بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
Imām Sharaf al-Dīn Muḥammad ibn Saʿīd al-Būṣīrī was a 7th/13th‑century Egyptian poet and Sufi, remembered above all for a single devotional masterpiece: al‑Burdah (“The Mantle Ode”). He lived and wrote in Mamluk Egypt, and later tradition strongly associates him with the Shādhilī spiritual lineage.
The poem’s full, formal title is al‑Kawākib al‑Durrīyah fī Madḥ Khayr al‑Barīyah (“The Celestial Lights in Praise of the Best of Creation”), but the Muslim world knows it simply as Qaṣīdat al‑Burda—a name tied to a beloved narrative: al‑Būṣīrī, stricken with illness, composes (or recites) his praise; the Prophet ﷺ appears to him in a dream and covers him with a mantle; he wakes restored. Whether one reads that account as literal miracle, hagiographic truth, or sacred symbolism, it explains why the Burdah is not only “literature,” but also a poem people live with—recited in hope, fear, love, and longing.
In Islamic tradition, the Burdah sits at the heart of madīḥ nabawī (Prophetic praise poetry) and helped shape the soundscape of public devotion—especially in gatherings where love for the Prophet ﷺ is renewed through recitation and chant. It is famously present in Mawlid settings and other communal occasions, where poetry is not a “side dish,” but a liturgical language: teaching the sīrah, softening the heart, and making reverence audible.
What keeps the Burdah enduring, in my view, is that it does several jobs at once without feeling stitched together: it begins with a refined classical nasīb (love‑prelude), turns into unsparing moral counsel against the ego, rises into panoramic praise of the Prophet ﷺ, and ends as intimate duʿā’—all while staying recognizably one voice: a believer trying to be healed. That layered structure is also why it generated a huge afterlife of teaching and interpretation: the Burdah became a text to be memorized, commented on, performed, and carried—a “living” devotional work rather than a poem that sits quietly on a shelf.
اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ مُنْشِي الْخَلْقِ مِنْ عَدَمِ
ثُمَّ الصَّلَاةُ عَلَى الْمُخْتَارِ فِي الْقِدَمِ
Close translation:
All praise belongs to Allah, the One who brought creation into being from nonexistence;
then blessings (prayers) upon the Chosen One—chosen in pre-eternity.
Explanation / notes: al-ḥamd (الحمد) is not just “thanks,” but praise that includes gratitude and recognition of perfection—a Qur’anic opening key that sets the tone as worship, not merely poetry.
munshī (منشي) means the Originator / Initiator / Bringer-forth—here stressing creation ex nihilo (from nothingness), a classic Islamic theological emphasis on Allah’s absolute creative power.
ثم (then) signals a devotional order: praise of God first, then ṣalāh upon the Prophet ﷺ—a common adab in sermons, books, and liturgical poetry.
al-mukhtār (المختار) is a reverent epithet for the Prophet ﷺ: “the Chosen.”
fī l-qidam (في القِدم) literally “in pre-eternity.” In careful reading, it means: chosen in Allah’s pre-eternal knowledge and decree—not that the Prophet is “pre-eternal” in the divine sense (only Allah is truly Qadīm). It’s devotional shorthand for God’s timeless election and honoring of him.
Refrain/Chorus:
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ(2)
Close translation:
My Lord, send blessings and grant peace—always, forever—
upon Your Beloved, the best of all creation.
Explanation / notes: Mawlāya (مولاي): “My Master / My Lord,” a direct address to Allah, carrying intimacy and humility.
ṣalli wa sallim (صلِّ وسلِّم) combines two devotional requests:
ṣalli: “send ṣalāh” (divine blessing, honoring, raising in rank)
sallim: “grant salām” (peace, safety, well-being)
This pairing mirrors widely used Muslim devotional formulas and echoes the Qur’anic imperative to send blessings upon the Prophet (Q 33:56) in meaning and spirit.
dā’iman abadan (دائمًا أبدًا) intensifies the request: not occasional praise, but unceasing remembrance—a hallmark of liturgical refrains meant for repeated communal recitation.
ḥabībika (حبيبك): “Your Beloved”—a central term in Prophetic devotion, expressing love while still keeping the relationship properly theological: the Prophet is beloved to Allah, not divine.
khayr al-khalq (خير الخلق): “the best of creation.” In devotional literature it functions as a concise summary of Prophetic excellence—character, mercy, guidance—without implying divinity.
الْفَصْلُ الْاَوَّلُ فِي الْغَزْلِ وَشَكْوَى الْغَرَامِ
Chapter One
On Words of Love and the Intense Suffering of Passion
أَمِنْ تَذَكُّرِ جِيرَانٍ بِذِي سَلَمِ
مَزَجْتَ دَمْعًا جَرَى مِنْ مُقْلَةٍ بِدَمِ
Close translation:
Is it from remembering loved neighbors at Dhī Salam that you’ve mixed tears flowing from your eye with blood?
Explanation / notes: The poem opens in the classical nasīb (love-prelude): intense longing is pictured through the bold hyperbole “tears mixed with blood,” meaning grief so sharp it feels bodily.In
the nasīb (love‑prelude), naming the “coordinates of longing” is a way
of making emotion feel geographically anchored: the poet cries “from
remembering loved ones at Dhī Salam”—i.e., from remembering the place
where they once were . Dhī / ذو، ذي literally means “the one possessing / characterized by …” (a very common toponymic pattern in Arabia: Dhū…). al‑Salam / السَّلَم (or al‑Salām / السَّلام in some lexica) can denote a kind of tree—so the place‑name can be heard as “the place marked by salam‑trees.”
A common Burda commentary gloss says “Dhū Salam: a mountain of Ṭayy east of Madīnah,” or that it is not a mountain but “a place between Makkah and Madīnah near (Jabal) Qudayr.”
So, in short: a Hijāz/Northern Arabian toponym, remembered as either a jabal (mountain) or a manzil/mawḍiʿ (stopping‑place) on the Makkah–Madīnah corridor in the poetic imagination.
أَمْ هَبَّتِ الرِّيحُ مِنْ تِلْقَاءِ كَاظِمَةٍ
وَأَوْمَضَ الْبَرْقُ فِي الظَّلْمَاءِ مِنْ إِضَمِ
Close translation:
Or did the wind blow from the direction of Kāẓimah, and lightning flash in the darkness from Iḍam?
Explanation / notes: Wind and lightning are classic triggers of memory in Arabic poetry. Lexically كَاظِمَة elates to كظم (kaẓm), “to restrain / hold in” (the same root as kāẓim—one who suppresses anger). A source that quotes Yāqūt describes Kāẓimah as a jaww (open lowland) on the seashore on the route from Baṣrah toward Baḥrayn, about two “stages” (marḥalatayn) from Baṣrah, with many wells—widely mentioned by poets. Some Burda glosses simply say “Kāẓimah: a place at/near Madīnah”. “The wind blew from the direction of Kāẓimah” means: a wind carrying the “scent” of the beloved’s country. The point is not meteorology; it’s how nature becomes a messenger. al‑Bakrī (Muʿjam mā istaʿjam) is cited as saying that Iḍam: a wādī “below/near Madīnah” (وادٍ دون المدينة), and also that Iḍam is a mountain associated with tribes such as Ashjaʿ and Juhaynah—with the “wadi” reading also reported. A Burda gloss matches this double tradition: “Iḍam: a mountain; and it is said: a wadi near Madīnah.”
“Iḍam” occurs in sīrah/early reports as “Baṭn Iḍam”, including an incident tied (in some narrations) to the Qur’anic warning about killing someone who offers salām (Q 4:94). “Lightning flashed in the darkness from Iḍam” is a classic image: the lover sees distant lightning on a known horizon line, and that sight pulls the heart back to where the beloved once camped.
فَمَا لِعَيْنَيْكَ إِنْ قُلْتَ اكْفُفَا هَمَتَا
وَمَا لِقَلْبِكَ إِنْ قُلْتَ اسْتَفِقْ يَهِمِ
Close translation:
Why is it that when you tell your eyes “stop,” they still pour—
and when you tell your heart “wake up,” it still wanders, bewildered?
Explanation / notes: Reason issues commands, but passion overrules them. The pairing of eyes (tears) and heart (confusion) is a map of love-sickness.
أَيَحْسَبُ الصَّبُّ أَنَّ الْحُبَّ مُنْكَتِمٌ
مَا بَيْنَ مُنْسَجِمٍ مِنْهُ وَمُضْطَرِمِ
Close translation:
Does the lover think love can be kept hidden—
between a streaming tear and a burning heart?
Explanation / notes: Love cannot be concealed because its “witnesses” are visible: tears spill outside; the inner fire shows in one’s state.
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ
لَوْلَا الْهَوَى لَمْ تُرِقْ دَمْعًا عَلَى طَلَلٍ
وَلَا أَرِقْتَ لِذِكْرِ الْبَانِ وَالْعَلَمِ
Close translation:
If not for passion, you would not weep over abandoned ruins,
nor lose sleep remembering the bān-trees and the landmark.
Explanation / notes: “Ruins” and “trees” are stock images of the old campsite—symbols of what has vanished. The point is: your tears and insomnia prove the love is real.
فَكَيْفَ تُنْكِرُ حُبًّا بَعْدَ مَا شَهِدَتْ
بِهِ عَلَيْكَ عُدُولُ الدَّمْعِ وَالسَّقَمِ
Close translation:
So how can you deny love, after tears and sickness—upright witnesses—have testified against you?
Explanation / notes: A legal metaphor: tears and illness are described as trustworthy witnesses (عُدول) in court, condemning the claim “I’m not in love.”
