Harful 'Ayn · حَرْفُ الْعَيْن

عَلَى صَاحِبِ الْمِعْرَاجِ طَــهَ تَحِيَّتِي
فَسَيْرِي إِلَيْهِ الدَّهْرَ غَايَــــةُ بُغْيَتِــي

ʿAlā ṣāḥibi-l miʿrāji Ṭāhā taḥiyyatī
fa-sayrī ilayhi-d dahra ghāyatu bughyatī

Upon the master of the Ascension, Taha, be my greeting; for my journey toward him throughout time is the ultimate of my desires.

أَسِيرُ لَهُ وَالشَّــــوْقُ مِنِّــي مُبَــرِّحٌ
إِلَى طَيْبَةٍ أُهْـــدِي لِطَـــهَ تَحِيَّتِـــي

Asīru lahu wa-sh shawqu minnī mubar-riḥun
ila Ṭaybata uhdī li-Ṭāhā taḥiyyatī

I journey toward him while intense longing afflicts me; to Tayba (Medina), I offer my greeting to Taha.

تَحَرَّكَ رَكْبِي مِــنْ مَدِينَـــةِ كَوْلَخٍ
أَرُومُ وِصَالاً مِــنْ أَرَاضٍ نَطِيَّــةِ

Taḥarraka rakbī min madīnati Kawlakha
arūmu wiṣālan min arāḍin naṭiyyati

My caravan moved from the city of Kaolack, seeking union from far-reaching lands.

أُطَوِّفُ فِي الْآفَاقِ وَالْحَالُ إِنَّنِـــــي
وُقُوفِي بِبَابِ الْهَاشِمِي الْقَرْمِ نِيَّتِي

Uṭaw-wifu fī-l āfāqi wa-l ḥālu innanī
wuqūfī bi-bābi-l hāshimiyyi-l qarmi niyyatī

I travel across horizons, while my state is that standing at the door of the noble Hashemite is my sole intention.

بِيُوفٍ لِكُنْغُو مِنْ دُوَالاَ وَمَقْصَدِي
قُدُومِي لِطَهَ الْهَاشِمِي وَهْوَ مُنْيَتِي

Bi-Yūfin li-Kunghū min Duwālā wa maqṣadī
qudūmī li-Ṭāhā-l hāshimiyyi wa huwa munyatī

In Yeumbeul, to Congo, from Douala, and my goal is my arrival at Taha the Hashemite, who is my wish.

إِلَى خَاتِمِ الرُّسْلِ الْكِرَامِ مُحَمَّـــدٍ
عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الرَّحْمَنِ أَزْكَى تَحِيَّـــةِ

Ila khātami-r rusli-l kirāmi Muḥammadin
ʿalayhi mina-r raḥmāni azkā taḥiyyati

Toward the Seal of the noble Messengers, Muhammad; upon him from the Most Merciful be the purest greeting.

عَلَيْهِ صَــــــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُــــمَّ سَلاَمُـــهُ
طَوَى السَّبْعَ طَيًّا ثُمَّ نَاجَى بِخَشْيَةِ

ʿAlayhi ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
ṭawa-s sabʿa ṭayyan thumma nājā bi-khashyati

Upon him be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; he who traversed the seven heavens swiftly, then intimately prayed with awe.

بِطَيْبَةَ بِالرَّوْضِ الشَّرِيفِ وَمَا حَوَتْ
مِنَ الشِّيبِ وَالنِّسْوَانِ طُرًّا وَصِبْيَــةِ

Bi-Ṭaybata bi-r rawḍi-sh sharīfi wa mā ḥawat
mina-sh shībi wa-n niswāni ṭurran wa ṣibyati

In Tayba, in the Noble Garden, and all it contains of the gray-haired, the women, and the children altogether.

وَلَيْسَ نَجَاةٌ فِـــي سُلُوكِ سِوَائِهَــا
وَلَوْ زَخْرَفُوا الْآرَاءَ مِنْ كُلِّ فِرْيَةِ

Wa laysa najātun fī sulūki siwā’ihā
walaw zakhrafū-l ārā’a min kulli firyati

There is no salvation in following any path other than hers (Medina's), even if they embellish opinions with every fabrication.

رَجَائِيَ رَفْـــعُ الدِّينِ وَالسُّنَّةِ الَّتِي
تَجَاهَلَهَا الْأَقْوَامُ فِي كُــــلِّ قَرْيَــةِ

Rajā’ī rafʿu-d dīni wa-s sunnati-l latī
tajāhalahā-l aqwāmu fī kulli qaryati

My hope is the elevation of the religion and the Sunnah which the people have ignored in every village.

فَهَلْ تَجْمَــعُ الْأَيَّامُ قَـــــوْمَ مُحَمَّــدٍ
عَلَى نَهْجِهِ مِنْ دُونِ شَكٍّ وَمِرْيَةِ

Fa-hal tajmaʿu-l ayyāmu qawma Muḥammadin
ʿalā nahjihi min dūni shakkin wa miryati

Will the days ever gather the people of Muhammad upon his path, without any doubt or uncertainty?

