Harful Yaa · حَرْفُ الْيَاء

يَؤُمُّ رِكَابِي مَهْبَــطَ الْوَحْيِ مُلْتَقَــى
كَتَائِبِ دِينِ الْهَاشِمِيِّ الَّذِي انْتَقَـــى

Ya’ummu rikābī mahbiṭa-l waḥyi multaqa
katā’ibi dīni-l hāshimiyyi-l ladhī-ntaqā

My caravan heads toward the place where revelation descended, the meeting point of the battalions of the religion of the Hashemite, the chosen one.

أَسِيرُ إِلَى الْبَطْحَا أَطُـــوفُ بِبَيْتِــهِ
وَأَمْشِي إِلَى نُورِ الْـهُـدَى مُتَشَوِّقَــا

Asīru ila-l Baṭḥā aṭūfu bi-baytihi
wa amshī ilā nūri-l hudā mutashawwiqā

I journey toward the Bathā’, circumambulating His House, and I walk toward the Light of Guidance with intense longing.

أُوَافِي حَبِيبًا رَاقِدًا حَوْلَ رَوْضَـــــةٍ
عَلَى الْخُلْدِ وَالْفِرْدَوْسِ أَبْدَتْ تَفَوُّقَا

Uwāfī ḥabīban rāqidan ḥawla rawḍatin
ʿala-l khuldi wa-l firdawsi abdat tafawwuqā

I come to a Beloved resting near a Garden that has shown superiority over eternity and Paradise.

فَيَا لَكَ مِنْ مَرْأًى هُنَاكَ وَمَسْمَــعٍ
تَرَى الْعِلْمَ وَالْعِرْفَانَ يَجْرِي تَدَفُّقَا

Fa-yā laka min mar’an hunāka wa masmaʿin
tarā-l ʿilma wa-l ʿirfāna yajrī tadaffuqā

O, what a sight and what a sound is there! You see knowledge and gnosis flowing in abundance.

تَرَى كُلَّ أَخْيَارِ الْخَلاَئِــقِ حَوْلَـــهُ
لَإِنْسَانُ عَيْنِ الْخَلْقِ لِلْكُلِّ مُسْتَقَــى

Tarā kulla akhyāri-l khalā’iqi ḥawlahu
la-insānu ʿayni-l khalqi li-l kulli mustaqā

You see all the best of creation around him; he is the "pupil of the eye" of existence, from whom everyone draws water.

يُؤَدُّونَ حَقَّ الْحَقِّ فِي وَصْلِ حِبِّــهِ
مُحَمَّـــدُ مُخْتَارِ الْإِلَـــهِ وَمُنْتَقَــــى

Yud-dūna ḥaqqa-l ḥaqqi fī waṣli ḥibbihi
Muḥammadu mukhtāri-l ilāhi wa muntaqā

They fulfill the right of the Truth by connecting with his love; Muhammad, the chosen and selected of God.

فَهَرْوَلْتُ مِنْ أَرْضِي بِكَوْلَخَ طَائِرًا
بِحُــــبٍّ وَإِيمَــــــانٍ بِـــهِ مُتَعَلِّقَــا

Fa-harwaltu min arḍī bi-Kawlakha ṭā’iran
bi-ḥubbin wa īmānin bihi mutaʿalliqā

So I hurried from my land in Kaolack, flying with love and faith, clinging fast to him.

بِلاَغُوسَ بِالْخَرْطُــــومِ لَيْـــلاً وَإِنَّنِــي
كَذِي الشَّوْقِ لاَ أَلْوِي عَلَى الْغَيْرِ مُطْلَقَا

Bi-Lāghūsa bi-l Kharṭūmi laylan wa innanī
ka-dhī-sh shawqi lā alwī ʿala-l ghayri muṭlaqā

In Lagos, in Khartoum by night—and indeed I, like one possessed by longing, never turn toward anyone else at all.

