Banī Ghānā · بَنِي غَانَا

بَنِي غَانَا ارْفَعُوا الْأَيْدِي
وَحَيُّوا الْغَوْثَ ذَا الْأَيْدِ
مُذِيلَ الْكَدْحِ وَالْكَدِّ
وَمَنْ مِنْ فَيْضِهِ نَرْوَى

Banī Ghānā-rfaʿū-l-aydī
wa-ḥayyū-l-Ghawtha dhā-l-ayd
Mudhīla-l-kadḥi wa-l-kaddi
wa-man min fayḍihi narwā

O children of Ghana, raise your hands and greet the Succor (Al-Ghawth) who possesses spiritual power. The one who removes toil and struggle and from whose spiritual overflow we are quenched.

أَبَا الْفَيْضَاتِ وَالْجَدْوَى
سِوَاهُ الدَّهْرَ لَا نَهْوَى
هَدَانَا الْجَهْرَ وَالنَّجْوَى
إِلَى مَنْ لَا لَهُ الشَّرْوَى

Abā-l-fayḍāti wa-l-jadwā
siwāhu-d-dahra lā nahwā
Hadānā-l-jahra wa-n-najwā
ilā man lā lahu-sh-sharwā

O Father of spiritual overflows and benefits throughout time, we love none but him. He guided us in public and in secret to the one who has no equal.

أَجَلْ هُوَ ابْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ
يَجُوبُ بِلَادَ أَهْلِ اللهِ
يَقُولُ إِنَّنِي لِلَّهِ
تَعَالَوْا لِغَايَةِ الْقُصْوَى

Ajal huwa-bnu ʿAbdillāh
yajūbu bilāda ahli-llāh
Yaqūlu innanī lillāh
taʿālaw li-ghāyati-l-quṣwā

Indeed, he is the son of Abdullah who travels through the lands of the people of Allah. He says, "Verily, I belong to Allah come toward the ultimate goal."

يُنَادِي بِصَوْتِهِ الْأَعْلَى
لِإِرْشَادٍ إِلَى الْمَوْلَى
أَلَا يَا سَادَتِي الْفُضَلَا
تَعَالَوْا هَاكُمُ الْجَدْوَى

Yunādī bi-ṣawtihi-l-aʿlā
li-irshādin ila-l-Mawlā
Alā yā sādatī-l-fuḍalā
taʿālaw hākumu-l-jadwā

He calls out with his highest voice to provide guidance toward the Lord. O my noble masters come and take this spiritual benefit.

يَعُمُّ الْأَمْرُ أَمْرُ اللهِ
بِقُلْ سِيرُوا عِبَادَ اللهِ
فَهَا قَدْ نَابَ عَبْدُ اللهِ
وَفِي يَدِهِ الْعُرَى الْأَقْوَى

Yaʿummu-l-amru amru-llāh
bi-qul sīrū ʿibāda-llāh
Fa-hā qad nāba ʿAbdullāh
wa-fī yadihi-l-ʿura-l-aqwā

The command of Allah encompasses all so say, "March on, O servants of Allah." Behold, the servant of Allah has taken charge and in his hand is the strongest handle.

فَقَصْدُ الْغَوْثِ إِنيَاسُ
بِهَذَا السَّيْرِ فِي النَّاسِ
إِمَاطَةُ شَرِّ خَنَّاسٍ
يُوَسْوِسُ مُفْسِدٌ إِغْوَى

Fa-qaṣdu-l-Ghawthi Inyās
bi-hādha-s-sayri fī-n-nās
Imāṭatu sharri khannās
yuwaswisu mufsidun ighwā

The goal of the Succor, Niass by this movement among the people, Is the removal of the evil of the whisperer the corrupter who whispers misguidance.

تَرَاهُ الْيَوْمَ فِي مِصْرَ
بِمَكَّةَ أَوْ كَنُو طَوْرَا
فَيُرْشِدُ كُلَّهُمْ فَوْرًا
إِلَى مِنْهَاجِهِ الْأَقْوَى

Tarāhu-l-yawma fī Miṣrā
bi-Makkata aw Kanū ṭawrā
Fa-yurshidu kullahum fawrā
ilā minhājihi-l-aqwā

You see him today in Egypt or in Mecca or Kano for a time. He guides all of them immediately to his strongest methodology.

