Chapter 9
ﷺ ON SEEKING INTERCESSION THROUGH THE PROPHET
مَوْلَاىَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ
mawlā’a ṣalli wasallim dā’iman abadan
ʿalā ḥabībika khayril khalqi kullihimi
O my Lord, bless and grant peace always and forever
Upon Your beloved one, the Best of all Creation
خَدَمْتُهُ بِمَدِيحٍ أَسْتَقِيلُ بِهِ
ذُنُوبَ عُمْرٍ مَضَى فِي الشِّعْرِ وَالخِدَمِ
khadamtuhu bimadīḥin astaqīlu bihi
dhunūba ʿumrin maḍā fīsh shiʿri wal khidami
I have served him with my praise, seeking pardon
For the sins of a life spent in poetry and the service of others
إِذْ قَلَّدَانِيَ مَا تُخْشَى عَوَاقِبُهُ
كَأَنَّنِي بِهِمَا هَدْىٌ مِنَ النَّعَمِ
idh qalladāniya mā tukhshā ʿawāqibuhu
ka annanī bihimā hadun minan naʿami
Garlanded with these two sins, the consequences of which I dread
It is as though I were now a sacrificial animal
أَطَعْتُ غَيَّ الصِّبَا فِي الحَالَتَيْنِ وَمَا
حَصَلْتُ إِلاَّ عَلَى الآثَامِ وَالنَّدَمِ
aṭaʿtu ghayyaṣ ṣibā fīl ḥālatayni wamā
ḥaṣaltu ilāa ʿalal āthāmi wan nadami
In both these errors I followed only the reckless delinquency of youth
Achieving nothing in the end but wrong action and regret
فَيَا خَسَارَةَ نَفْسٍ فِي تِجَارَتِهَا
لَمْ تَشْتَرِ الدِّينَ بِالدُّنْيَا وَلَمْ تَسُمِ
fayā khasārata nafsin fī tijāratihā
lam tashtarid dīna bid dunyā walam tasumi
Alas for a soul that has met with only loss in its transactions!
It did not use this world to help secure the Next, Nor even to embark upon negotiations
وَمَنْ يَبِعْ آجِلاً مِنْهُ بِعَاجِلِهِ
يَبِنْ لَهُ الغَبْنُ فِي بَيْعٍ وَفِي سَلَمِ
waman yabiʿ ājilan minhu biʿājilihi
yabin lahul ghabnu fī bayʿin wafī salami
Whoever sells his Hereafter in exchange for this world,
Soon discovers he has been cheated, both in present and future gains
إِنْ آتِ ذَنْبًا فَمَا عَهْدِي بِمُنْتَقِضٍ
مَنَ النَّبِيِّ وَلاَ حَبْلِي بِمُنْصَرِمِ
in āti dhanban famā ʿahdī bimuntaqiḍin
manan nabiyyi wala ḥablī bimunṣarimi
If I were to commit a sin, it would not break
My contract with the Prophet, Nor cut off my connection to him
فَإِنَّ لِي ذِمَّةً مِنْهُ بِتَسْمِيَتِي
مُحَمَّداً وَهْوَ أَوْفَى الخَلْقِ بِالذِّمَمِ
fa inna lī dhimmatan minhu bitasmiyatī
muḥammadan wahwa awfal khalqi bidh dhimami
For I have a covenant of protection from him
By my being named Muhammad, and he is the most faithful Of all mankind in keeping trusts
إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِي مَعَادِي آخِذًا بِيَدِي
فَضْلاً وَإِلاَّ فَقُلْ يَا زَلَّةَ القَدَمِ
in lam yakun fī maʿādī ākhidhan biyadī
faḍlan wa ilāa faqul yā zallatal qadami
On the Day of Rising, if he does not take me by the hand
Out of pure kindness, then just say, “What a terrible end!”
حَاشَاهُ أَنْ يَحْرِمَ الرَّاجِي مَكَارِمَهُ
أَوْ يَرْجِعَ الجَارُ مِنْهُ غَيْرَ مُحْتَرَمِ
ḥāshāhu an yaḥrimar rājī makārimahu
aw yarjiʿal jāru minhu ghayra muḥtarami
Far be it from him to ever deprive the hopeful one Of his generous gifts,
Or to turn back someone seeking refuge Without treating him honourably
وَمُنْذُ أَلْزَمْتُ أَفْكَارِي مَدَائِحَهُ
وَجَدْتُهُ لِخَلاَصِي خَيْرَ مُلْتَزِمِ
wamundhu alzamtu afkārī madā’iḥahu
wajadtuhu likhalaṣī khayra multazimi
For ever since I have devoted all my thoughts to his praise,
I have found him to be the best guarantor of my salvation
وَلَنْ يَفُوتَ الغِنَى مِنْهُ يَدًا تَرِبَتْ
إِنَّ الحَيَا يُنْبِتَ الأَزْهَارَ فِي الأَكَمِ
walan yafūtal ghinā minhu yadan taribat
innal ḥayā yunbital azhāra fīl akami
His bounty will not fail even a hand that is dusty and poor,
For surely the rain may bring forth flowers even on the rockiest of slopes
وَلَمْ أُرِدْ زَهْرَةَ الدُّنْيَا الَّتِي اقْتَطَفَتْ
يَدَا زُهَيْرٍ بِمَا أَثْنَى عَلَى هَرِمِ
walam urid zahratad dunyal latīq taṭafat
yadā zuhayrin bimā athnā ʿalā harimi
Indeed, I have no more desire for the flowers of this world,
Like those gathered in by the hands of Zuhayr For his praise of Ḥarim