُمْ مَتَاعِبَـا

Li-man wafadū min tī-l jazīrati baynamā
wafadtum mina-l aqṣā laqītum matāʿibā

Upon those who came from the Peninsula, while you came from the furthest lands and encountered hardships.

وَقَدْ جُبْتُمُ الْأَجْوَاءَ لَيْلاً وَفُلْكُكُمْ
بِهِ شَابَكَ الْمَلاَّحُ تِلْكَ السَّحَائِبَــا

Wa qad jubtumu-l ajwā’a laylan wa fulkukum
bihi shābaka-l mallāḥu tilka-s saḥā’ibā

You traversed the skies by night, and your vessel—through it the navigator entwined those clouds.

أَقُولُ مَلاَ سِرًّا وَرُوحًا وَكَلْكَلاً
وَحَتَّى مَلاَ أَكْيَاسَنَا وَالْحَقَائِبَـا

Aqūlu malā sirran wa rūḥan wa kalkalan
wa ḥattā malā akyāsanā wa-l ḥaqā’ibā

I say: he filled us with secrets, spirit, and strength, and even filled our bags and suitcases.

فَيَهْتَزُّ لِلْمَعْرُوفِ يَرْتَاحُ لِلنَّـــــدَى
وَيُعْطِي عَطَاءً لاَ يَخَافُ النَّوَائِبَا

Fa-yahtazzu li-l maʿrūfi yartāḥu li-n nadā
wa yuʿṭī ʿaṭā’an lā yakhāfu-n nawā’ibā

He is moved by good deeds and finds rest in generosity; he gives a gift without fearing the calamities of time.

وَذَا أَحْمَدٌ دَعْ عَنْكَ مَعْنًا وَحَاتِمًــا
كَذَا هَرَمًا مِنْ طَـهَ حَازُوا الْمَوَاهِبَا

Wa dhā Aḥmadun daʿ ʿanka Maʿnan wa Ḥātiman
kadhā Haramam min Ṭāhā ḥāzū-l mawāhibā

This is Ahmad; leave aside (the stories of) Ma'n and Hatim, as well as Haram—it is from Taha they all acquired their gifts.

لِذَاكَ تَرَانِــي قَـــدْ عَكَفْـــتُ بِبَابِـــهِ
فَمِنْــهُ يَنَـــالُ الْعَالَمُـــونَ الْمَطَالِبَــا

Li-dhāka tarānī qad ʿakaftu bi-bābihi
fa-minhu yanālu-l ʿālamūna-l maṭālibā

That is why you see me devoted at his door; for from him, all the worlds attain their requests.

لَدَى قَصْرِ كِسْرَى قَدْ ذَكَرتُ مُحَمَّدًا
فَأَرَّقَنِــــي ذِكْــــرَى بِبَغْــــدَادَ آئِبَــا

Ladā qaṣri Kisrā qad dhakartu Muḥammadā
fa-arraqanī dhikrā bi-Baghdāda ā’ibā

At the palace of Chosroes, I remembered Muhammad; and the memory in Baghdad kept me awake as I returned.

ثَوَى فِيهِ سَلْمَانٌ وَغَـــادَرَ هُرْمُــزٌ
وَقَدْ مَزَّقُـــوا أَعْلاَمَـــهُ وَالْكَتَائِبَــا

Thawā fīhi Salmānun wa ghādara Hurmuzun
wa qad mazzaqū aʿlāmahu wa-l katā’ibā

Salman (al-Farisi) dwelt therein and Hormuz departed; and they (the Muslims) tore down his flags and battalions.

لَدَى كَرْبَلاَ زُرْتُ الْحُسَيْنَ تَوَسُّلاً
لِوَالِدِهِ الْأَرْضَى ، مِـنَ اللّٰهِ طَالِبَا

Ladā Karbalā zurtu-l Ḥusayna tawassulan
li-wālidihi-l arḍā mina-llāhi ṭālibā

At Karbala, I visited Husayn as a means of seeking, calling upon his most pleasing father (Ali).

عَلِيٍّ أَبِي السِّبْطَيْـــــنِ لَيْـــثِ مُحَمَّــدٍ
بِصَارِمِهِ الصَّمْصَامِ أُنْحِي الْمَصَائِبَـا

ʿAliyyin abī-s sibṭayni laythi Muḥammadin
bi-ṣārimihi-ṣ ṣamṣāmi unḥī-l maṣā’ibā

Ali, the father of the two grandsons, the lion of Muhammad; by his sharp, unbending sword, I dispel afflictions.

بِهِـمْ أَرْتَجِي دَرْكَ الْمَطَالِـــــبِ جَالِبًــا
لِنَفْسِي وَقَوْمِي الْمُشْتَهَى وَالْمَرَاغِبَـــا

Bihim artajī darka-l maṭālibi jāliban
li-nafsī wa qawmī-l mushtahā wa-l marāghibā

Through them, I hope to attain all requirements, bringing for myself and my people all that is desired and longed for.