وَأَثْبَتَ الْوَجْدُ خَطَّيْ عَبْرَةٍ وَضَنًى
مِثْلَ الْبَهَارِ عَلَى خَدَّيْكَ وَالْعَنَمِ
Close translation:
Longing has inscribed two lines upon your cheeks—tears and wasting—
like yellow dye and red blossom upon the face.
Explanation / notes: The “two lines” are the marks of love: tear-tracks and emaciation/pallor. The floral color imagery suggests streaks of yellow and red—physical proof of inner ache.
نَعَمْ سَرَى طَيْفُ مَنْ أَهْوَى فَأَرَّقَنِي
وَالْحُبُّ يَعْتَرِضُ اللَّذَّاتِ بِالْأَلَمِ
Close translation:
Yes—my beloved’s phantom came by night and kept me awake;
love interrupts pleasures with pain.
Explanation / notes: The “phantom” is the dream-vision of the beloved that both comforts and torments. Love is portrayed as inherently bittersweet.
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ
يَا لَائِمِي فِي الْهَوَى الْعُذْرِيِّ مَعْذِرَةً
مِنِّي إِلَيْكَ وَلَوْ أَنْصَفْتَ لَمْ تَلُمِ
Close translation:
O you who blame me for chaste ʿUdhrī love—here is my excuse to you;
if you were fair, you would not blame at all.
Explanation / notes: “ʿUdhrī love” evokes the ideal of pure, self-denying devotion. The poet gently rebukes the blamer: true understanding would replace blame with compassion.
عَدَتْكَ حَالِيَ لَا سِرِّي بِمُسْتَتِرٍ
عَنِ الْوُشَاةِ وَلَا دَائِي بِمُنْحَسِمِ
Close translation:
My condition has overtaken me: my secret is not hidden from tale-bearers,
and my illness is not cut off—not cured.
Explanation / notes: Love becomes public despite one’s efforts; gossipers notice. The “illness” is the classic metaphor for overpowering attachment.
مَحَضْتَنِي النُّصْحَ لَكِنْ لَسْتُ أَسْمَعُهُ
إِنَّ الْمُحِبَّ عَنِ الْعُذَّالِ فِي صَمَمِ
Close translation:
You offered me sincere advice, but I do not hear it—
the lover is deaf to reproachers.
Explanation / notes: When love rules, even good counsel sounds distant. The line captures the psychology of obsession: the heart filters out what threatens its attachment.
إِنِّي اتَّهَمْتُ نَصِيحَ الشَّيْبِ فِي عَذَلٍ
وَالشَّيْبُ أَبْعَدُ فِي نُصْحٍ عَنِ التُّهَمِ
Close translation:
I suspected the counsel of gray hair when it reproached me—
yet gray hair is the farthest from being accused when giving advice.
Explanation / notes: Aging is a truthful messenger: it exposes life’s fragility. The poet admits he distrusted a warning that, by nature, is honest.
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ(2)
اَلْفَصْلُ الثَّانِي فِي الْحَذِيرِ مِنْ هَوَى النَّفْسِ
Chapter Two
A Caution About the Whims of the Self
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ(2)
فَإِنَّ أَمَّارَتِي بِالسُّوءِ مَا اتَّعَظَتْ
مِنْ جَهْلِهَا بِنَذِيرِ الشَّيْبِ وَالْهَرَمِ
Close translation:
For my soul that commands to evil would not take heed—
in its ignorance—even from the warning of gray hair and old age.
Explanation / notes: This echoes Qur’ānic language (النفس الأمّارة بالسوء). The poem now pivots from romantic prelude to moral self-scrutiny: desire resists even obvious warnings.
وَلَا أَعَدَّتْ مِنَ الْفِعْلِ الْجَمِيلِ قِرَى
ضَيْفٍ أَلَمَّ بِرَأْسِي غَيْرَ مُحْتَشِمِ
Close translation:
Nor did it prepare, from good deeds, hospitality for a guest
who has come upon my head with no shame.
Explanation / notes: The “guest” is old age (and the nearness of death) arriving abruptly. The poet confesses he failed to “host” it with righteous preparations.
لَوْ كُنْتُ أَعْلَمُ أَنِّي مَا أُوَقِّرُهُ
كَتَمْتُ سِرًّا بَدَا لِي مِنْهُ بِالْكَتَمِ
Close translation:
Had I known I would not honor it,
I would have concealed the secret it showed me—using katam-dye.
Explanation / notes: A witty cultural detail: katam is used to dye hair. He says: if I was going to disrespect gray hair’s message, I might as well have hidden it cosmetically.
مَنْ لِي بِرَدِّ جِمَاحٍ مِنْ غَوَايَتِهَا
كَمَا يُرَدُّ جِمَاحُ الْخَيْلِ بِاللُّجُمِ
Close translation:
Who will help me rein in its runaway impulse and misguidance—
as a horse’s bolting is reined in by a bridle?
Explanation / notes: The soul’s urges are like a horse that bolts. The spiritual task is taming, not denying the animal exists—discipline through “reins.”
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ
فَلَا تَرُمْ بِالْمَعَاصِي كَسْرَ شَهْوَتِهَا
إِنَّ الطَّعَامَ يُقَوِّي شَهْوَةَ النَّهِمِ
Close translation:
Do not try to break its desire by means of sins—
food only strengthens the appetite of the glutton.
Explanation / notes: A sharp moral logic: indulging desire to “manage” desire only feeds it. Sin is like more food to an already ravenous appetite.
وَالنَّفْسُ كَالطِّفْلِ إِنْ تُهْمِلْهُ شَبَّ عَلَى
حُبِّ الرَّضَاعِ وَإِنْ تَفْطِمْهُ يَنْفَطِمِ
Close translation:
The soul is like a child: if you neglect it, it grows up loving to suckle;
but if you wean it, it will be weaned.
Explanation / notes: Habits become nature. Train the soul early and consistently; otherwise it “matures” into addiction.
فَاصْرِفْ هَوَاهَا وَحَاذِرْ أَنْ تُوَلِّيَهُ
إِنَّ الْهَوَى مَا تَوَلَّى يُصْمِ أَوْ يَصِمِ
Close translation:
Turn away its craving, and beware of giving it authority—
for desire, once made governor, either strikes dead or brands with disgrace.
Explanation / notes: The warning is about handing leadership to impulse. Unchecked desire ruins life—either by destruction or by humiliation.
وَرَاعِهَا وَهْيَ فِي الْأَعْمَالِ سَائِمَةٌ
وَإِنْ هِيَ اسْتَحْلَتِ الْمَرْعَى فَلَا تُسِمِ
Close translation:
Shepherd it, even when it is weary within acts of obedience;
and if it finds the pasture sweet, do not let it graze freely.
Explanation / notes: Keep guiding the soul: sometimes it feels tired of worship, yet it must continue. And when it enjoys “easy pastures” (comforts), that is exactly when restraint is needed.
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ
كَمْ حَسَّنَتْ لَذَّةً لِلْمَرْءِ قَاتِلَةً
مِنْ حَيْثُ لَمْ يَدْرِ أَنَّ السُّمَّ فِي الدَّسَمِ
Close translation:
How many a pleasure has it made beautiful—though deadly—
from where he never realized the poison lay in the fat.
Explanation / notes: Temptation often comes wrapped in comfort. The “fat” suggests something rich and attractive that conceals harm.
وَاخْشَ الدَّسَائِسَ مِنْ جُوعٍ وَمِنْ شِبَعٍ
فَرُبَّ مَخْمَصَةٍ شَرٌّ مِنَ التُّخَمِ
Close translation:
Fear hidden traps in hunger and in fullness—
for sometimes hunger is worse than indigestion.
Explanation / notes: Not every “hardship” is virtuous, and not every “ease” is safe. The line argues for wise balance, not self-destruction.
وَاسْتَفْرِغِ الدَّمْعَ مِنْ عَيْنٍ قَدِ امْتَلَأَتْ
مِنَ الْمَحَارِمِ وَالْزَمْ حِمْيَةَ النَّدَمِ
Close translation:
Drain tears from an eye that has been filled with forbidden sights,
and keep to the strict diet of remorse.
Explanation / notes: Repentance is pictured as cleansing: eyes that “consumed” the unlawful now “pour out” tears. “Diet” (حِمية) implies disciplined remorse that changes behavior.
وَخَالِفِ النَّفْسَ وَالشَّيْطَانَ وَاعْصِهِمَا
وَإِنْ هُمَا مَحَضَاكَ النُّصْحَ فَاتَّهِمِ
Close translation:
Oppose the soul and Satan, and disobey them—
even if they offer you “pure advice,” suspect it.
Explanation / notes: They may disguise temptation as “reasonable counsel.” The spiritual stance is vigilance: not every inner suggestion deserves trust.
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ
وَلَا تُطِعْ مِنْهُمَا خَصْمًا وَلَا حَكَمًا
فَأَنْتَ تَعْرِفُ كَيْدَ الْخَصْمِ وَالْحَكَمِ
Close translation:
Do not obey them as either opponent or judge—
for you know the plotting of an opponent, and the bias of a judge.
Explanation / notes: The metaphor is courtroom logic: the soul and Satan are not neutral. Don’t let them prosecute you or rule over you—return judgment to revelation, conscience, and sober reason.
أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ مِنْ قَوْلٍ بِلَا عَمَلٍ
لَقَدْ نَسَبْتُ بِهِ نَسْلًا لِذِي عُقُمِ
Close translation:
I seek God’s forgiveness for speech without action—
I have attributed offspring to one who is barren.
Explanation / notes: Words without deeds are sterile. Claiming them as “fruit” is like claiming children for someone incapable of having them—an image for hypocrisy and empty preaching.