تَطَاوَلَ لَيْلِي عِنْدَ كُنْغُ فَلَـــمْ أَنَــمْ
حَنِينًا إِلَى الْمَأْمُونِ هَادِي الْبَرِيَّةِ

Taṭāwala laylī ʿinda Kunghū falam anam
ḥanīnan ila-l ma’mūni hādī-l bariyyati

My night was long in Congo and I did not sleep, out of yearning for the trusted one, the guide of creation.

رَجَعْتُ وَمَا جِئْتُ الْمَدِينَــــةَ رَاغِمًــا
وَطَأْطَأْتُ رَأْسِي تَحْتَ أَقْصَى قَضِيَّةِ

Rajaʿtu wa mā ji’tu-l madīnata rāghiman
wa ṭa’ṭa’tu ra’sī taḥta aqṣā qaḍiyyati

I returned, though I did not come to the city (Medina) reluctantly; and I bowed my head under the ultimate Decree.

مَرَرْتُ بِأَحْبَـــابٍ كِـــرَامٍ أَمَاجِــدٍ
بِلاَغُوسَ قَدْ جَاءُوا بِأَبْهَى عَشِيَّــةِ

Marartu bi-aḥbābin kirāmin amājidin
bi-Lāghūsa qad jā’ū bi-abhā ʿashiyyati

I passed by beloved ones, noble and eminent, in Lagos, who came in the most beautiful of evenings.

جَزَاهُمْ إِلَهِي كُلَّ خَيْرٍ وَجَاءَهُمْ
مِنَ اللّٰهِ مَوْلَى الْخَلْقِ كُلُّ بَقِيَّــــةِ

Jazāhum ilāhī kulla khayrin wa jā’ahum
mina-llāhi mawla-l khalqi kullu baqiyyati

May my God reward them with every good, and may there come to them from Allah, the Master of creation, every remaining blessing.

وَبَدَّدَ شَمْلَ الْمُرْجِفِينَ وَجَاءَهُــمْ
عَلَى عَكْسِ مَا رَامُـــوهُ كُلُّ بَلِيَّــةِ

Wa baddada shamla-l murjifīna wa jā’ahum
ʿalā ʿaksi mā rāmūhu kullu baliyyati

And may He disperse the gathering of the agitators, and may every calamity come to them contrary to what they desired.

وَتَكْفِي صِحَابِي شَرَّ قَوْمٍ عَلِمْتَهُمْ
يَكِيدُونَ دِيــنَ الْهَاشِمِــيِّ بِخُفْيَــةِ

Wa takfī ṣiḥābī sharra qawmin ʿalimtahum
yakīdūna dīna-l hāshimiyyi bi-khufyati

And suffice my companions against the evil of a people You know, who plot against the religion of the Hashemite in secret.

عَلَيْــكَ صَــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
وَتَعْلُو عَلَى كُلِّ الْبِنَايَاتِ بِنْيَتِــي

ʿAlayka ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
wa taʿlū ʿalā kulli-l bināyāti binyatī

Upon you be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; and may my structure rise above all buildings.

عَلَيْكَ صَـــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
وَتَقْبَلُ حَجَّاتِي وَتَقْبَلُ مِشْيَتِـي

ʿAlayka ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
wa taqbalu ḥajjātī wa taqbalu mishyatī

Upon you be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; and may You accept my pilgrimages and accept my walk.

عَلَيْـــــكَ صَــــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــــــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
وَتُرْضِى أَبِي الْأَرْضَى الْكَرِيمَ السَّجِيَّةِ

ʿAlayka ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
wa turḍī abī-l arḍā karīma-s sajiyyati

Upon you be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; and may You make my pleasing father, of noble character, satisfied.

عَلَيْـكَ صَــــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
وَتُصْلِحُ أَهْلِي ثُمَّ أَهْــلَ مَعِيَّتِــي

ʿAlayka ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
wa tuṣliḥu ahlī thumma ahla maʿiyyatī

Upon you be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; and rectify my family and those in my company.

عَلَيْــــكَ صَـــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
وَصَحْبِي وَأَحْبَابِي وَأَهْلَ وَصِيَّتِي

ʿAlayka ṣalātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
wa ṣaḥbī wa aḥbābī wa ahla waṣiyyatī

Upon you be the blessings of Allah and then His peace; and my companions, my beloveds, and the people of my testament.

عَلَيْكَ مَعَ الْآلِ الْكِــــرَامِ وَصَحْبِــهِ
فَحَقِّقْ رَجَائِي قَبْــــلَ يَـــوْمِ مَنِيَّتِـــي

ʿAlayka maʿa-l āli-l kirāmi wa ṣaḥbihi
fa-ḥaq-qiq rajā’ī qabla yawmi maniyyatī

Upon you, along with the noble Family and his Companions; so fulfill my hope before the day of my death.