Harful Laam · حَرْفُ اللَّام

لِطَـــــهَ نَبِـــيِّ الْأَنْبِيَـــاءِ ثَنَائِـــــي
بِوَقْتِ اقْتِرَابِي مِثْلَ وَقْــتِ تَنَائِــي

Li-Ṭāhā nabiyyi-l anbiyā’i thanā’ī
bi-waqti-qtirābī mithla waqti tanā’ī

For Taha, the Prophet of the prophets, is my praise; in the time of my proximity as well as in the time of my distance.

أَحِنُّ إِلَيْــهِ حَيْثُ كُنْتُ وَإِنْ دَنَــتْ
مَرَابِعُـــهُ زَخْرَفْــتُ فِيـــهِ ثَنَائِــي

Aḥinnu ilayhi ḥaythu kuntu wa in danat
marābiʿuhu zakhraftu fīhi thanā’ī

I long for him wherever I am, and if his dwellings draw near, I decorate my praise for him.

تَطَاوَلَ لَيْلِـــي فِي دَكَــارَ مُؤَرَّقًــا
حَنِينًا لِمَنْ بَيْـــــنَ النَّقَـــا وَقُبَــاءِ

Taṭāwala laylī fī Dakāra mu’arraqā
ḥanīnan li-man bayna-n Naqā wa Qubā’ī

My night in Dakar was long and sleepless, out of yearning for the one between al-Naqa and Quba.

بِبَارِيسَ لَيْلاً قَدْ أَرِقْــــتُ تَشَوُّقًــا
جَفَانِي مَنَامِي اللَّيْلَ كُــلَّ جَفَـــاءِ

Bi-Bārīsa laylan qad ariqtu tashawwuqā
jafānī manāmī-l layla kulla jafā’ī

In Paris by night, I remained awake out of longing; sleep shunned me at night with total avoidance.

بِبَارِيـــــسَ لَكِـــنِّي أَرُوحُ لِطَيْبَـــةٍ
قَدِ ازْدَدْتُ شَوْقًا عِنْدَ قُرْبِ لِقَــــاءِ

Bi-Bārīsa lākinnī arūḥu li-Ṭaybatin
qadi-zdadtu shawqan ʿinda qurbi liqā’ī

I am in Paris, yet I am heading toward Tayba (Medina); my longing increased as the meeting drew near.

إِلَى الْحَرَمِ الْعَالِي الرَّفِيـــعِ مَنَــارُهُ
إِلَى مَرْقَدِ الْمَاحِي الضَّلاَلِ رِوَائِي

Ila-l ḥarami-l ʿālī-r rafīʿi manāruhu
ila marqadi-l māḥī-ḍ ḍalāli riwā’ī

To the high Sanctuary whose minaret is elevated; toward the resting place of the Eraser of misguidance is my path.

إِلَى حُجُرَاتٍ عَظَّــمَ اللّٰهُ شَأْنَهَــا
بِـــذَمِّ مُنَـــــادٍ حَوْلَهَــــا بِجَفَــاءِ

Ilā ḥujurātin ʿaẓ-ẓama-llāhu sha’nahā
bi-dhammi munādin ḥawlahā bi-jafā’ī

To the chambers whose status Allah magnified by censuring those who call out around them with harshness.

إِلَى حُجُرَاتٍ طَهَّــــرَ اللّٰهُ أَهْلَهَـــــا
مِنَ الرِّجْسِ وَالْفَحْشَا وَكُلِّ طَخَاءِ

Ilā ḥujurātin ṭah-hara-llāhu ahlahā
mina-r rijsi wa-l faḥshā wa kulli ṭakhā’ī

To the chambers whose inhabitants Allah purified from impurity, indecency, and every darkness.

مَصَادِرُ آيَــــــاتٍ مَـــوَارِدُ رَحْمَــةٍ
بِهَا الرَّوْضُ فِيهَا حَلَّ وَحْيُ سَمَــاءِ

Maṣādiru āyātin mawāridu raḥmatin
bihā-r rawḍu fīhā ḥalla waḥyu samā’ī

Sources of verses, watering-places of mercy; in them is the Garden, and in them the revelation of heaven descended.