أَمَرْتُكَ الْخَيْرَ لَكِنْ مَا ائْتَمَرْتُ بِهِ
وَمَا اسْتَقَمْتُ فَمَا قَوْلِي لَكَ اسْتَقِمِ
Close translation:
I commanded you to good, yet I did not follow it;
I did not walk straight—so what right have I to tell you: “Be upright”?
Explanation / notes: A fierce self-indictment: the poet refuses moral superiority. In Islamic ethics, this is a moment of humility—reform begins with oneself.
وَلَا تَزَوَّدْتُ قَبْلَ الْمَوْتِ نَافِلَةً
وَلَمْ أُصَلِّ سِوَى فَرْضٍ وَلَمْ أَصُمِ
Close translation:
I took no extra provisions before death—no voluntary deeds;
I prayed only the obligatory, and I did not fast.
Explanation / notes: “Provision” evokes the Qur’ānic travel-image: life is a journey and deeds are supplies. He regrets neglecting nawāfil (extra worship) beyond the minimum.
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ(2)
الْفَصْلُ الثَّالِثُ فِي مَدْحِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ
Chapter Three
Praise of the Prophet ﷺ
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ(2)
ظَلَمْتُ سُنَّةَ مَنْ أَحْيَا الظَّلَامَ إِلَى
أَنِ اشْتَكَتْ قَدَمَاهُ الضُّرَّ مِنْ وَرَمِ
Close translation:
I wronged the Sunnah of the one who enlivened the night in worship
until his feet suffered pain from swelling.
Explanation / notes: He contrasts his laziness with the Prophet’s devotion in night prayer. The image recalls reports of the Prophet ﷺ standing long in worship out of gratitude.
وَشَدَّ مِنْ سَغَبٍ أَحْشَاءَهُ وَطَوَى
تَحْتَ الْحِجَارَةِ كَشْحًا مُتْرَفَ الْأَدَمِ
Close translation:
And from hunger he tightened his belly, and he folded beneath stones
a waist once softened by comfort.
Explanation / notes: This alludes to reports of the Prophet ﷺ enduring hunger—binding stones to his stomach. The moral weight is clear: true leadership is built on patience, simplicity, and compassion for the poor.
وَرَاوَدَتْهُ الْجِبَالُ الشُّمُّ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ
عَنْ نَفْسِهِ فَأَرَاهَا أَيَّمَا شَمَمِ
Close translation:
The towering mountains tempted him with gold, offering themselves to him—
but he showed them disdain, no matter how lofty they stood.
Explanation / notes: This is an image for immense wealth (as if “mountains of gold”). The Prophet ﷺ is portrayed as refusing worldly lure with calm dignity.
وَأَكَّدَتْ زُهْدَهُ فِيهَا ضَرُورَتُهُ
إِنَّ الضَّرُورَةَ لَا تَعْدُو عَلَى الْعِصَمِ
Close translation:
Even need itself confirmed his renunciation of it—
for necessity does not overstep the boundaries of the safeguarded.
Explanation / notes: A subtle point: even when there is genuine need, his taking would be only within what is permitted and fitting, never sliding into greed or moral compromise.
وَكَيْفَ تَدْعُو إِلَى الدُّنْيَا ضَرُورَةُ مَنْ
لَوْلَاهُ لَمْ تُخْرَجِ الدُّنْيَا مِنَ الْعَدَمِ
Close translation:
And how could the need of one—through whom the world was brought forth from nonexistence—
ever call him toward worldliness?
Explanation / notes: Devotional language intensifies here: the poet presents Muhammad ﷺ as the supreme reason creation is meaningful. The point is moral: someone of that rank is not “pulled” by dunya.
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ
مُحَمَّدٌ سَيِّدُّ الْكَوْنَيْنِ وَالثَّقَلَيْـنِ
وَالْفَرِيقَيْنِ مِنْ عُرْبٍ وَمِنْ عَجَمِ
Close translation:
Muhammad is the master of the two worlds and the two weighty kinds (humankind and jinn),
and of both peoples—Arab and non-Arab.
Explanation / notes: A universal claim: his message and leadership are not ethnic, regional, or temporary—they address all creation.
نَبِيُّنَا الْآمِرُ النَّاهِي فَلَا أَحَدٌ
أَبَرَّ فِي قَوْلِ «لَا» مِنْهُ وَلَا «نَعَمِ»
Close translation:
Our Prophet is the one who commands and forbids—no one
is more true in saying “no,” nor more true in saying “yes,” than he.
Explanation / notes: I like how the line praises something simple but rare: moral clarity and trustworthiness—his “yes” is mercy, his “no” is protection.
هُوَ الْحَبِيبُ الَّذِي تُرْجَى شَفَاعَتُهُ
لِكُلِّ هَوْلٍ مِنَ الْأَهْوَالِ مُقْتَحَمِ
Close translation:
He is the Beloved whose intercession is hoped for
against every terror from the overwhelming horrors.
Explanation / notes: This gestures to shafāʿah (intercession) in Islamic belief: on the hardest Day, hearts cling to mercy through God’s permission.
دَعَا إِلَى اللهِ فَالْمُسْتَمْسِكُونَ بِهِ
مُسْتَمْسِكُونَ بِحَبْلٍ غَيْرِ مُنْفَصِمِ
Close translation:
He called to God—so those who hold fast to him
hold fast to a rope that does not break.
Explanation / notes: To follow the Prophet ﷺ is framed as gripping a secure lifeline—guidance that won’t snap when tested.
فَاقَ النَّبِيِّينَ فِي خَلْقٍ وَفِي خُلُقٍ
وَلَمْ يُدَانُوهُ فِي عِلْمٍ وَلَا كَرَمِ
Close translation:
He surpassed the prophets in form and in character;
none came near him in knowledge or generosity.
Explanation / notes: This is high devotional praise (with deliberate intensity). The emphasis is: beauty + ethics + wisdom + giving meet together in him.
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ
وَكُلُّهُمْ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ مُلْتَمِسٌ
غَرْفًا مِنَ الْبَحْرِ أَوْ رَشْفًا مِنَ الدِّيَمِ
Close translation:
And all of them, from the Messenger of God, seek
a scoop from the sea—or a sip from the rainclouds.
Explanation / notes: The Prophet ﷺ is pictured as an ocean/rain-source of guidance, while other prophets draw from that same divine generosity—an image beloved in later spiritual readings.
وَوَاقِفُونَ لَدَيْهِ عِنْدَ حَدِّهِمِ
مِنْ نُقْطَةِ الْعِلْمِ أَوْ مِنْ شَكْلَةِ الْحِكَمِ
Close translation:
They stand before him at the limit of their measure—
at a mere point of knowledge, or a single stroke of wisdom.
Explanation / notes: The rhetoric pushes one idea: compared to his comprehensive rank, others have measured shares—real, honored, yet limited.
فَهْوَ الَّذِي تَمَّ مَعْنَاهُ وَصُورَتُهُ
ثُمَّ اصْطَفَاهُ حَبِيبًا بَارِئُ النَّسَمِ
Close translation:
He is the one whose inward meaning and outward form were perfected—
then the Creator of souls chose him as the Beloved.
Explanation / notes: The poet joins inner completion (meaning) with outer completion (form). It’s a claim that his wholeness is not cosmetic; it is ethical and spiritual.
مُنَزَّهٌ عَنْ شَرِيكٍ فِي مَحَاسِنِهِ
فَجَوْهَرُ الْحُسْنِ فِيهِ غَيْرُ مُنْقَسِمِ
Close translation:
He is exalted above having any equal in his virtues—
the essence of beauty in him is not divided.
Explanation / notes: “Undivided beauty” suggests a rare harmony: not one virtue here and another there, but a complete blend.
دَعْ مَا ادَّعَتْهُ النَّصَارَى فِي نَبِيِّهِمِ
وَاحْكُمْ بِمَا شِئْتَ مَدْحًا فِيهِ وَاحْتَكِمِ
Close translation:
Leave what the Christians claimed regarding their prophet—
and then praise him as you wish, and let him be your standard.
Explanation / notes: This draws a boundary: in Islam, prophets are honored without divinizing them. Within that boundary, the poet says: praise the Prophet ﷺ boldly.
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ
وَانْسُبْ إِلَى ذَاتِهِ مَا شِئْتَ مِنْ شَرَفٍ
وَانْسُبْ إِلَى قَدْرِهِ مَا شِئْتَ مِنْ عِظَمِ
Close translation:
Ascribe to his person whatever nobility you wish,
and ascribe to his rank whatever greatness you wish.
Explanation / notes: Not “make him divine,” but: do not be stingy in recognizing his honor, mission, and stature.
فَإِنَّ فَضْلَ رَسُولِ اللهِ لَيْسَ لَهُ
حَدٌّ فَيُعْرِبَ عَنْهُ نَاطِقٌ بِفَمِ
Close translation:
For the merit of God’s Messenger ﷺ has no limit
that any speaker could fully express.
Explanation / notes: A classic devotional move: the Prophet’s virtues exceed language. Praise is always true yet still incomplete.
لَوْ نَاسَبَتْ قَدْرَهُ آيَاتُهُ عِظَمًا
أَحْيَا اسْمُهُ حِينَ يُدْعَى دَارِسَ الرِّمَمِ
Close translation:
If his signs matched his rank in magnitude,
his name—when called—would revive decayed bones.
Explanation / notes: Not a literal claim to be tested like physics—rather: his rank is so vast that even astounding miracles would still feel “small” next to it.
لَمْ يَمْتَحِنَّا بِمَا تَعْيَا الْعُقُولُ بِهِ
حِرْصًا عَلَيْنَا فَلَمْ نَرْتَبْ وَلَمْ نَهِمِ
Close translation:
He did not test us with what minds would collapse under,
out of care for us—so we neither doubt nor drift.
Explanation / notes: This highlights mercy in the message: guidance is meant to be livable and clear, not an impossible riddle.
