Chapter 1 – Harfu Hamzah
The Transcript
أَبَى الْقَلْبُ إِلَّا أَنْ يَــكُـونَ مُتَيَّمَـــا
حَلِيـــفَ غَرَامٍ بِـــا لنَّبِيِّ مُهَيَّمَــــا
The heart refused to be anything but completely in love.
A companion to passion, with the Prophet as my guide.
أَبِيــتُ بِلَيْـــلِ التِّمِّ سَهْرَانَ مُنْشِدًا
لِذِكْرِ الَّذِى قَدْ طَابَ بَدْءًا وَمَخْتَمَـــا
I spent the night awake, singing.
In praise of the One whose mention is pure from beginning to end.
أُسَــاجِلُ فِيــهِ الْوُرْقَ لَيْـلِى وَجِيرَتِى
نِيَــــامٌ وَجَفْنِــى كَالْمَذَانِبِ مَغْرَمَا
I engage in the recital of His praises, night and day.
While others sleep, and my eyelids are heavy with love.
أُنَظِّــمُ دُرَّ اللَّفْــظِ فِـــى ذِكْرِ وَصْـفِهِ
وَأَحْسِنْ بِوَصْفِ الْبَدْرِ دُرًّا مُنَظَّمَــا
I arrange the pearls of speech in recalling His description.
And I perfect it by likening Him to the full moon, orderly and radiant.
مُحَمَّدُ مِفْتَـــاحُ الْفُتُوحَـاتِ سَيِّدِى
وَخَــاتِمُ سِلْكِ الرُّسْلِ خَتْمًـا مُقَدَّمًـا
Muhammad is the key to all victories, my master.
The seal of the line of messengers, final and supreme.
بِــهِ نَــالَ كُلُّ الْأَنْــبِيَــاءِ مَنَـالَــهُـمْ
بِهِ زِيـــنَتِ الْحَضَرَاتُ وَقِّرْ وَعَظِّمَا
Through him, all the prophets attained their rewards.
Through him, all realms are adorned, revered, and exalted.
رَسُــولٌ مِنَ الْمَوْلَى وَآدَمُ لَـمْ يَكُنْ
وَيَبْـقَــى رَسُولًا دَائِــمًا وَمُعَظَّمَـا
A messenger from the Lord, and Adam was not.
And he will remain the eternal, ever-revered Messenger.
فَــنَشْـأَتُـهُ كَنْـزِيَّــةُ الْحَقِّ وَحْـــدَهُ
لِـــذَاكَ أَتَــانَــا قَـــاسِمًا وَمُـقَسِّمَا
His upbringing is the sole treasure of truth.
And for this reason, he came to us as the Divider and Distributor.
فَــــآيُ جَمِيــعِ الرُّسْــــلِ آيُ مُحَمَّدٍ
فَـمِنْهُ إِلَيْـــهِ كُــلُّ شَــــأْنٍ مُعَمَّمَـا
The sign of all the messengers is the sign of Muhammad.
From him to him, all matters are crowned and encompassed.
مَـــوَاهِـبُ رَبِّ الْعَرشِ طَاهَ مُحَمَّدٌ
وَرَحْمَتُهُ وَهْـوَ الرَّحِيـمُ فَــأَكْرِمَا
The gifts of the Lord of the Throne, Muhammad.
And His mercy, for He is the Most Merciful, so honor Him.
بَشيـــرٌ نَذِيرِ مُقْسِطٌ وَهْوَ قَــاسِمٌ
جَوَادٌ كَرِيمٌ بَاسِطُ الْكَفِّ مُنْعِمَا
He is the bringer of good tidings, the warner, the just, and the Divider.
Generous and noble, with an open hand, bestowing blessings.
مُقَفًّى أَمِينٌ وَهْوَ فِى الرُّسْلِ مُجْتَبًى
حَبِيبُ إِلَـٰهِ الْعَـرْشِ بَدْءًا وَمَخْـتَمَا
He is the final one, trustworthy, chosen from among the messengers.
The beloved of the Lord of the Throne, from beginning to end.
وَأَبْيَضُ يُسْتَسْقَـى الْغَمَــامُ بِـوَجْهِهِ
بِهِ نَــارَ لَيْـلُ الْجَهْـلِ إِذْ كَانَ مُظْلِمَا
The one whose face makes the clouds seek rain.
With him, the darkness of ignorance was dispelled when it had enveloped all.
قُلُـوبَ جَمِــيعِ الْخَلْقِ أَحْيَــــا بِنُورِهِ
وَأَلْسُــنَهُمْ أَحْـيَــا فَــزَكَّى وَعَلَّمَا
He revived the hearts of all creation with His light.
And He revived their tongues, purifying and teaching them.
وَوَاللَّهِ لَا تُلْفِــــى لِأَحْـمَدَ ثَــانِيًا
فَــأَحْمَدُ فَـــرْدٌ جَوْهَرٌ لَـنْ يُقَسَّمَـا
By God, you will not find a second like Ahmad.,
For Ahmad is unique, a jewel that will never be divided.
عَـلَـيْـهِ صَــــلاَةُ اللَّهِ ثُــمَّ سَــلاَمُــــهُ
مَعَ الآلِ وَالصَّحْبِ الْكِرامِ ذَوِى النَّمَا
Upon him be the prayers of God, and His peace.
Along with the noble family and companions, the exalted ones.
فَإِنْ تَسْأَلُونِي عَنْ حَبِيبِـي وَسَيِّــدِي
فَـطَاهَ حَبِيـــبُ اللَّهِ مَـا الْغَيْرُ مَا وَمَا
If you ask me about my beloved and my master.
Then Muhammad is the beloved of God, no one else compares.