بِأَسْوَانَ بِالسَّدِّ الْعَظِيمِ يَطِيــبُ لِي
أُحَيِّي رَسُولاً جَاءَ لِلسَّعْدِ وَاهِبَـــا

Bi-Aswāna bi-s saddi-l ʿaẓīmi yaṭību lī
uḥayyī rasūlan jā’a li-s saʿdi wāhibā

In Aswan, by the Great Dam, it is pleasant for me to greet a Messenger who came as a giver of happiness.

وَيَحْمِلُ كَلَّ الْكُلِّ لِلضَّيْفِ مُكْــرِمًا
يُعِينُ عَلَى الضَّرَّاءِ لِلْخَيْرِ جَالِبَــا

Wa yaḥmilu kalla-l kulli li-ḍ ḍayfi mukriman
yuʿīnu ʿalā-ḍ ḍarrā’i li-l khayri jālibā

He carries the burden for everyone, honoring the guest; he aids in times of distress and brings about goodness.

مُحَمَّــدٌ الْهَـــادِي الْأَنَامِ سَعَادَتِــي
لَقَدْ كَانَ لِلْمَعْدُومِ وَالْخَيْرِ كَاسِبَــا

Muḥammadun al-hādī-l anāmi saʿādatī
laqad kāna li-l maʿdūmi wa-l khayri kāsibā

Muhammad, the guide of mankind, is my happiness; he was the provider for the destitute and the gainer of good.

عَلَيْـــــهِ صَـــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
بِأَسْوَانَ جِسْمِي حَاضِرٌ ظَلَّ غَائِبَا

ʿAlayhi ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
bi-Aswāna jismī ḥāḍirun ẓalla ghā’ibā

Upon him be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; in Aswan, my body was present yet remained absent (in spirit).

عَلَيْـــــهِ صَـــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
بِأَسْوَانَ جِسْمِي حَاضِرٌ ظَلَّ غَائِبَا

ʿAlayhi ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
bi-Aswāna jismī ḥāḍirun ẓalla ghā’ibā

Upon him be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; in Aswan, my body was present yet remained absent (in spirit).

أَرَانِي لَدَى أَسْوَانَ أَذْكُرُ مَدْحَ مَــنْ
حَبَاهُ جَمَالاً خَالِدَ النَّصْــــرِ غَالِبَــا

Arānī ladā Aswāna adhkuru madḥa man
ḥabāhu jamālan khālida-n naṣri ghālibā

I see myself in Aswan mentioning the praise of him whom He (God) endowed with beauty—eternally victorious and prevailing.

جَمَالُــكَ يُنْسِينِـــي بَهَـــاءً وَبَهْجَـةً
بِفَائِــقِ إِحْسَانٍ حَبَانِــــي الْغَرَائِبَــا

Jamāluka yunsīnī bahā’an wa bahjatan
bi-fā’iqi iḥsānin ḥabānī-l gharā’ibā

Your beauty (O Prophet) makes me forget all other splendor and joy; with surpassing excellence, you gifted me wondrous things.

أَرَانِي قَرِيبًا مِنْ جَمَــالٍ مُشَاهِـــدًا
جَمَــــالاً يُقَوِّيـــهِ وَيُعْلِيــهِ غَالِبَــا

Arānī qarīban min Jamālin mushāhidan
jamālan yuqawwīhi wa yuʿlīhi ghālibā

I see myself near Jamal (Nasser), witnessing a beauty that He (God) strengthens and elevates as a victor.

وَإِفْرِيقِيَا لاَ تَرْتَجِي غَيْــــرَ أَحْمَــدٍ
رَسُولاً هَدَى النَّائِي لَــهُ وَالْأَقَارِبَــا

Wa Ifrīqiyā lā tartajī ghayra Aḥmada
rasūlan hadā-n nā’ī lahu wa-l aqāribā

And Africa hopes for none other than Ahmad; a Messenger who guided the distant and the near to Him.

إِلَى سَيْنِغَــالَ الْمُنْتَمِـــي لِجَنَابِـــــهِ
بِهِ أَنْشَبَ الدَّهْرُ الْخَؤُونُ مَخَـالِبَــا

Ila-Sīnighāla-l muntamī li-janābihi
bihi anshaba-d dahru-l kha’ūnu makhālibā

Toward Senegal, which belongs to his (the Prophet's) side; in it, treacherous time has dug its claws.

فَلَــــمْ تَتَّجِــهْ إِلاَّ إِلَـــى اللّٰهِ وَحْــدَهُ
كَفَاكَ ثَنَائِــــي دَعْـــوَةً وَمَطَالِبَــا

Falam tattajih illā ila-llāhi waḥdahu
kafāka thanā’ī daʿwatan wa maṭālibā

Yet it (Senegal) turned toward none but Allah alone; my praise of you is sufficient as a prayer and a request.

إِلَى بَلَـــــــدِي وَالْحَمْـــدُ لِلَّهِ وَحْـــدَهُ
وَصَلَّى عَلَيْكَ اللّٰهُ مَــنْ جَاءَ عَاقِبَــا

Ila baladī wa-l ḥamdu lillāhi waḥdahu
wa ṣallā ʿalayka-llāhu man jā’a ʿāqibā

To my country (I return), and all praise is to Allah alone; and may Allah bless you, O you who came as the Final Successor.