أَعْيَا الْوَرَى فَهْمُ مَعْنَاهُ فَلَيْسَ يُرَى
فِي الْقُرْبِ وَالْبُعْدِ فِيهِ غَيْرُ مُنْفَحِمِ
Close translation:
Creation is worn out trying to grasp his true reality;
whether near or far, nothing is seen of him except one not fully encompassed.
Explanation / notes: The Prophet ﷺ is knowable in his Sunnah and life—yet his full spiritual rank is beyond complete human measurement.
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ
كَالشَّمْسِ تَظْهَرُ لِلْعَيْنَيْنِ مِنْ بُعُدٍ
صَغِيرَةً وَتُكِلُّ الطَّرْفَ مِنْ أَمَمِ
Close translation:
Like the sun: from afar it appears small to the eyes,
yet it tires the gaze with exhaustion.
Explanation / notes: The closer you “look,” the more you realize your limits. It’s a strong metaphor for spiritual perception: distance breeds simplification.
وَكَيْفَ يُدْرِكُ فِي الدُّنْيَا حَقِيقَتَهُ
قَوْمٌ نِيَامٌ تَسَلَّوْا عَنْهُ بِالْحُلُمِ
Close translation:
And how could people asleep in this world grasp his reality—
people distracting themselves with their reveries?
Explanation / notes: Heedlessness is “sleep.” The poet is saying: you cannot recognize luminous truth while living in distraction.
فَمَبْلَغُ الْعِلْمِ فِيهِ أَنَّهُ بَشَرٌ
وَأَنَّهُ خَيْرُ خَلْقِ اللهِ كُلِّهِمِ
Close translation:
The furthest reach of knowledge about him is: he is human—
and he is the best of all God’s creation.
Explanation / notes: This is one of the poem’s most important balances: fully human (not divine), yet the best of humanity.
وَكُلُّ آيٍ أَتَى الرُّسْلُ الْكِرَامُ بِهَا
فَإِنَّمَا اتَّصَلَتْ مِنْ نُورِهِ بِهِمِ
Close translation:
Every sign the noble messengers brought—
it only reached them through a connection to his light.
Explanation / notes: This reflects a devotional doctrine of the “Muhammadan light” in later tradition: all prophetic guidance shares a single divine source, with Muhammad ﷺ as its fullest manifestation.
فَإِنَّهُ شَمْسُ فَضْلٍ هُمْ كَوَاكِبُهَا
يُظْهِرْنَ أَنْوَارَهَا لِلنَّاسِ فِي الظُّلَمِ
Close translation:
He is the sun of grace; they are its stars—
displaying its lights to people in darkness.
Explanation / notes: A beautiful hierarchy without insult: earlier prophets are honored “stars,” but he is the “sun” that completes illumination.
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ
أَكْرِمْ بِخَلْقِ نَبِيٍّ زَانَهُ خُلُقٌ
بِالْحُسْنِ مُشْتَمِلٍ بِالْبِشْرِ مُتَّسِمِ
Close translation:
How noble the natural form of a Prophet whose character adorned him—
clothed in beauty and marked by brightness of face.
Explanation / notes: Not just “handsome,” but radiant in demeanor—his ethics shine outward.
كَالزَّهْرِ فِي تَرَفٍ وَالْبَدْرِ فِي شَرَفٍ
وَالْبَحْرِ فِي كَرَمٍ وَالدَّهْرِ فِي هِمَمِ
Close translation:
Like flowers in elegance, like the full moon in honor,
like the sea in generosity, like time itself in resolve.
Explanation / notes: Not just “handsome,” but radiant in demeanor—his ethics shine outward.
كَأَنَّهُ وَهْوَ فَرْدٌ مِنْ جَلَالَتِهِ
فِي عَسْكَرٍ حِينَ تَلْقَاهُ وَفِي حَشَمِ
Close translation:
Though he is one man, from his majesty it is as if—when you meet him—
he stands amid an army and an honorable entourage.
Explanation / notes: This describes presence: a single person whose dignity fills the space as if many stood with him.
كَأَنَّمَا اللُّؤْلُؤُ الْمَكْنُونُ فِي صَدَفٍ
مِنْ مَعْدِنَيْ مَنْطِقٍ مِنْهُ وَمُبْتَسَمِ
Close translation:
As though he were a hidden pearl within its shell,
drawn from two mines: his speech and his smile.
Explanation / notes: What people receive from him is precious in two ways: truthful words and mercy in expression.
لَا طِيبَ يَعْدِلُ تُرْبًا ضَمَّ أَعْظُمَهُ
طُوبَى لِمُنْتَشِقٍ مِنْهُ وَمُلْتَئِمِ
Close translation:
No fragrance equals the soil that holds his blessed bones—
glad tidings to one who inhales it and finds healing.
Explanation / notes: A devotional reference to the blessedness of his resting-place (Madīnah). “Healing” can be spiritual (hope, softness of heart) and, in popular piety, also physical.
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ(2)
الْفَصْلُ الرَّابِعُ فِي مَوْلِدِهِ ﷺ
Chapter Four
On his Birth ﷺ
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ(2)
أَبَانَ مَوْلِدُهُ عَنْ طِيبِ عُنْصُرِهِ
يَا طِيبَ مُبْتَدَأٍ مِنْهُ وَمُخْتَتَمِ
Close translation:
His birth revealed the purity of his origin—
how fragrant a beginning from him, and the culmination.
Explanation / notes: He is praised from first moment to last: pure origin, pure life, pure legacy.
يَوْمٌ تَفَرَّسَ فِيهِ الْفُرْسُ أَنَّهُمُ
قَدْ أُنْذِرُوا بِحُلُولِ الْبُؤْسِ وَالنِّقَمِ
Close translation:
A day when the Persians perceived that they had been warned
of approaching hardship and retribution.
Explanation / notes: This begins the section of signs surrounding the Prophet’s birth—cosmic and political symbolism: old empires sensing a coming shift.
وَبَاتَ إِيوَانُ كِسْرَى وَهْوَ مُنْصَدِعٌ
كَشَمْلِ أَصْحَابِ كِسْرَى غَيْرَ مُلْتَئِمِ
Close translation:
And the palace of Kisrā spent the night cracked apart—
like the shattered unity of Kisrā’s people, never to be mended.
Explanation / notes: A birth-sign: the poet links a physical rupture (the Persian imperial palace) to a coming moral–political rupture in the old order.
وَالنَّارُ خَامِدَةُ الْأَنْفَاسِ مِنْ أَسَفٍ
عَلَيْهِ وَالنَّهْرُ سَاهِي الْعَيْنِ مِنْ سَدَمِ
Close translation:
And the fire’s breaths were extinguished, as if in grief for it—
while the river stood dazed-eyed from sorrow.
Explanation / notes: The imagery is mythic and symbolic: elements of the world “react” to the Prophet’s coming—fire dying down, water stunned—hinting at a turning of eras.
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ
وَسَاءَ سَاوَةَ أَنْ غَاضَتْ بُحَيْرَتُهَا
وَرُدَّ وَارِدُهَا بِالْغَيْظِ حِينَ ظَمِي
Close translation:
And Sāwah was distressed that its lake dried up—
and the one who came to draw from it was turned back in rage when thirsty.
Explanation / notes: Another “sign”: a famous lake associated with the region is pictured as drying—nature itself announcing change and unsettling the old religious landscape. Sāwah here is the well-known city ساوه (Sāveh/Saveh) in Persia (Iran). Classical geographers place it in the region of al‑Jibāl, between al‑Rayy (near today’s Tehran) and Hamadhān (Hamadan). In the mawlid/sīrah commentary tradition, “Lake Sāwah” is described as a large lake in Persian lands, and Zarkānī (quoting earlier authorities) says it was between Hamadhān and Qumm, so large that boats would travel on it, and he even reports measurements like “more than six farsakhs” in length and width. Liturgically and poetically, these images announce: the old order is trembling; tawḥīd is arriving; the world is being “re-set.” Hadith-critically, many scholars say the specific reports about these portents are not established with sound chains (they circulate widely in sīrah and mawlid material, but with weakness).
كَأَنَّ بِالنَّارِ مَا بِالْمَاءِ مِنْ بَلَلٍ
حُزْنًا وَبِالْمَاءِ مَا بِالنَّارِ مِنْ ضَرَمِ
Close translation:
It was as though the fire had what water has—dampness—
from grief; and as though water had what fire has—flame.
Explanation / notes: A striking reversal: boundaries between opposites blur. The point is not physics—it’s poetic shock, saying: the cosmos feels the moment.
وَالْجِنُّ تَهْتِفُ وَالْأَنْوَارُ سَاطِعَةٌ
وَالْحَقُّ يَظْهَرُ مِنْ مَعْنًى وَمِنْ كَلِمِ
Close translation:
The jinn cried out, lights blazed forth,
and Truth began to appear—through meaning and through word.
Explanation / notes: This moves from “omens” to “message”: light and truth are rising. “Meaning and word” gestures toward revelation: clarity arriving in both sense and speech.
عَمُوا وَصَمُّوا فَإِعْلَانُ الْبَشَائِرِ لَمْ
تُسْمَعْ (يُسْمَعْ) وَبَارِقَةُ الْإِنْذَارِ لَمْ تُشَمِ
Close translation:
They went blind and deaf: the proclamation of glad tidings was not heard,
and the flash of warning was not even sensed.
Explanation / notes: A moral diagnosis: the real barrier is not lack of signs, but inner refusal—spiritual “blindness” and “deafness.”
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ
مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا أَخْبَرَ الْأَقْوَامَ كَاهِنُهُمْ بِأَنَّ
دِينَهُمُ الْمُعْوَجَّ لَمْ يَقُمِ
Close translation:
After their soothsayer informed the peoples that
their crooked religion would not endure—would not stand upright.