بِجِدَّةَ بِالْبَيْـــتِ الْحَـــرَامِ بِزَمْــزَمٍ
بِمَسْعًى بِهِ الْإِسْلاَمُ جَهْــرًا تَدَفَّقَــا

Bi-Jiddata bi-l Bayti-l Ḥarāmi bi-Zamzamin
bi-masʿan bihi-l islāmu jahran tadaffaqā

In Jeddah, at the Sacred House, at Zamzam, and at the Mas'ā, where Islam flowed openly.

بِطَيْبَةَ مَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا هِـــيَ طَيْبَــةٌ
بِهَا كُلُّ أَمْــــرِ الْهَاشِمِــيِّ تَحَقَّقَــا

Bi-Ṭaybata mā adrāka mā hiya Ṭaybatun
bihā kullu amri-l hāshimiyyi taḥaqqaqā

In Tayba (Medina)—and what can tell you what Tayba is? In it, every matter of the Hashemite was realized.

عَلَيْــكَ صَـــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
تَمَسَّكْتُ بِالْأَذْيَالِ مِنْــكَ مُصَدِّقَــا

ʿAlayka ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
tamassaktu bi-l adhyāli minka muṣaddiqā

Upon you be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; I have clung to your hems, believing with certainty.

عَلَيْـــكَ صَـــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
بِدَيْجُورَ أَشْدُو دَمْعُ عَيْنِي تَرَقْرَقَا

ʿAlayka ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
bi-dayjūra ashdū damʿu ʿaynī taraqraqā

Upon you be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; in the darkness of night I chant, while the tears in my eye shimmer.

إِذَا نَظَرُوا نَحْوِي أُكَفْكِفُ أَدْمُعِي
وَإِنْ غَفَلُوا أَرْسَلْتُ دَمْعِيَ مُطْلَقَا

Idhā naẓarū naḥwī ukafkifu admuʿī
wa in ghafalū arsaltu damʿiya muṭlaqā

If they look toward me, I wipe away my tears; and if they are heedless, I let my tears flow freely.

فَقَيْدٌ وَإِطْلاَقٌ لِدَمْعِي كِلاَهُمَــا
وَذَلِكَ حَالُ الْحُبِّ حِينَ تَحَرَّقَا

Fa-qaydun wa iṭlāqun li-damʿī kilāhumā
wa dhālika ḥālu-l ḥubbi ḥīna taḥarraqā

Restraint and release for my tears—both are the state of love when it has burned intensely.

فَنَارُ اشْتِيَاقِي وَاقِــدٌ وَهْـــوَ مَدْمَعِــي
يُحَاوِلُ إِطْفَا الْجَمْرِ إِذْ صَارَ مُحْرِقَا

Fa-nāru-shtiyāqī wāqidun wa huwa madmaʿī
yuḥāwilu iṭfā-l jamri idh ṣāra muḥriqā

The fire of my longing is kindled, and it is my tears that try to extinguish the embers when they become scorching.

عَلَيْـــكَ صَـــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
فَقَدْ هَيَّجَ الْأَشْــوَاقَ بَـــرْقٌ تَأَلَّقَــا

ʿAlayka ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
fa-qad hayyaja-l ashwāqa barqun ta’allaqā

Upon you be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; for longing has been stirred by a lightning bolt that flashed.

عَلَيْـــكَ صَـــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
خَدِيمُكَ لاَ يُلْفِيكَ لِلْبَــــابِ مُغْلِقَــا

ʿAlayka ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
khadīmuka lā yulfīka li-l bābi mughliqā

Upon you be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; your servant will never find you closing the door.

عَلَيْــكَ صَـــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
تُقَـــــرِّبُ إِبْرَاهِيـــمَ زِدْهُ تَحَقُّقَــا

ʿAlayka ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
tuqarribu Ibrāhīma zid-hu taḥaqquqā

Upon you be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; bring Ibrahim near, and increase his spiritual realization.

عَلَيْــكَ صَــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
وَدَبَّتْ حُمَيَّا الشَّوْقِ وَهْوَ تَفَتَّقَـا

ʿAlayka ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
wa dabbat ḥumayya-sh shawqi wa huwa tafattaqā

Upon you be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; the intoxication of longing has crept in and burst forth.