بَنُو الْإِسْلَامِ وَافَوْهُ
كَذَا الْأَنْصَارُ لَبَّوهُ
يَهُودُ الْقُدْسِ عَادَوْهُ
بِصِدْقِ الْقَلْبِ لَا دَعْوَى

Banū-l-Islāmi wāfawhu
kadha-l-Anṣāru labbawhu
Yahūdu-l-Qudsi ʿādawhu
bi-ṣidqi-l-qalbi lā daʿwā

The children of Islam came to him and the Helpers (Ansar) answered his call. The enemies of Jerusalem opposed him with a sincere heart, not just by claim.

فَنَادَى الْمَشْرِقَ الْأَقْصَى
فَلَبَّاهُ وَمَا اسْتَعْصَى
قُلُوبُ رِجَالِهِمْ مَهْصَا
فَصَيَّرَ كَدَرَهُمْ صَفْوَى

Fa-nāda-l-mashriqa-l-aqṣā
fa-labbāhu wa-mā-staʿṣā
Qulūbu rijālihim mahṣā
fa-ṣayyara kadarahum ṣafwā

He called the Far East and it answered him without resistance. The hearts of their men were broken/tamed and he transformed their turbidity into purity.

قِفُوا حَيُّوهُ مِنْ قُرْبٍ
وَمِنْ بَعْدٍ وَفِي الْحَدَبِ
كَذَا فِي السَّهْلِ بِالْأَدَبِ
وَفِي مَثْوَاكُمُ الْمَأْوَى

Qifū ḥayyūhu min qurbin
wa-min baʿdin wa-fī-l-ḥadabi
Kadhā fī-s-sahli bi-l-adabi
wa-fī mathwākumu-l-ma’wā

Stand and greet him from near and from afar and on the hilltops. Likewise in the plains with proper etiquette and in your dwelling place is the refuge.

فَهَا أَنَا خَادِمُ الْبَابِ
أَنُوبُ عَنْكُمْ أَحْبَابِي
بِتَسْلِيمٍ وَتَرْحَابِ
جَنَابَ الْمُنْقِذِ الْأَقْوَى

Fa-hā ana khādimu-l-bābi
anūbu ʿankum aḥbābī
Bi-taslīmin wa-tarḥābi
janāba-l-munqidha-l-aqwā

Behold, I am the servant of the door I represent you, my loved ones, With greetings and welcome to the presence of the strongest savior.

سَلَامُ اللهِ يَا سَنَدِي
سَلَامُ الْمُفْرَدِ الصَّمَدِ
سَلَامُ الْبَارِئِ الْأَحَدِ
عَلَيْكَ أَمَرْكَزَ التَّقْوَى

Salāmu-llāhi yā sanadī
salāmu-l-Mufradi-ṣ-Ṣamad
Salāmu-l-Bāri’i-l-Aḥadi
ʿalayka amar-kaza-t-taqwā

The peace of Allah be upon you, O my support the peace of the One, the Eternal Refuge. The peace of the Creator, the One be upon you, O center of piety.

إِنيَاسُ أَنْتَ مَأْمُولِي
وَمَشْرُوبِي وَمَأْكُولِي
وَمَحْسُوسِي وَمَعْقُولِي
وَفِي قَلْبِي لَكُمْ مَثْوَى

Inyāsu anta ma’mūlī
wa-mashrūbī wa-ma’kūlī
Wa-maḥsūsī wa-maʿqūlī
wa-fī qalbī lakum mathwā

Niass, you are my hope my drink and my sustenance. My sensation and my intellect and in my heart is a dwelling for you.

فَذِكْرُكَ سَيِّدِي شُغْلِي
أَجَلْ وَاللهِ يَا سُؤْلِي
حَيَاتِي وَبَعْدَهَا أَمَلِي
فَذَا أَحْلَى مِنَ الْحَلْوَى

Fa-dhikruka sayyidī shughlī
ajal wa-llāhi yā su’lī
Ḥayātī wa-baʿdahā amalī
fa-dhā aḥlā mina-l-ḥalwā

The remembrance of you, my master, is my preoccupation indeed, by Allah, you are my request. My life and then my hope for this is sweeter than candy.

حَبَاكَ اللهُ يَا قُطْبُ
نِعْمَ مَا قَدْ حَوَى الْكُتْبُ
كَفَى مَا قَدْ دَرَى الْقَلْبُ
فَلَسْتُ بِمُدْرِكِ الشَّأْوَى

Ḥabāka-llāhu yā Quṭbu
niʿma mā qad ḥawa-l-kutbu
Kafā mā qad darā-l-qalbu
falastu bi-mudriki-sh-sha’wā

Allah bestowed upon you, O spiritual Pole (Qutb) the best of what the books have contained. Sufficient is what the heart has known for I cannot reach the furthest goal.