Explanation / notes: The poet points to even pre-Islamic “seers” sensing collapse in the dominant religious order—an argument that the shift was visible to anyone with insight.
وَبَعْدَ مَا عَايَنُوا فِي الْأُفْقِ مِنْ شُهُبٍ
مُنْقَضَّةٍ وَفْقَ مَا فِي الْأَرْضِ مِنْ صَنَمِ
Close translation:
And after they witnessed in the horizon shooting stars
plunging down—matching the idols that were on earth.
Explanation / notes: This echoes the Qur’ānic/hadith theme of meteors driving back devils eavesdropping on heaven—paired here with idols on earth: deception is being hunted down on both levels.
حَتَّى غَدَا عَنْ طَرِيقِ الْوَحْيِ مُنْهَزِمٌ
مِنَ الشَّيَاطِينِ يَقْفُو إِثْرَ مُنْهَزِمِ
Close translation:
Until those devils fled from the path of revelation—
one defeated fugitive following another.
Explanation / notes: A vivid picture of the “closing” of routes of false access to the unseen—revelation is protected; distortion is pushed back.
كَأَنَّهُمْ هَرَبًا أَبْطَالُ أَبْرَهَةٍ
أَوْ عَسْكَرٌ بِالْحَصَى مِنْ رَاحَتَيْهِ رُمِي
Close translation:
As though, in their flight, they were the champions of Abraha—
or an army pelted with pebbles thrown from his two palms.
Explanation / notes: Two allusions: the defeat of Abraha’s army (Year of the Elephant), and the Prophetic sign where pebbles/dust are cast against an enemy. The poet uses both to say: opposition collapses when God supports His Messenger.
نَبْذًا بِهِ بَعْدَ تَسْبِيحٍ بِبَطْنِهِمَا
نَبْذَ الْمُسَبِّحِ مِنْ أَحْشَاءِ مُلْتَقِمِ
Close translation:
He cast them after they had glorified (God) within his palms—
like the casting out of a glorifier from the belly of a devourer.
Explanation / notes: The pebbles are imagined praising God in his hands, then being flung. The simile recalls Jonah being cast from the fish—an image of release, rescue, and divine power.
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ(2)
الْفَصْلُ الْخَامِسُ فِي مُعْجِزَاتِهِ ﷺ
Chapter Five
On the Miracles that came at his Hand ﷺ
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ(2)
جَاءَتْ لِدَعْوَتِهِ الْأَشْجَارُ سَاجِدَةً
تَمْشِي إِلَيْهِ عَلَى سَاقٍ بِلَا قَدَمِ
Close translation:
Trees came, prostrating to his call—
walking toward him on a “leg” with no foot.
Explanation / notes: A miracle-image: nature obeys him by God’s permission. The “leg with no foot” is playful precision—trees don’t have feet, yet they “move.”
كَأَنَّمَا سَطَرَتْ سَطْرًا لِمَا كَتَبَتْ
فُرُوعُهَا مِنْ بَدِيعِ الْخَطِّ فِي اللَّقَمِ
Close translation:
As though they traced lines for what they wrote—
their branches forming wondrous script upon the ground.
Explanation / notes: The movement of branches becomes “calligraphy.” It’s also a nod to an Islamic sensibility: creation “writes” signs for those who read with the heart.
مِثْلَ الْغَمَامَةِ أَنَّى سَارَ سَائِرَةٌ
تَقِيهِ حَرَّ وَطِيسٍ لِلْهَجِيرِ حَمِي
Close translation:
Like a cloud—wherever he traveled, it traveled too—
shielding him from the scorching blaze of midday heat.
Explanation / notes: A well-known devotional motif: providential shade accompanies him. The point is care and honor, not weather reporting.
أَقْسَمْتُ بِالْقَمَرِ الْمُنْشَقِّ إِنَّ لَهُ
مِنْ قَلْبِهِ نِسْبَةً مَبْرُورَةَ الْقَسَمِ
Close translation:
I swear by the split moon: it has, from his heart,
a bond that makes this oath rightly fulfilled.
Explanation / notes: The “split moon” refers to the famous sign. The poet links the miracle to the Prophet’s inner truth—his heart is portrayed as a source of luminous certainty.
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ
وَمَا حَوَى الْغَارُ مِنْ خَيْرٍ وَمِنْ كَرَمِ
وَكُلُّ طَرْفٍ مِنَ الْكُفَّارِ عَنْهُ عَمِي
Close translation:
And what the cave contained—of goodness and generosity!
Yet every eye of the disbelievers was blinded to him.
Explanation / notes: This refers to the Hijrah episode (the cave): protection can be right in front of pursuers, yet God veils their perception.
فَالصِّدْقُ فِي الْغَارِ وَالصِّدِّيقُ لَمْ يَرِمَا
وَهُمْ يَقُولُونَ مَا بِالْغَارِ مِنْ أَرِمِ
Close translation:
Truth was in the cave—and the Truthful One (Abū Bakr) did not depart;
while they said: “There’s no one at all in the cave.”
Explanation / notes: A beautiful wordplay: ṣidq (truth) and al-Ṣiddīq (the steadfastly truthful companion). Reality is present, but denial speaks loudly.
ظَنُّوا الْحَمَامَ وَظَنُّوا الْعَنْكَبُوتَ عَلَى
خَيْرِ الْبَرِيَّةِ لَمْ تَنْسُجْ وَلَمْ تَحُمِ
Close translation:
They assumed the dove—and assumed the spider—
had neither woven nor nested over the best of creation.
Explanation / notes: The cave imagery continues: the web and birds are tiny means by which God blocks a massive threat—small things can carry big protection.
وِقَايَةُ اللهِ أَغْنَتْ عَنْ مُضَاعَفَةٍ
مِنَ الدُّرُوعِ وَعَنْ عَالٍ مِنَ الْأُطُمِ
Close translation:
God’s protection made him independent of double armor,
and of lofty fortresses.
Explanation / notes: The poet’s point is blunt: safety ultimately comes from God—material defenses matter, but they are not the deepest source of security.
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ
مَا سَامَنِي الدَّهْرُ ضَيْمًا وَاسْتَجَرْتُ بِهِ
إِلَّا وَنِلْتُ جِوَارًا مِنْهُ لَمْ يُضَمِ
Close translation:
Time never wronged me while I sought refuge through him,
except that I gained a protection from him that was never violated.
Explanation / notes: This is the poet speaking personally now: invoking the Prophet’s rank with God as a means of hope—especially when life feels oppressive.
وَلَا الْتَمَسْتُ غِنَى الدَّارَيْنِ مِنْ يَدِهِ
إِلَّا اسْتَلَمْتُ النَّدَى مِنْ خَيْرِ مُسْتَلَمِ
Close translation:
I never sought the richness of both abodes from his hand
except that I received generosity—from the best one to receive from.
Explanation / notes: “Both abodes” means الدنيا والآخرة (this life and the next). The poet’s “opinion” is clear: turning toward the Prophet’s guidance makes a person inwardly and outwardly richer.
لَا تُنْكِرِ الْوَحْيَ مِنْ رُؤْيَاهُ إِنَّ لَهُ
قَلْبًا إِذَا نَامَتِ الْعَيْنَانِ لَمْ يَنَمِ
Close translation:
Do not deny revelation coming through his dreams—he has
a heart that does not sleep when the eyes sleep.
Explanation / notes: This directly echoes the Prophetic saying: “My eyes sleep, but my heart does not.” Dreams for him are not ordinary ((الخيال المتصل) = the imagination “connected to” the dreamer); they are truthful revelation.
وَذَاكَ حِينَ بُلُوغٍ مِنْ نُبُوَّتِهِ
فَلَيْسَ يُنْكَرُ فِيهِ حَالُ مُحْتَلِمِ
Close translation:
And that was at a stage of his prophethood—
so it is not to be dismissed like the state of one merely dreaming.
Explanation / notes: The poet argues: once prophethood is established, his visions carry weight. He contrasts them with ordinary dream-states that have no authority (Important to note the بدء الوحی).
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ
تَبَارَكَ اللهُ مَا وَحْيٌ بِمُكْتَسَبٍ
وَلَا نَبِيٌّ عَلَى غَيْبٍ بِمُتَّهَمِ
Close translation:
Blessed is God: revelation is not something acquired (learned),
and no prophet is to be accused regarding the unseen.
Explanation / notes: A core Islamic point: revelation is a gift from God, not a human “skill,” and prophets are trustworthy conveyors.
كَمْ أَبْرَأَتْ وَصِبًا بِاللَّمْسِ رَاحَتُهُ
وَأَطْلَقَتْ أَرِبًا مِنْ رِبْقَةِ اللَّمَمِ
Close translation:
How many sick people his palm healed by touch—
and how many sound minds it freed from the tether of affliction!
Explanation / notes: The poet gestures to healing miracles: physical illness and “لَمَم” (a troubling affliction—often taken as fits/possession-like harm). The focus is mercy expressed through cure.
وَأَحْيَتِ السَّنَةَ الشَّهْبَاءَ دَعْوَتُهُ
حَتَّى حَكَتْ غُرَّةً فِي الْأَعْصُرِ الدُّهُمِ
Close translation:
His supplication revived the pale, drought-year,
until it resembled a bright forelock amid dark ages.
Explanation / notes: Drought is “gray,” life drained of color. His prayer returns rain—turning bleakness into brightness. The “forelock” image suggests sudden beauty on an otherwise dark face.
بِعَارِضٍ جَادَ أَوْ خِلْتَ الْبِطَاحَ بِهَا
سَيْبٌ مِنَ الْيَمِّ أَوْ سَيْلٌ مِنَ الْعَرِمِ
Close translation:
With a passing cloud that poured—so that you’d think the valleys
were a gift from the sea, or a torrent like the flood of al-ʿArim.