مَحَطَّةُ أَنْظَارِ السَّمَـــاءِ وَمُنْتَهَـــى
مَسِيرِ الْمَلاَ الْعَالِي شُرُوقَ ضِيَـاءِ

Maḥaṭ-ṭatu anẓāri-s samā’i wa muntahā
masīri-l mala-l ʿālī shurūqa ḍiyā’ī

The station where the sights of heaven gaze, and the end of the journey for the highest assembly in the rising of light.

فَلَأْيًــا صَفَا وَقْتِي وَبَاتَ مُؤَمَّلِـــي
قَرِيبًا وَحُــبُّ الْهَاشِمِـــيِّ غِذَائِــي

Fa-la’yan ṣafā waqtī wa bāta mu’ammalī
qarīban wa ḥubbu-l hāshimiyyi ghidhā’ī

With difficulty, my time became pure and my hope became near; and the love of the Hashemite is my nourishment.

تَرَى خَنْدَقَ الْمَاحِي الضَّلاَلِ بِهِ اخْتَفَى
دُجَى الْكُفْــــرِ وَالْأَهْـــوَا وَكُلُّ عَنَــاءِ

Tarā khandaqa-l māḥī-ḍ ḍalāli bihi-khtafā
dujā-l kufri wa-l ahwā wa kullu ʿanā’ī

You see the Trench (Khandaq) of the Eraser of misguidance, in which the darkness of disbelief, whims, and every toil vanished.

أَنَــالُ وُقُوفًا خَاضِعًــــا مُتَأَدِّبًــا
أَمَامَ الْإِمَامِ الْقَرْمِ وَهْوَ شِفَائِـــي

Anālu wuqufan khāḍiʿan muta’addibā
amāma-l imāmi-l qarmi wa huwa shifā’ī

I attain a standing, humble and disciplined, before the noble Imam, and he is my healing.

وَقَفْتُ أَمَامَ الْهَاشِمِيِّ مُصَلِّيًــا
لِرَبِّي فَوَافَانِي كَمَـــالُ هَنَــاءِ

Waqaftu amāma-l hāshimiyyi muṣalliyā
li-rabbī fa-wāfānī kamālu hanā’ī

I stood before the Hashemite, praying to my Lord, and complete bliss came to me.

أُصَلِّي أَمَامِي الْحَقُّ جَلَّ جَلاَلُــهُ
وَخَلْفِي إِمَامِي الْهَاشِمِي بِإِزَائِي

Uṣallī amāmī-l ḥaqqu jalla jalāluhu
wa khalfī imāmī-l hāshimī bi-izā’ī

I pray while before me is the Truth—majestic is His glory—and behind me is my Imam, the Hashemite, alongside me.

مَلاَذِيَ عَبْـــــدَ اللّٰهِ سَيِّـــدَ خَلْقِــهِ
أَتَيْتُ وَتَدْرِي مَا تَرَكْتُ وَرَائِي

Malādhī ʿAbda-llāhi sayyida khalqihi
ataytu wa tadrī mā taraktu warā’ī

My refuge is Abdullah, the master of His creation; I have come, and you know what I have left behind me.

فَسَلْ خَالِقِي تَفْرِيجَ كَرْبِي وَكَرْبَ مَنْ
تَعَلَّـــــقَ بِـــي إِنِّــــي بَرِيــــدُ رَجَــاءِ

Fa-sal khāliqī tafrīja karbī wa karba man
taʿal-laqa bī innī barīdu rajā’ī

So ask my Creator for the relief of my distress and the distress of those attached to me; for I am a messenger of hope.

رَسُولُ شُعُوبٍ يَنْتَمُـــونَ لِأَحْمَــدٍ
بِحُبٍّ وَإِخْلاَصٍ وَصِــدْقِ وَلاَءِ

Rasūlu shuʿūbin yantamūna li-Aḥmadin
bi-ḥubbin wa ikhlāṣin wa ṣidqi walā’ī

The messenger of peoples who belong to Ahmad with love, sincerity, and true loyalty.