فَوَقْتِي وَسَاعَـاتِـي صَرَفْتُ لِذِكْرِهِ
صَلاَةً وَمَدْحًا مِنْهُ قَدْ صِرْتُ جَيْلَمَا
I dedicate my time and hours to His remembrance.
In prayer and praise, I have become devoted to Him.
فَمَنْ رَامَ دَرْكِي فِي اشْتِيَـــاقِ نَبِيِّنَا
فَـقَـدْ رَامَ أَمْـــرًا مُسْتَحَا لاً مُحَرَّمًا
Whoever seeks my level in yearning for our Prophet.
Has sought an unattainable and forbidden endeavor.
كَمَنْ رَامَ مَسْكَ الْبَدْرِ يَوْمًــا بِأَصْبُـعٍ
وَمَنْ رَامَ عَوْدَ الْأَمْسِ يَوْمًا وَأَيْوَما
Like one who seeks to grasp the moon one day with his finger.
Or someone who seeks to return yesterday, but it never comes.
كَمَنْ رَامَ دَرْكَ الْوَصْفِ أَيْضًا قَدَ اكْثَرُوا
وَلَاكِـنَّـهُـمْ قَـدْ غَـادَرُواْ مُـتَـرَدَّمَــــ
Like one who tries to attain the full description, though many have tried.
But they have left, having failed in their pursuit.
فَــآثَـرْتُ حُبَّ الْمُصْطَفَـــى دُونَ غَيْرِهِ
وَلَـــوْ أُمَّ كُلْـثُـومٍ وَلَـوْ كَــانَ مَرْيَمَــا
I have chosen the love of the Chosen One above all others.
Even if the mother of Kulthum were my choice, or if Mary were to be.
فَـــوَ اللَّهِ مَــــا فِي الْقَلْبِ حَـــظٌّ لِغَيْرِهِ
فَــغَيْرُ رَسُـــولِ اللَّهِ لَـيْــسَ لِتَعْلَمَـــا
By God, there is no space in my heart for anything other than Him.
For besides the Messenger of God, there is nothing else to know.
أَشَـــارَ إِلَـــى مُزْنٍ فَـسَالَ مُسَـرْمَدًا
وَإِذْ رَامَ مَسْكَ الْمَــاءِ أَمْسَكَ مُلْهَمَا
He pointed to a cloud, and it poured down rain.
When He sought water, He held it back with His will.
وَإِنَّ قُــرَيْشًــا عَيَّبُــوهُ وَصَغَّــــرُواْ
وَشَّقَ لَــهُ ذَا الْجَــوُّ بَدْرًا مُعَظَّمَـــــ
And indeed, the Quraysh criticized Him and belittled Him,
Yet the heavens split open for Him, and the moon was made to shine.
وَرُدَّتْ لَــــهُ شَمْسٌ بُعَيْـدَ غُـرُوبِهَــا
وَإِذْ كَذَّبُــواْ قَدْ أَنْزَلَ الْحَقُّ مُحْكَمَا
The sun was returned to him after it had set.
And when they denied, the truth was revealed in full clarity.
وَهَدَّمَ أَحْــــزَابًـا بِــرَمْـيَـةِ كَــفِّـهِ
فَيَـــا عَجَبًــا مِنْ رَمْيِهِ حِينَ هَدَّمَـا
He destroyed the enemy factions with a strike of His hand.
And how amazing it is that with His throw, He demolished them.
هَــدَى اللَّهُ أَ قْـوَامًــا بِـنُــورِ خَــوَارِقٍ
وَبِالسَّيْفِ يَهْدِى الْبَدْرُ مَنْ كَانَ أَجْرَمَا
God guided the people with His miraculous light.
And with the sword, He guides the moon to those who have erred.
يُفِيـــدُ عُلُومًـــا فَائِضَاتٍ وَمَغْنَمًا
يُبِيــدُ جُيوشًــا لِلضَّلاَلِ عَرَمْرَمَـــ
He imparts abundant knowledge and benefit.
And with it, He wipes out armies of misguidance.
فَعَمًّ هُـدَاهُ الْاَرْضَ كَـرْهًـا وَطَـاعَـةً
فَعُرْبٌ وَعُجْمٌ أَرْشَدَ الْكُلَّ عَمَّمَ
His guidance spread across the earth, unwillingly and willingly.
The Arabs and non-Arabs, He guided all, universally.
وَحَتَّـى أَتَـانَـا الدِّينُ وَالْعِلْمُ وَالتُّقَى
وَلِلَّهِ شُكْــرٌ بِالـنَّـبِــيِّ مُــحَــتَّـمَــ
And until the religion, knowledge, and piety came to us.
And to God belongs the thanks, through the Prophet, unquestionably.
وَقَدْ صَارَ فِينَا الْمُسْلِمُونَ وَعِنْدَنَا
أَئِمَّــةُ عِلْــمٍ صَــالِـحُونَ تَكَـرُّمَــ
And now among us are the Muslims, and we have with us.
Leaders of knowledge, pious and honorable.
وَفِـيــنَا رِجَــالٌ سَابِقُونُ وَعِنْدَنَا
لِلاَ قْطَابِ خَتْمٌ هَبْهُ كَنْزًا مُطَلْسَما
Among us are men who preceded others, and we have with us.
The seal of the saints, a treasure that remains hidden.
صَـلاَ ةٌ وَتَسْلِيـــمٌ عَلَـى طَاهَ أَحْمَدٍ
وَءَالٍ وَأَصْحَابٍ صِرَاطًا مُقَوَّمَـــا
Prayers and peace be upon the pure Ahmad.
And upon his family and companions, on the straight path, unshaken.