Explanation / notes: He intensifies the rain scene: not a drizzle, but a sweeping overflow—comparing it to سَيْلَ الْعَرِم (“the Flood of al‑ʿArim”) that was sent upon the people of Sabaʾ (Sheba) after they turned away—an overwhelming flood that destroyed their prosperity (Q 34:16). The intent is awe at God’s response to the Prophet’s دعاء, invoking a benchmark: the archetypal, legendary flood known from Qur’anic narrative and Arab historical imagination.
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ(2)
الْفَصْلُ السَّادِسُ فِي شَرَفِ الْقُرآنِ وَمَدْحِهِ
Chapter Six
On the Nobility of the Qur’an and its Praise
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ(2)
دَعْنِي وَوَصْفِيَ آيَاتٍ لَهُ ظَهَرَتْ
ظُهُورَ نَارِ الْقِرَى لَيْلًا عَلَى عَلَمِ
Close translation:
Leave me to describe signs that appeared for him—
as clearly as a hospitality-fire seen at night on a hilltop.
Explanation / notes: He’s saying: these miracles are not subtle; they are as visible as a hospitality-fire used to guide travelers at night—an old Arab symbol of generosity and guidance.
فَالدُّرُّ يَزْدَادُ حُسْنًا وَهْوَ مُنْتَظِمٌ
وَلَيْسَ يَنْقُصُ قَدْرًا غَيْرَ مُنْتَظِمِ
Close translation:
Pearls become more beautiful when strung in order—
yet they do not lose their worth when unstrung.
Explanation / notes: A smart defense of poetic praise: arranging miracles into verses adds beauty, but the miracles’ value does not depend on the poem.
فَمَا تَطَاوُلُ آمَالِ الْمَدِيحِ إِلَى
مَا فِيهِ مِنْ كَرَمِ الْأَخْلَاقِ وَالشِّيَمِ
Close translation:
So how could the hopes of praise ever reach
the generosity of his character and traits?
Explanation / notes: Praise always falls short. And honestly, this line feels true even as plain ethics: the more you study his conduct, the harder it is to summarize it with slogans.
آيَاتُ حَقٍّ مِنَ الرَّحْمَنِ مُحْدَثَةٌ
قَدِيمَةٌ صِفَةُ الْمَوْصُوفِ بِالْقِدَمِ
Close translation:
Verses of Truth from the All-Merciful—newly sent down,
yet eternal as an attribute of the One described as Eternal.
Explanation / notes: This is theological poetry about the Qur’an: its recitation appears in time to us (“revealed”), while its divine source and attribute are beyond time. He’s praising the Qur’an without reducing it to “mere human speech.”
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ
لَمْ تَقْتَرِنْ بِزَمَانٍ وَهْيَ تُخْبِرُنَا
عَنِ الْمَعَادِ وَعَنْ عَادٍ وَعَنْ إِرَمِ
Close translation:
It is not bound to time, though it tells us
of the Return (Resurrection), and of ʿĀd, and of Iram.
Explanation / notes: The Qur’an speaks across time: future (Judgment) and deep past (ancient peoples). The poet’s point: it’s not a local document tied to one moment.
دَامَتْ لَدَيْنَا فَفَاقَتْ كُلَّ مُعْجِزَةٍ
مِنَ النَّبِيِّينَ إِذْ جَاءَتْ وَلَمْ تَدُمِ
Close translation:
It remained with us, and so it surpassed every miracle of the prophets—
for those miracles came, but did not remain.
Explanation / notes: The Qur’an is a living, ongoing miracle—recited, memorized, argued with, returned to—rather than a one-time event witnessed by a single generation.
مُحَكَّمَاتٌ فَمَا تُبْقِينَ مِنْ شُبَهٍ
لِذِي شِقَاقٍ وَمَا تَبْغِينَ مِنْ حَكَمِ
Close translation:
Decisive, perfectly judged—leaving no doubts
for the quarrelsome, needing no external judge.
Explanation / notes: He praises Qur’ānic clarity: when approached sincerely, it resolves the core questions—especially the ones people use mainly for argument.
مَا حُورِبَتْ قَطُّ إِلَّا عَادَ مِنْ حَرَبٍ
أَعْدَى الْأَعَادِي إِلَيْهَا مُلْقِيَ السَّلَمِ
Close translation:
It has never been fought against, except that the fiercest enemy returned from the fight
throwing down his weapons in surrender.
Explanation / notes: The poet gestures to a repeated pattern: hostility to the Qur’an collapses when someone actually listens with honesty—many opponents eventually become defenders.
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ
رَدَّتْ بَلَاغَتُهَا دَعْوَى مُعَارِضِهَا
رَدَّ الْغَيُورِ يَدَ الْجَانِي عَنِ الْحُرَمِ
Close translation:
Its eloquence repelled the claim of its challenger—
like a protective guardian repels a criminal’s hand from the sacred sanctuary.
Explanation / notes: A fierce simile: attempts to “match” the Qur’an are treated like an assault on what is inviolable—repelled immediately by its unmatched بلاغة.
لَهَا مَعَانٍ كَمَوْجِ الْبَحْرِ فِي مَدَدٍ
وَفَوْقَ جَوْهَرِهِ فِي الْحُسْنِ وَالْقِيَمِ
Close translation:
It has meanings like the sea’s waves in endless reach—
and beyond its very depths in beauty and worth.
Explanation / notes: He’s saying: you can keep returning and still not exhaust it—layer after layer of guidance, language, law, story, and spiritual insight.
فَمَا تُعَدُّ وَلَا تُحْصَى عَجَائِبُهَا
وَلَا تُسَامُ عَلَى الْإِكْثَارِ بِالسَّأَمِ
Close translation:
Its wonders cannot be counted or enumerated,
and repetition never bargains it down into boredom.
Explanation / notes: A lived reality for many reciters: the text stays fresh—sometimes the same verse lands differently depending on the season of your life.
قَرَّتْ بِهَا عَيْنُ قَارِيهَا فَقُلْتُ لَهُ
لَقَدْ ظَفِرْتَ بِحَبْلِ اللهِ فَاعْتَصِمِ
Close translation:
The reciter’s eye finds coolness in it—so I said to him:
You have grasped the Rope of God, so hold fast!
Explanation / notes: “Coolness of the eye” means deep relief and joy. “Rope of God” echoes Qur’ānic language: cling to it for stability when everything else shakes.
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ
إِنْ تَتْلُهَا خِيفَةً مِنْ حَرِّ نَارِ لَظًى
أَطْفَأْتَ نَارَ لَظًى مِنْ وِرْدِهَا الشَّبِمِ
Close translation:
If you recite it in fear of the heat of Hell’s blaze,
you extinguish that blaze with the cool draught of its “watering.”
Explanation / notes: A powerful close to this section: Qur’an as water that cools fire—recitation not as decoration, but as rescue, repentance, and inner purification.
كَأَنَّهَا الْحَوْضُ تَبْيَضُّ الْوُجُوهُ بِهِ
مِنَ الْعُصَاةِ وَقَدْ جَاءُوهُ كَالْحُمَمِ
Close translation:
It is as though it were t al-Ḥawḍ: faces are made radiant by it—
even for sinners who come to it blackened like cinders.
Explanation / notes: He continues speaking about the Qur’an: it cleanses and dignifies, even those weighed down by sin, if they come sincerely.
وَكَالصِّرَاطِ وَكَالْمِيزَانِ مَعْدِلَةً
فَالْقِسْطُ مِنْ غَيْرِهَا فِي النَّاسِ لَمْ يَقُمِ
Close translation:
And (it is) like the Bridge (al-Ṣirāṭ) and like the Balance—perfectly just;
without it, justice among people would never stand.
Explanation / notes: The Qur’an is described as the ultimate moral measure: it sets right conduct and fair judgment in society.
لَا تَعْجَبَنْ لِحَسُودٍ رَاحَ يُنْكِرُهَا
تَجَاهُلًا وَهْوَ عَيْنُ الْحَاذِقِ الْفَهِمِ
Close translation:
Do not be surprised at an envier who goes on denying it—
pretending ignorance, though he is keen-eyed and understanding.
Explanation / notes: Denial is not always intellectual; sometimes it’s moral—envy and pride can make a person “unsee” what they actually recognize.
قَدْ تُنْكِرُ الْعَيْنُ ضَوْءَ الشَّمْسِ مِنْ رَمَدٍ
وَيُنْكِرُ الْفَمُ طَعْمَ الْمَاءِ مِنْ سَقَمِ
Close translation:
The eye may deny the sun’s light because of inflammation,
and the mouth may deny water’s taste because of sickness.
Explanation / notes: If someone rejects clear truth, the problem may be the “organ” of reception—heart, ego, or desire—not the clarity of the truth itself.
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ(2)
الْفَصْلُ السَّابِعُ فِي إِسْرَائِهِ وَمِعْرَاجِهِ ﷺ
Chapter Seven
On the Prophet’s Night Journey and Ascensionﷺ
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ(2)
يَا خَيْرَ مَنْ يَمَّمَ الْعَافُونَ سَاحَتَهُ
سَعْيًا وَفَوْقَ مُتُونِ الْأَيْنُقِ الرُّسُمِ
Close translation:
O best of those whose court the seekers of pardon aim for—
on foot, and atop lean, travel-worn camels.
Explanation / notes: A picture of people crossing distance for mercy—spiritually (through prayer and devotion) and also physically (the old imagery of journeying to the Prophet ﷺ).