تَحَدَّاهُمُ أَعْدَا الْحَنِيفَـــــــةِ جَهْــرَةً
إِلَى خَالِقِي شَكْوًى صَبَاحَ مَسَــاءِ

Taḥad-dāhumu aʿdā-l ḥanīfati jahratan
ila khāliqī shakwā ṣabāḥa masā’ī

The enemies of the upright faith challenged them openly; to my Creator is the complaint, morning and evening.

سَأَلْتُ إِلَهِي أَنْ يُـــــذِلَّ بِسُرْعَــةٍ
عِصَابَاتِ إِسْرَائِيلَ أَهْـــلِ غَبَــاءِ

Sa’altu ilāhī an yudhilla bi-surʿatin
ʿiṣābāti Isrā’īla ahla ghabā’ī

I asked my God to swiftly humiliate the gangs of Israel, the people of foolishness.

وَطَهِّرْ لَنَا الْقُدْسَ الشَّرِيفَ وَأَهْلِكَنْ
إِبَانًــــــــا وَدَيَّانًـــــا رِقَــابَ إِمَــاءِ

Wa ṭah-hir lanā-l Qudsa-sh sharīfa wa ahlikan
Ebāna wa Dayyāna riqāba imā’ī

And purify for us the Noble Jerusalem, and destroy Eban and Dayan, those necks of slaves.

لَقَدْ حَارَبُوا عِيسَى وَيَحْيَى وَأَحْمَدًا
فَهَبْ لِيَهُــــودِ الْقُـــــدْسِ كُلَّ بَـــلاَءِ

Laqad ḥārabū ʿĪsā wa Yaḥyā wa Aḥmadā
fa-hab li-Yahūdi-l Qudsi kulla balā’ī

They fought Jesus, John, and Ahmad; so grant the Jews of Jerusalem every calamity.

وَحَرِّرْ لَنَا سِينَا بِمُوسَى وَأَحْمَدٍ
وَعِيسَى وَإِبْرَاهِيمَ أَهْلِ عَــلاَءِ

Wa ḥarrir lanā Sīnā bi-Mūsā wa Aḥmadin
wa ʿĪsā wa Ibrāhīma ahla ʿalā’ī

And liberate Sinai for us, by the right of Moses, Ahmad, Jesus, and Ibrahim—the people of high standing.

وَتَخْفِضُ جُنْسُونًا بِجَاهِ مُحَمَّـــدٍ
وَسِرِّ الَّذِي قَدْ جَا بِغَارِ حِــرَاءِ

Wa takhfiḍu Junsūnan bi-jāhi Muḥammadin
wa sirri-l ladhī qad jā bi-ghāri Ḥirā’ī

And bring down Johnson by the status of Muhammad and the secret of the one who came to the cave of Hira’.

وَبَعْدَ لَيَالٍ فِي سُرُورٍ وَغِبْطَــــةٍ
سَبَحْنَا إِلَى الْبَطْحَاءِ بَحْرَ فَضَـــاءِ

Wa baʿda layālin fī surūrin wa ghibṭatin
sabaḥnā ila-l Baṭḥā’i baḥra faḍā’ī

And after nights in joy and happiness, we swam to the Bathā’ (Mecca) through a sea of space.

فَمَكَّـةُ هَــــذِي ذَا الْمَقَامُ وَهَـــذِهِ
جِبَالُ ثَبِيرٍ فِي سَنًـــى وَسَنَــاءِ

Fa-Makkatu hadhī dhā-l maqāmu wa hadhihi
jibālu Thabīrin fī sanan wa sanā’ī

This is Mecca, this is the Station (Maqam), and these are the mountains of Thabir in radiance and splendor.