عَلَيْــــكَ صَـــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــــمَّ سَلاَمُــــهُ
أَؤُوبُ بِسُؤْلِي مُصْطَفَى الْكَوْنِ مُنْتَقَى

ʿAlayka ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
a’ūbu bi-su’lī muṣṭafa-l kawni muntaqā

Upon you be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; I return with my request to the Chosen of the universe, the selected.

عَلَيْكَ صَــــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُــــمَّ سَلاَمُـــهُ
تُرَافِقُنِــي سِـــرًّا لِكَـــيْ أَتَحَقَّقَــــا

ʿAlayka ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
turāfiqunī sirran likay ataḥaqqaqā

Upon you be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; accompany me in secret so that I may reach realization.

عَلَيْـــكَ صَـــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
وَأَخْدُمُ دِيـنَ الْهَاشِمِــيِّ مُصَــدِّقَا

ʿAlayka ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
wa akhdumu dīna-l hāshimiyyi muṣaddiqā

Upon you be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; and I serve the religion of the Hashemite, believing firmly.

عَلَيْــــكَ صَــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
لِتَرْضَى عَنِ الْعَبْدِ الْحَقِيرِ وَتُعْتِقَا

ʿAlayka ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
li-tarḍā ʿani-l ʿabdi-l ḥaqīri wa tuʿtiqā

Upon you be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; so that You may be pleased with the humble servant and set him free.

صَلاَةٌ وَتَسْلِيــمٌ مِــــنَ اللّٰهِ سَرْمَــدًا
عَلَى مَنْ غَزَا بَدْرًا وَأُحْدًا وَخَنْدَقَا

Ṣalātun wa taslīmun mina-llāhi sarmadan
ʿalā man ghazā Badran wa Uḥudan wa Khandaqā

Blessings and peace from Allah eternally be upon the one who raided Badr, Uhud, and the Trench.

وَخَيْبَرَ قَبْلَ الْفَتْحِ وَالْكُفْرُ مُخْمَـــدٌ
وَقَدْ سَادَ دِينُ اللّٰهِ وَالْعَــدْلَ حَقَّقَــا

Wa Khaybara qabla-l fatḥi wa-l kufru mukhmadun
wa qad sāda dīnu-llāhi wa-l ʿadla ḥaqqaqā

And Khaybar before the victory, while disbelief was extinguished, and the religion of Allah prevailed and established justice.

عَلَيْـــهِ صَـــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
وَقَدْ شَقَّ بَدْرًا وَالسَّمَاوَاتِ شَقَّقَا

ʿAlayhi ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
wa qad shaqqa badran wa-s samāwāti shaqqaqā

Upon him be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; he who split the moon and traversed the heavens.

عَلَيْــــهِ صَـلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
وَهَبْتُ لَـــهُ كُلِّي جَنَانًا وَلَقْلَقَــا

ʿAlayhi ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
wahabtu lahu kullī janānan wa laqlaqā

Upon him be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; I have gifted him my all—my heart and my tongue.

بِخَيْفٍ بِجَمْعٍ بِالْمُخَصَّبِ مِنْ مِنًى
مُنَايَ اقْتِفَا الْهَادِي وَلَنْ أَتَزَلَّقَـــا

Bi-Khayfin bi-Jamʿin bi-l Mukhaṣṣabi min Minā
munāya-qtifā-l hādī wa lan atazallaqā

At Khayf, at Jam' (Muzdalifa), at al-Mukhaṣṣab in Mina—my desire is to follow the Guide and never to slip.

عَلَى نَهْجِ قَوْمٍ صَالِحِينَ قَدْ أَخْلَصُوا
وَحَازُوا لَدَى مَوْلَى الْبَرِيَّةِ مَوْثِقَـــا

ʿAlā nahji qawmin ṣāliḥīna qad akhlaṣū
wa ḥāzū ladā mawla-l bariyyati mawthiqā

On the path of righteous people who were sincere and attained a firm covenant with the Master of creation.