وَمَنْ هُوَ الْآيَةُ الْكُبْرَى لِمُعْتَبِرٍ
وَمَنْ هُوَ النِّعْمَةُ الْعُظْمَى لِمُغْتَنِمِ
Close translation:
And who is the greatest sign for one who takes heed—
and the greatest blessing for one who would seize the chance?
Explanation / notes: He frames the Prophet ﷺ as both evidence (آية) and mercy (نعمة): a living proof that guidance is possible.
سَرَيْتَ مِنْ حَرَمٍ لَيْلًا إِلَى حَرَمِ
كَمَا سَرَى الْبَدْرُ فِي دَاجٍ مِنَ الظُّلَمِ
Close translation:
You journeyed by night from one Sanctuary to another,
as the full moon journeys through a dark night.
Explanation / notes: This begins the praise of al-Isrāʾ: from the Sacred Mosque in Makkah to the far sanctuary in Jerusalem—an event cast in luminous imagery.
وَبِتَّ تَرْقَى إِلَى أَنْ نِلْتَ مَنْزِلَةً
مِنْ قَابِ قَوْسَيْنِ لَمْ تُدْرَكْ وَلَمْ تُرَمِمِ
Close translation:
And you kept ascending until you reached a station
of “two bow-lengths”—a nearness none attained, none even dared to seek.
Explanation / notes: This evokes the Qur’ānic phrase (53:9) used in accounts of the Miʿrāj: an unmatched closeness granted by God.
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ
وَقَدَّمَتْكَ جَمِيعُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ بِهَا
وَالرُّسْلِ تَقْدِيمَ مَخْدُومٍ عَلَى خَدَمِ
Close translation:
And there the prophets and messengers placed you forward—
the way attendants place forward the one they serve.
Explanation / notes: This alludes to the tradition of the Prophet ﷺ leading the other prophets in prayer—symbolizing his final, unifying leadership.
وَأَنْتَ تَخْتَرِقُ السَّبْعَ الطِّبَاقَ بِهِمْ
فِي مَوْكِبٍ كُنْتَ فِيهِ صَاحِبَ الْعَلَمِ
Close translation:
And you passed through the seven layered heavens with them,
in a procession in which you were the bearer of the standard.
Explanation / notes: The Miʿrāj is painted as a royal ascent: he is not merely present—he is the guide and leader.
حَتَّى إِذَا لَمْ تَدَعْ شَأْوًا لِمُسْتَبِقٍ
مِنَ الدُّنُوِّ وَلَا مَرْقًى لِمُسْتَنِمِ
Close translation:
Until you left no course for any racer in nearness,
and no climb for any climber seeking ascent.
Explanation / notes: A poetic way of saying: his rank in closeness and honor surpassed all comparison.
خَفَضْتَ كُلَّ مَقَامٍ بِالْإِضَافَةِ إِذْ
نُودِيتَ بِالرَّفْعِ مِثْلَ الْمُفْرَدِ الْعَلَمِ
Close translation:
You made every station seem low by comparison when you were called to be raised—
unique, like a singular proper name.
Explanation / notes: A clever grammatical metaphor: a proper name stands alone—so too his singular distinction.
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ
كَيْمَا تَفُوزَ بِوَصْلٍ أَيِّ مُسْتَتِرٍ
عَنِ الْعُيُونِ وَسِرٍّ أَيِّ مُكْتَتِمِ
Close translation:
So that you might win communion with what is hidden from eyes,
and with every secret kept concealed.
Explanation / notes: He gestures to realities beyond human sight—intimate knowledge and divine gifts not accessible by ordinary means.
فَحُزْتَ كُلَّ فَخَارٍ غَيْرِ مُشْتَرَكٍ
وَجُزْتَ كُلَّ مَقَامٍ غَيْرِ مُزْدَحَمِ
Close translation:
So you attained every glory without sharing,
and passed every station with no rival crowding you.
Explanation / notes: This is devotional hyperbole with a clear aim: to assert the Prophet’s unmatched standing.
وَجَلَّ مِقْدَارُ مَا وُلِّيتَ مِنْ رُتَبٍ
وَعَزَّ إِدْرَاكُ مَا أُولِيتَ مِنْ نِعَمِ
Close translation:
Vast is the measure of the ranks entrusted to you,
and hard to grasp are the blessings granted you.
Explanation / notes: Even describing his gifts feels inadequate—the poet admits the limits of language and understanding.
بُشْرَى لَنَا مَعْشَرَ الْإِسْلَامِ إِنَّ لَنَا
مِنَ الْعِنَايَةِ رُكْنًا غَيْرَ مُنْهَدِمِ
Close translation:
Glad tidings for us, people of Islam: we have,
by divine care, a pillar that will never collapse.
Explanation / notes: A communal sigh of relief: the Prophet’s message is a lasting support.
لَمَّا دَعَا اللهُ دَاعِينَا لِطَاعَتِهِ
بِأَكْرَمِ الرُّسْلِ كُنَّا أَكْرَمَ الْأُمَمِ
Close translation:
When God called our caller to obedience through the noblest of messengers,
we became the noblest of nations.
Explanation / notes: The Ummah’s honor is tied to response: dignity comes from answering God’s call through His Messenger.
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ(2)
الْفَصْلُ الثَّامِنُ فِي جِهَادِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ
Chapter Eight
On the Efforts and Struggles of the Prophet ﷺ
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ(2)
رَاعَتْ قُلُوبَ الْعِدَا أَنْبَاءُ بِعْثَتِهِ
كَنَبْأَةٍ أَجْفَلَتْ غَفْلًا مِنَ الْغَنَمِ
Close translation:
The news of his mission terrified the enemies’ hearts,
like a sudden cry that startles heedless sheep.
Explanation / notes: The poet emphasizes how quickly the message disrupted the old powers—fear is the reflex of threatened injustice.
مَا زَالَ يَلْقَاهُمُ فِي كُلِّ مُعْتَرَكٍ
حَتَّى حَكَوْا بِالْقَنَا لَحْمًا عَلَى وَضَمِ
Close translation:
He kept meeting them in every battlefield
until they were cut by spears, like meat laid on a butcher’s board.
Explanation / notes: A hard martial image: it’s not meant as gore for its own sake, but as a declaration that persecution did not go unanswered forever.
وَدُّوا الْفِرَارَ فَكَادُوا يَغْبِطُونَ بِهِ
أَشْلَاءَ شَالَتْ مَعَ الْعِقْبَانِ وَالرَّخَمِ
Close translation:
They wished to flee—almost envying, in that escape,
the torn limbs carried off by eagles and vultures.
Explanation / notes: The poet pushes the terror to an extreme: their fear becomes so great that even death seems “easier” than facing that steadfast force.
تَمْضِي اللَّيَالِي وَلَا يَدْرُونَ عِدَّتَهَا
مَا لَمْ تَكُنْ مِنْ لَيَالِي الْأَشْهُرِ الْحُرُمِ
Close translation:
Nights would pass and they would not even know their number—
unless those nights belonged to the sacred months.
Explanation / notes: In constant anxiety, time blurs. Only the “protected” seasons (the sacred months) register as distinct because they bring restraint.
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ
كَأَنَّمَا الدِّينُ ضَيْفٌ حَلَّ سَاحَتَهُمْ
بِكُلِّ قَرْمٍ إِلَى لَحْمِ الْعِدَى قَرِمِ
Close translation:
As though the religion were a guest who camped in their courtyard—
with every noble champion, ravenous for the flesh of foes.
Explanation / notes: There’s wordplay in قَرْم / قَرِم: “a great champion” and “hungry/eager.” Islam arrives as an honored “guest,” carried by fierce resolve.
يَجُرُّ بَحْرَ خَمِيسٍ فَوْقَ سَابِحَةٍ
يَرْمِي بِمَوْجٍ مِنَ الْأَبْطَالِ مُلْتَطِمِ
Close translation:
Dragging a “sea” of an army on swift mounts,
hurling waves of heroes crashing one upon another.
Explanation / notes: بَحْر خميس is an old idiom for a vast, well-ordered army. He turns the battlefield into ocean imagery—organized power in motion.
مِنْ كُلِّ مُنْتَدِبٍ لِلهِ مُحْتَسِبٍ
يَسْطُو بِمُسْتَأْصِلٍ لِلْكُفْرِ مُصْطَلِمِ
Close translation:
From every volunteer for God, seeking reward,
striking with something that uproots disbelief—cutting it down.
Explanation / notes: A spiritual framing of struggle: not chaos, but disciplined sacrifice with accountability “to God,” not to ego.
حَتَّى غَدَتْ مِلَّةُ الْإِسْلَامِ وَهْيَ بِهِمْ
مِنْ بَعْدِ غُرْبَتِهَا مَوْصُولَةَ الرَّحِمِ
Close translation:
Until the faith of Islam, through them, became
like rejoined kinship after estrangement.
Explanation / notes: He emphasizes restoration: Islam gathers scattered people into bonds of responsibility and belonging.
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ
مَكْفُولَةً أَبْدًا مِنْهُمْ بِخَيْرِ أَبٍ
وَخَيْرِ بَعْلٍ فَلَمْ تَيْتَمْ وَلَمْ تَئِمِ
Close translation:
Always cared for by them as by the best father and the best husband—
so she was neither orphaned nor widowed.
Explanation / notes: Islam is personified as a protected woman: the Prophet ﷺ and his companions guard her continuity—teaching, living, and transmitting her.
هُمُ الْجِبَالُ فَسَلْ عَنْهُمْ مُصَادِمَهُمْ
مَاذَا رَأَى مِنْهُمُ فِي كُلِّ مُصْطَدَمِ
Close translation:
They are mountains—ask whoever collided with them
what he saw of them in every clash.
Explanation / notes: A portrait of the companions’ steadiness: they are not easily shaken, pressured, or bought.