وَذِي عَرَفَاتٌ ذَاكَ جَمْعٌ وَمَشْعَـرٌ
بِهَا وَقَفَ الْمَاحِي لِمَحْـــوِ الشَّقَــاءِ

Wa dhī ʿArafātun dhāka jamʿun wa mashʿaru
bihā waqafa-l māḥī li-maḥwi-sh shaqā’ī

And this is Arafat, that is Jam' (Muzdalifa) and the Sanctuary; in them, the Eraser stood to erase all misery.

يَؤُمُّكَ وَفْدٌ قَدْ طَوَى الْأَرْضَ طَائِـــرًا
إِلَى الْمُصْطَفَى الْمُخْتَارِ بَحْرِ عَطَـاءِ

Ya’ummuka wafdun qad ṭawa-l arḍa ṭā’irā
ila-l muṣṭafa-l mukhtāri baḥri ʿaṭā’ī

A delegation heads toward you, having traversed the earth flying, toward the chosen Mustafa, the sea of giving.

مَعِي صَاحِبِي حِبِّي وَصِهْرِي وَخَادِمِي
أَبُو حَرَمِي بَلْقِيسَ أَهْلُ وَفَاءِ

Maʿī ṣāḥibī ḥibbī wa ṣihrī wa khādimī
Abū ḥaramī Balqīsa ahlu wafā’ī

With me is my companion, my beloved, my son-in-law, and my servant; the father of my wife Balqis, a person of loyalty.

جَزَاهُمْ إِلَـــهِ كُلَّ خَيْرٍ وَيَعْلُــوَنْ
بِنَاؤُهُمُ فِـــــي الْمَجْـــدِ كُلَّ بِنَــاءِ

Jazāhum ilāhī kulla khayrin wa yaʿluwan
binā’uhumu fī-l majdi kulla binā’ī

May my God reward them with every good, and may their structure rise in glory above every structure.

فَهَبْ لِي وَهَبْ عَبْدَ الْمَلِيكِ مُرَادَهُ
بِلاَ سَبَـــــبٍ إِلاَّ صُـــدُورُ قَضَــاءِ

Fa-hab lī wa hab ʿAbda-l Malīki murādahu
bi-lā sababin illā ṣudūru qaḍā’ī

Grant me and grant Abdul Malik his desire, without any cause except the issuance of Divine Decree.

وَتَقْبَلُنَا هَـــبِ الْمُسِيئِينَ جُمْلَـــةً
لِمُحْسِنِنَا هَبْنِي لِعَيْـــنِ الصَّفَــاءِ

Wa taqbalunā habi-l musī’īna jumlatan
li-muḥsininā habnī li-ʿayni-ṣ ṣafā’ī

And accept us; grant the wrongdoers among us to the righteous, and grant me the essence of purity.

جَزَى اللّٰهُ عَنِّي وَالِدِي وَمُعَلِّمِــي
لَدَى حَضْـــرَةِ الْمَنَّانِ كُلَّ جَــزَاءِ

Jazā-llāhu ʿannī wālidī wa muʿal-limī
ladā ḥaḍrati-l mannāni kulla jazā’ī

May Allah reward my father and my teacher on my behalf, in the presence of the Bestower, with every reward.

بِلاَغُوسَ أَحْبَابٌ كِــرَامٌ أَجِلَّـــةٌ
فَأَذْكُرُهُمْ أُهْـــدِي لَهُــــمْ بِدُعَائِي

Bi-Lāghūsa aḥbābun kirāmun ajil-latun
fa-adhkuruhum uhdī lahum bi-duʿā’ī

In Lagos are beloved ones, noble and eminent; I remember them and gift them my prayers.

بِأَزْرِي بِكَانُو مِــنْ أُكَيْنَ لِكَوْلَــخٍ
فَتَذْكَارُهُمْ عِنْــدِي بِوَقْتِ صَفَــــاءِ

Bi-Azrī bi-Kānū min Ukayna li-Kawlakha
fa-tadhkāruhum ʿindī bi-waqti ṣafā’ī

In Azri, in Kano, from Ukayna to Kaolack; their memory is with me in times of purity.