وَإِلاَّ فَلاَ لَــــــوْمٌ فَلُـــذْتُ بِحِقْــوِهِ
وَمَا آبَ مَنْ قَدْ لاَذَ بِالْحِقْوِ مُخْفِقَـا

Wa illā falā lawmun fa-ludhtu bi-ḥiqwihi
wa mā āba man qad lādha bi-l ḥiqwi mukhfiqā

Otherwise, there is no blame, for I have taken refuge in his protection; and none who took refuge in that protection ever returned failing.

عَلَيْـــــهِ صَــــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُــــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
بِدِيوَانِ طَـهَ الْهَاشِمِي صِرْتُ مُلْحَقَا

ʿAlayhi ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
bi-dīwāni Ṭāhā-l hāshimī ṣirtu mulḥaqā

Upon him be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; I have become attached to the Diwan of Taha the Hashemite.

عَلَيْــــــهِ صَـــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
لَدَى عَرَفَاتٍ أَرْتَجِي الْعِتْقَ وَاللِّقَا

ʿAlayhi ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
ladā ʿArafātin artajī-l ʿitqa wa-l liqā

Upon him be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; at Arafat I hope for freedom (from the fire) and the Meeting.

عَلَيْـــــهِ صَـــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
بِأُسْرَتِهِ قَدْ صِرْتُ بِالْحُبِّ مُلْصَقَـا

ʿAlayhi ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
bi-uṣratihi qad ṣirtu bi-l ḥubbi mulṣaqā

Upon him be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; through love, I have become joined to his family.

عَلَيْــــهِ صَـــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
إِلَى غَيْرِ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ لَــنْ أَتَمَلَّقَــا

ʿAlayhi ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
ilā ghayri khayri-l khalqi lan atamallaqā

Upon him be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; to none but the best of creation will I ever show flattery.

عَلَيْـــــهِ صَــــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
فَقَدْ شِبْتُ هَلْ لِي أَنْ أُرَقَّى وَأُعْتَقَا

ʿAlayhi ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
fa-qad shibtu hal lī an uraqqā wa uʿtaqā

Upon him be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; I have grown gray—is it time for me to be elevated and freed?

عَلَيْـــــهِ صَـــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
بِجَمْعٍ أُنَادِي وَهْــــوَ حُبِّــيَ أَرَّقَــا

ʿAlayhi ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
bi-Jamʿin unādī wa huwa ḥubbī arraqā

Upon him be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; at Jam' I cry out, for it is my love that kept me awake.

عَلَى قُزَحٍ أَدْعُو وَإِنِّيَ مُوقِــنٌ
إِجَابَةَ رَبِّي دَعْوَتِــــي مُتَحَقِّقَــا

ʿAlā Quzaḥin adʿū wa inniya mūqinun
ijābata rabbī daʿwatī mutaḥaqqiqā

Upon Quzaḥ I supplicate, and indeed I am certain that my Lord's answer to my prayer is realized.

وَقَدْ زَارَنِي طَيْفٌ مِنْ أَحْمَدَ مَوْهِنًا
وَهَيَّــجَ شَوْقِـــي وَالْفُـــؤَادُ تَمَزَّقَــا

Wa qad zāranī ṭayfun min Aḥmada mawhinā
wa hayyaja shawqī wa-l fu’ādu tamazzaqā

A phantom from Ahmad visited me in the late night, stirring my longing while the heart was torn apart.

عَلَى أَنَّنِــــي لاَ لاَ أَبُـــوحُ بِسِــرِّهِ
طَمِعْتُ بِوَصْلٍ أَرْتَجِي أَنْ يُحَقَّقَــا

ʿAlā annanī lā lā abūḥu bi-sirrihi
ṭamiʿtu bi-waṣlin artajī an yuḥaqqaqā

Yet I shall not, no, I shall not reveal his secret; I craved a union that I hope will be realized.

وَجِئْتُ وَلَكِنْ لَمْ أَبِتْ غَيْرَ لَيْلَــةٍ
وَهَلْ هِيَ تَكْفِي مُغْرَمًا مُتَعَشِّقَــا

Wa ji’tu walākin lam abit ghayra laylatin
wa hal hiya takfī mughraman mutaʿash-shiqā

I came, but I did not stay more than a night; and can one night suffice a devoted, infatuated lover?

