Chapter 10
ON INTIMATE CONVERSATION AND CHERISHED HOPES
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
يَا أَكْرَمَ الخَلْقِ مَالِي مَنْ أَلُوذُ بِهِ
سِوَاكَ عِنْدَ حُلُولِ الحَادِثِ العَمِمِ
yā akramal khalqi mālī man alūdhu bihi
siwāka ʿinda ḥulūlil ḥādithil ʿamimi
O most Noble of all Creation, whose protection can I seek
But yours, when the Great Catastrophe overtakes us?
وَلَنْ يَضِيقَ رَسُولَ اللهِ جَاهُكَ بِي
إِذَا الكَرِيمُ تَحَلَّى بِاسْمِ مُنْتَقِمِ
walan yaḍīqa rasūla Allahi jāhuka bī
idhal karīmu taḥallā bis mi muntaqimi
O Messenger of Allah, your great rank Will not be lessened by my petition,
If the Generous One appears as the Avenger
فَإِنَّ مِنْ جُودِكَ الدُّنْيَا وَضَرَّتَهَا
وَمِنْ عُلُومِكَ عِلْمَ اللَّوْحِ وَالقَلَمِ
fa inna min jūdikad dunyā waḍarratahā
wamin ʿulūmika ʿilmal lawḥi wal qalami
For surely this world and its companion the Next Are from your generosity.
And part of your knowledge Is knowledge of the Preserved Tablet and of the Pen
يَا نَفْسُ لاَ تَقْنَطِي مِنْ زَلَّةٍ عَظُمَتْ
إَنَّ الكَبَائِرَ فِي الغُفْرَانِ كَاللَّمَمِ
yā nafsu la taqnaṭī min zallatin ʿaẓumat
annal kabā’ira fīl ghufrāni kal lamami
O my soul, do not despair over an error which may appear immense,
For surely even grave sins, with divine forgiveness, Are more like minor lapses
لَعَلَّ رَحْمَةَ رَبِّي حِينَ يَقْسِمُهَا
تَأْتِي عَلَى حَسَبِ العِصْيَانِ فِي القِسَمِ
laʿalla raḥmata rabbī ḥīna yaqsimuhā
ta’tī ʿalā ḥasabil ʿiṣyāni fīl qisami
It may be that my Lord’s mercy, when He distributes it,
Will be apportioned in accordance with the magnitude of sins
يَا رَبِّ وَاجْعَلْ رَجَائِي غَيْرَ مُنْعَكِسٍ
لَدَيْكَ وَاجْعَلْ حِسَابِي غَيْرَ مُنْخَرِمِ
yā rabbi waj ʿal rajā’ī ghayra munʿakisin
ladayka waj ʿal ḥisābī ghayra munkharimi
O my Lord, let not my hopes in You be cast back unfulfilled,
Nor let my firm conviction of Your goodness be thrown into disarray
وَالْطُفْ بِعَبْدِكَ فِي الدَّارَيْنِ إِنَّ لَهُ
صَبْرًا مَتَى تَدْعُهُ الأَهْوَالُ يَنْهَزِمِ
wal ṭuf biʿabdika fīd dārayni inna lahu
ṣabran matā tadʿuhul ahwālu yanhazimi
Be kind to Your servant, both in this world and the Next,
For his patience, when called upon by dreadful fears, just disappears
وَأْذَنْ لِسُحْبِ صَلاَةٍ مِنْكَ دَائِمَةٍ
عَلَى النَّبِيِّ بِمُنْهَلٍّ وَمُنْسَجِمِ
wa dhan lisuḥbi ṣalatin minka dā’imatin
ʿalan nabiyyi bimunhallin wamunsajimi
And let a cloud of blessings from You pour down
Upon the Prophet, raining down unceasingly
مَا رَنَّحَتْ عَذَبَاتِ البَانِ رِيحُ صَبًا
وَأَطْرَبَ العِيسَ حَادِي العِيسِ بِالنَّغَمِ
mā rannaḥat ʿadhabātil bāni rīḥu ṣaban
wa aṭrabal ʿīsa ḥādīl ʿīsi bin naghami
As long as the easterly breezes sway the willow boughs,
And the caravan leader urges on his white camels, Delighting them with his songs
ثُمَّ الرِّضَا عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعَنْ عُمَرٍ
وَعَنْ عَلِيٍّ وَعَنْ عُثْمَانَ ذِي الكَرَمِ
thummar riḍā ʿan abī bakrin waʿan ʿumarin
waʿan ʿaliyyin waʿan ʿuthmāna dhīl karami
And grant Your good pleasure to Abu Bakr and ʿUmar,
And to ʿAli and ʿUthman, the noble and generous
وَالآلِ وَالصَّحْبِ ثُمَّ التَابِعِينَ فَهُمْ
أَهْلُ التُّقَى وَالنَّقَا وَالحِلْمِ وَالكَرَمِ
wal āli waṣ ṣaḥbi thummat tābiʿīna fahum
ahlut tuqā wan naqā wal ḥilmi wal karami
And to the Family and the Companions and Followers,
For they are the people of true mindfulness of God, And of purity, forbearance, and generosity
يِا رَبِّ بِالمُصْطَفَى بَلِّغْ مَقَاصِدَنَا
وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا مَا مَضَى يَا وَاسِعَ الكَرَمِ
yiā rabbi bil muṣṭafā balligh maqāṣidanā
wagh fir lanā mā maḍā yā wāsiʿal karami
O my Lord, by the Chosen One, let us attain all that we are hoping for,
And pardon us for what has passed, O Boundlessly Generous One
وَاغْفِرْ إِلَهِي لِكُلِّ المُسْلِمِينَ بِمَا
يَتْلُونَ فِي المَسْجِدِ الأَقْصَى وَفِي الحَرَمِ
wagh fir ilahī likullil muslimīna bimā
yatlūna fīl masjidil aqṣā wafīl ḥarami
And, O God, forgive all the Muslims their wrong actions,
By that which they recite in the Masjid al-Aqsa, As well as in the Ancient Sanctuary
بِجَاهِ مَنْ بَيْتُهُ فِي طَيْبَةٍ حَرَمٌ
وَإِسْمُهُ قَسَمٌ مِنْ أَعْظَمِ القَسَمِ
bijāhi man baytuhu fī ṭaybatin ḥaramun
wa ismuhu qasamun min aʿẓamil qasami
By the rank of the one whose dwelling is a sanctuary in Tayba,
And whose very name is one of the greatest of oaths
وَهَذِهِ بُرْدَةُ المُخْتَارِ قَدْ خُتِمَتْ
وَالحَمْدُ لِلّهِ فِي بَدْءٍ وَفِي خَتَمِ
wahadhihi burdatul mukhtāri qad khutimat
wal ḥamdu lillāhi fī bad’in wafī khatami
This Burda of the Chosen One is now complete,
Praise be to Allah for its beginning and for its end
أَبْيَاتُهَا قَدْ أَتَتْ سِتِّينَ مَعْ مِائَةٍ
فَرِّجْ بِهَا كَرْبَنَا يَا وَاسِعَ الكَرَمِ
abyātuhā qad atat sittīna maʿ miā’atin
farrij bihā karbanā yā wāsiʿal karami
Its verses number one hundred and sixty,
Ease, by them, all of our difficulties, O Boundlessly Generous Lord