عَلَيْـــكَ صَـــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُـــهُ
أَنَالُ لَــــدَى الْمَوْلَى كَمَالَ رِضَـــاءِ

ʿAlayka ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
anālu ladā-l mawlā kamāla riḍā’ī

Upon you be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; may I attain complete pleasure with the Lord.

عَلَيْــــكَ صَــــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
وَذَا سَيْرُ قَلْبِي وَهْوَ مَحْضُ عَطَاءِ

ʿAlayka ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
wa dhā sayru qalbī wa huwa maḥḍu ʿaṭā’ī

Upon you be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; and this is the journey of my heart, which is pure giving.

عَلَيْـــــكَ صَـــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
وَتُلْحِقُنِـــي بِــالْآلِ أَهْــــلِ عَبَـــاءِ

ʿAlayka ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
wa tulḥiqunī bi-l āli ahli ʿabā’ī

Upon you be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; and join me with the Family, the people of the Cloak.

عَلَيْـــــكَ صَـــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
لِطَـــهَ مَسِيرِي وَهْوَ مِنْـــهُ حِبَائِــي

ʿAlayka ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
li-Ṭāhā masīrī wa huwa minhu ḥibā’ī

Upon you be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; toward Taha is my journey, and from him is my gift.

أَسِيـــرُ بِـــهِ لِلَّهِ جَـــــلَّ جَــلاَلُهُ
وَفُزْتُ بِجَمْعٍ حِيــنَ تَــمَّ فَنَائِي

Asīru bihi lillāhi jalla jalāluhu
wa fuztu bi-jamʿin ḥīna tam-ma fanā’ī

I journey through him to Allah—majestic is His glory—and I triumphed in Union when my annihilation (of self) was complete.

فَخَيَّمَ قَلْبِي عِنْدَ أَحْمَـــدَ لاَ أُرَى
أَمِيلُ إِلَى الْأَغْيَارِ بَعْــــدَ بَقَــاءِ

Fa-khay-yama qalbī ʿinda Aḥmada lā urā
amīlu ila-l aghyāri baʿda baqā’ī

So my heart camped at Ahmad's; I am not seen inclining toward others after my permanence (with him).

أَرَى كُلَّ شَيْءٍ مَا خَلاَ اللّٰهَ بَاطِــلاً
فَحَقَّ يَقِينِـــــي إِذْ أَمَــاطَ غِطَائِــي

Arā kulla shay’in mā khalā-llāha bāṭilā
fa-ḥaq-qa yaqīnī idh amāṭa ghiṭā’ī

I see everything besides Allah as falsehood; my certainty became true when He removed my veil.

عَلَيْـــــهِ صَــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
بِطَـــهَ سُرُورِي بِالْأَمِينِ غِنَائِــي

ʿAlayhi ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
bi-Ṭāhā surūrī bi-l amīni ghinā’ī

Upon him be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; in Taha is my joy, and in the Trustworthy one is my wealth.

عَلَيْــــهِ مَعَ الْآلِ الْكِرَامِ وَصَحْبِهِ
صَــلاَةٌ وَتَسْلِيـــمٌ خِتَـــامَ ثَنَائِــي

ʿAlayhi maʿa-l āli-l kirāmi wa ṣaḥbihi
ṣalātun wa taslīmun khitāma thanā’ī

Upon him, along with the noble Family and his Companions, be blessings and peace as the conclusion of my praise.

مَدِينَةُ مَاحِي الْكُفْرِ وَالْعَارِ وَالرِّجْسِ
مَدَى الدَّهْرِ فِيهَا قُرَّةُ الْعَيْنِ وَالنَّفْـسِ

Madīnatu māḥi-l kufri wa-l ʿāri wa-r rijsi
madā-d dahri fīhā qur-ratu-l ʿayni wa-n nafsi

The city of the Eraser of disbelief, shame, and impurity; throughout time, in it is the delight of the eye and the soul.