مَقَامُكَ لَيْسَ يَدْرِيهِ
سِوَى مَوْلَاكَ مُعْطِيهِ
وَأَحْمَدُ مَنْ تُنَاجِيهِ
فَيَا بُشْرَى بِذَا النَّجْوَى

Maqāmuka laysa yadrīhi
siwā Mawlāka muʿṭīhi
Wa-Aḥmadu man tunājīhi
fa-yā bushrā bi-dhā-n-najwā

Your station is not known except by your Lord, the Giver of it. And Ahmad is the one you speak with intimately so what glad tidings are in this intimate discourse!

فَهَاكُمْ نَظْمَ هَيْمَانِ
الْفَتَى الْأَنْدَابِ حَيْرَانِ
خَدِيمُ الْحَاجِّ عُثْمَانِ
يُنَادِي رَبَّهُ صَحْوَى

Fa-hākum naẓma haymāni
al-fatā-l-andābi ḥayrāni
Khadīmu-l-Ḥājj ʿUthmāni
yunādī Rabbahu ṣaḥwā

Here is the composition of one smitten with love a youth, grieving and bewildered. The servant of Al-Hajj Uthman calling upon his Lord with clarity.

بِيَا اللهُ يَا أَحَدُ
وَيَا رَبَّاهُ يَا صَمَدُ
وَيَا مَنْ لَا لَهُ نِدُّ
وَيَا مَنْ لَا لَهُ شَرْوَى

Bi-yā Allāhu yā Aḥadu
wa-yā Rabbāhu yā Ṣamadu
Wa-yā man lā lahu niddu
wa-yā man lā lahu sharwā

By Allah, O Unique One and O Lord, O Eternal Refuge. O He who has no peer and O He who has no equal.

سأَلْتُكَ رَبِّ تَوْفِيقًا
يَقِينًا ثُمَّ تَصْدِيقًا
وَزِدْنِي رَبِّ تَشْوِيقًا
إِلَى الْمَمْدَحِ كَيْ أَرْوَى

Sa’altuka Rabbī tawfīqā
yaqīnan thumma taṣdīqā
Wa-zidnī Rabbī tashwīqā
ila-l-mamdaḥi kay arwā

I asked You, my Lord, for success certainty, and then true belief. And increase me, O Lord, in longing toward the praise so that I may be quenched.

وَزِدْ فَيْضَاتِ إِنيَاسٍ
تَعُمُّ أَرَاضِيَ النَّاسِ
بِجَاهِ الْخَتْمِ ذِي الْآسِ
مُمِدِّ جَمِيعِ مَنْ تَهْوَى

Wa-zid fayḍāti Inyāsin
taʿummu arāḍiya-n-nāsi
Bi-jāhi-l-Khatmi dhī-l-āsi
mumiddi jamīʿi man tahwā

And increase the spiritual overflows of Niass that they may encompass the lands of the people. By the rank of the "Seal" (Khatm), possessor of the myrtle who supplies all those you love.

وَصَلَّى اللهُ مَوْلَانَا
عَلَى الْمُخْتَارِ مَلْجَأَنَا
صَفِيِّ اللهِ مَنْ جَانَا
لِرَفْعِ الشَّكِّ وَالْبَلْوَى

Wa-ṣalla-llāhu Mawlānā
ʿala-l-Mukhtāri malja’anā
Ṣafiyyi-llāhi man jānā
li-rafʿi-sh-shakki wa-l-balwā

And may Allah, our Lord, send blessings upon the Chosen One (Al-Mukhtar), our refuge. The pure one of Allah who came to us to remove doubt and affliction.

وَآلٍ ثُمَّ أَصْحَابِ
وَأَشْيَاخِي وَأَحْبَابِي
بِمِصْرَ كَانُوا أَوْ غَابِ
وَمَنْ قَدْ ضَمَّهُ الْمَثْوَى

Wa-ālin thumma aṣḥābi
wa-ashyākhī wa-aḥbābī
Bi-Miṣra kānū aw ghābi
wa-man qad ḍammahu-l-mathwā

And upon his Family and then his Companions and my teachers and my loved ones. Whether they were in Egypt or absent and those whom the final dwelling has gathered.