وَعَرَّجْتُ لِلْقُدْسِ الشَّرِيفِ وَبَعْدَهُ
سَرَيْتُ لِبَرْهَــــامَ الْخَلِيـــلِ مُوَفَّقَــا

Wa ʿarrajtu li-l Qudsi-sh sharīfi wa baʿdahu
saraytu li-Barhāma-l Khalīli muwaffaqā

I journeyed to the Noble Jerusalem, and thereafter I traveled to Ibrahim the Friend (in Hebron), successfully.

عَلَيْكَ أَيَـــا بَرْهَــــامُ بَعْـــدَ مُحَمَّــدٍ
صَلاَةٌ وَتَسْلِيـــمٌ يَزِيـــدَانِ رَوْنَقَــا

ʿAlayka ayā Barhāmu baʿda Muḥammadin
ṣalātun wa taslīmun yazīdāni rawnaqā

Upon you, O Ibrahim, after Muhammad, be blessings and peace that increase in splendor.

لَدَى قَصْرِ رَأْسِ التِّينِ زُرْتُ تَوَسُّلاً
لِطَـــهَ فَتَـــــــاهُ جَابِـــــرًا وَتَعَلُّقَـــا

Ladā qaṣri Ra’si-t Tīni zurtu tawassulā
li-Ṭāhā fatāhu jābiran wa taʿalluqā

At the palace of Ras al-Tin (in Alexandria) I visited, seeking a means to Taha, his youth, mending and clinging.

وَأَهْدَيْتُ لِلْمُرْسِي الْكَبِيرِ تَحِيَّــــةً
كَــذَا لِزَمِيلِي فِي الثَّنَا وَهْوَ أَفْلَقَـــا

Wa ahdaytu li-l Mursi-l kabīri taḥiyyatan
kadhā li-zamīlī fī-th thanā wa huwa aflaqā

And I gifted a greeting to the great al-Mursi, and likewise to my companion in praise who is most eloquent.

فَعَنْهُمْ رِضَى الْبَارِي وَعَنِّي بِيُمْنِهِ
وَيُعْطِي لَنَا فَيْضًا يُــــرَى مُتَدَفِّقَــا

Fa-ʿanhum riḍā-l bārī wa ʿannī bi-yumnihi
wa yuʿṭī lanā fayḍan yurā mutadaffiqā

May the pleasure of the Creator be upon them, and upon me through His blessing; and may He grant us an overflow that is seen as pouring.

عَلَيْـــــهِ صَـــــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُــــمَّ سَلاَمُــــهُ
رِضَى اللّٰهِ عَنْ شَيْخِي أَبًا كَانَ مُشْفِقَا

ʿAlayhi ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
riḍā-llāhi ʿan shaykhī aban kāna mushfiqā

Upon him be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; may the pleasure of Allah be upon my Shaykh, who was a compassionate father.

عَلَيْـــكَ صَــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُــــمَّ سَلاَمُـــهُ
وَ أُودِعُ أَوْلاَدِي لَدَيْـــــكَ تَوَثُّقَــــــــا

ʿAlayka ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
wa ūdiʿu awlādī ladayka tawath-thuqā

Upon you be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; I entrust my children to you with firm trust.

عَلَيْـــهِ صَـــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُـــهُ
وَأَهْلِي وَأَحْبَابِي وَمَنْ قَدْ تَعَلَّقَا

ʿAlayhi ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
wa ahlī wa aḥbābī wa man qad taʿallaqā

Upon him be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; and my family, my beloveds, and whoever has become attached.

عَلَيْهِ مَعَ الْآلِ الْكِـــرَامِ وَصَحْبِــهِ
وَمَا أَمَّ رَكْبِي مَهْبَطَ الْوَحْيِ مُلْتَقَـى

ʿAlayhi maʿa-l āli-l kirāmi wa ṣaḥbihi
wa mā amma rakbī mahbiṭa-l waḥyi multaqa

Upon him, along with the noble Family and his Companions; and as long as my caravan heads toward the place where revelation descended.