سَلْ حُنَيْنًا وَسَلْ بَدْرًا وَسَلْ أُحُدًا
فُصُولَ حَتْفٍ لَهُمْ أَدْهَى مِنَ الْوَخَمِ
Close translation:
Ask Ḥunayn, ask Badr, ask Uḥud—
seasons of death for them more dreadful than the plague.
Explanation / notes: He calls major battles as “witnesses.” The phrase means: what they faced (and inflicted) was more decisive than any ordinary sickness.
الْمُصْدِرِي الْبِيضَ حُمْرًا بَعْدَمَا وَرَدَتْ
مِنَ الْعِدَى كُلَّ مُسْوَدٍّ مِنَ اللِّمَمِ
Close translation:
Those who sent white blades back red, after meeting
every dark-massed foe from the enemy throngs.
Explanation / notes: White swords returning red is a classic battle image: the poet is praising courage while also insisting the struggle was real, not theoretical.
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ
وَالْكَاتِبِينَ بِسُمْرِ الْخَطِّ مَا تَرَكَتْ
أَقْلَامُهُمْ حَرْفَ جِسْمٍ غَيْرَ مُنْعَجِمِ
Close translation:
Like scribes with brown (wielded) spears for pens
Leaving no letter of a body without dots
Explanation / notes: A military metaphor: spear-thrusts become ink-dots on the “letters” of bodies—meaning they left no enemy unmarked in defeat.
شَاكِي السِّلَاحِ لَهُمْ سِيمَا تُمَيِّزُهُمْ
وَالْوَرْدُ يَمْتَازُ بِالسِّيمَا عَنِ السَّلَمِ
Close translation:
Weapon-borne—this is their distinguishing mark;
as the rose is distinguished by its mark from the (plain) salam-tree.
Explanation / notes: Their “sign” is readiness and discipline. He contrasts beauty-with-distinction (the rose) with something more ordinary—virtue shows.
تُهْدِي إِلَيْكَ رِيَاحُ النَّصْرِ نَشْرَهُمُ
فَتَحْسَبُ الزَّهْرَ فِي الْأَكْمَامِ كُلَّ كَمِي
Close translation:
The winds of victory deliver to you their fragrance—
so you’d think every blossom still in its bud is an armored warrior.
Explanation / notes: Victory has a “scent,” and their coming feels like spring. It’s martial praise softened by floral imagery—strength that also brings renewal.
كَأَنَّهُمْ فِي ظُهُورِ الْخَيْلِ نَبْتُ رُبًا
مِنْ شِدَّةِ الْحَزْمِ لَا مِنْ شِدَّةِ الْحُزُمِ
Close translation:
As though, upon the horses’ backs, they were high-ground growth—
from the strength of their resolve (ḥazm), not from the tightness of girths (ḥuzum).
Explanation / notes: A neat pun: they seem fused to their mounts not because of straps, but because of inner firmness and control.
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ
طَارَتْ قُلُوبُ الْعِدَى مِنْ بَأْسِهِمْ فَرَقًا
فَمَا تُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ الْبَهْمِ وَالْبُهَمِ
Close translation:
The enemies’ hearts flew off in fear of their might—
so you could no longer tell the meek from the bold.
Explanation / notes: Terror flattens differences: under pressure, even the “tough” look like the timid. The line plays on near-identical words to sharpen the point.
وَمَنْ تَكُنْ بِرَسُولِ اللهِ نُصْرَتُهُ
إِنْ تَلْقَهُ الْأُسْدُ فِي آجَامِهَا تَجِمِ
Close translation:
Whoever is supported through the Messenger of God—
even if lions in their own thickets, they fall silent and subdued
Explanation / notes: This is not about swagger; it’s about a kind of courage that comes from certainty and purpose—fear is no longer the ruler.
وَلَنْ تَرَى مِنْ وَلِيٍّ غَيْرَ مُنْتَصِرٍ
بِهِ وَلَا مِنْ عَدُوٍّ غَيْرَ مُنْقَصِمِ
Close translation:
You will not see any ally except victorious through him,
nor any enemy except broken.
Explanation / notes: A sweeping claim of moral history: alignment with Prophetic guidance leads to strength; opposition collapses—if not immediately, then in outcome.
أَحَلَّ أُمَّتَهُ فِي حِرْزِ مِلَّتِهِ
كَاللَّيْثِ حَلَّ مَعَ الْأَشْبَالِ فِي أَجَمِ
Close translation:
He settled his community in the fortress of his faith—
like a lion dwelling with its cubs in a thicket.
Explanation / notes: Islam is pictured as a protective stronghold, not a burden. The Prophet ﷺ is the guardian who keeps the community safe through law and mercy.
كَمْ جَدَّلَتْ كَلِمَاتُ اللهِ مِنْ جَدِلٍ
فِيهِ وَكَمْ خَصَمَ الْبُرْهَانُ مِنْ خَصِمِ
Close translation:
How many disputants God’s words have thrown down,
and how many adversaries proof has defeated!
Explanation / notes: He shifts from sword to argument: revelation and clear evidence also “conquer”—by exposing falsehood and steadying truth.
كَفَاكَ بِالْعِلْمِ فِي الْأُمِّيِّ مُعْجِزَةً
فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ وَالتَّأْدِيبِ فِي الْيُتُمِ
Close translation:
The erudition of an unlettered one is a sufficient miracle
amid an age of ignorance—and sophistication from the state of orphanhood.
Explanation / notes: This is one of the strongest ethical proofs: an unlettered orphan becomes the teacher of a civilization—something bigger than personal genius.
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ(2)
الْفَصْلُ التَّاسِعُ فِي تَوَسُّلٍ بِرَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ
Chapter Nine
On Seeking Intercession Through the Prophet ﷺ
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ(2)
خَدَمْتُهُ بِمَدِيحٍ أَسْتَقِيلُ بِهِ
ذُنُوبَ عُمْرٍ مَضَى فِي الشِّعْرِ وَالْخِدَمِ
Close translation:
I served him with praise, seeking by it release—
from the sins of a lifetime spent in poetry and patronage.
Explanation / notes: Al-Būṣīrī turns inward again: this ode is not just art; it’s repentance—making praise a ladder back to God through love of His Messenger ﷺ.
إِذْ قَلَّدَانِيَ مَا تُخْشَى عَوَاقِبُهُ
كَأَنَّنِي بِهِمَا هَدْيٌ مِنَ النَّعَمِ
Close translation:
Since those two (poetry and “patronage”) hung on me what one fears the consequences of—
as though I were a sacrificial lamb from the herds, led with a garland.
Explanation / notes: He admits he has been “marked” by pursuits that can carry heavy moral consequences. The sacrificial image is sharp: it suggests he feels exposed and accountable, not proudly decorated.
أَطَعْتُ غَيَّ الصِّبَا فِي الْحَالَتَيْنِ وَمَا
حَصَلْتُ إِلَّا عَلَى الْآثَامِ وَالنَّدَمِ
Close translation:
In both, I obeyed the folly of youth
and gained nothing but sins and regret.
Explanation / notes: A brutally honest confession.
فَيَا خَسَارَةَ نَفْسٍ فِي تِجَارَتِهَا
لَمْ تَشْتَرِ الدِّينَ بِالدُّنْيَا وَلَمْ تَسُمِ
Close translation:
What an abject loss is a soul in its trade—
it neither bought religion with the world, nor even tried to!
Explanation / notes: He extends the commerce metaphor: the tragedy isn’t only a bad bargain; it’s that he didn’t even step into the real trade of salvation.
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ(2)
وَمَنْ يَبِعْ آجِلًا مِنْهُ بِعَاجِلِهِ
يَبِنْ لَهُ الْغَبْنُ فِي بَيْعٍ وَفِي سَلَمِ
Close translation:
Whoever sells what is deferred (the Hereafter) for what is immediate (this world),
his loss will become clear—whether in a sale or even in a “salam” bargain.
Explanation / notes: Even if a deal looks clever or “structured,” it’s still ruin if it trades the lasting for the fleeting. The line is morally blunt, and I think it’s meant to be.
إِنْ آتِ ذَنْبًا فَمَا عَهْدِي بِمُنْتَقِضٍ
مِنَ النَّبِيِّ وَلَا حَبْلِي بِمُنْصَرِمِ
Close translation:
If I fall into sin, my covenant with the Prophet is not broken,
nor is my rope to him severed.
Explanation / notes: This is not a license to sin; it’s the language of stubborn hope: even when he falls, he clings to love, loyalty, and return.
فَإِنَّ لِي ذِمَّةً مِنْهُ بِتَسْمِيَتِي
مُحَمَّدًا وَهْوَ أَوْفَى الْخَلْقِ بِالذِّمَمِ
Close translation:
For I have a pledge from him, by my being named “Muhammad”—
and he is the most faithful of creation to pledges.
Explanation / notes: A tender, almost childlike plea: he leans on the barakah of sharing the Prophet’s name, and on the Prophet’s known وفاء (faithfulness).
إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِي مَعَادِي آخِذًا بِيَدِي
فَضْلًا وَإِلَّا فَقُلْ يَا زَلَّةَ الْقَدَمِ
Close translation:
If, at my Return, he does not take my hand—by pure grace—
then say: “O stumbling of the foot!”
Explanation / notes: He imagines the terror of standing alone on the Day of Judgment. The “stumbling foot” is a painful self-diagnosis: my ruin would be my own fault.
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ(2)
حَاشَاهُ أَنْ يَحْرِمَ الرَّاجِي مَكَارِمَهُ
أَوْ يَرْجِعَ الْجَارُ مِنْهُ غَيْرَ مُحْتَرَمِ
Close translation:
Far be it from him to deprive the one who hopes in his noble gifts,
or that a seeker of his protection should return dishonored.
Explanation / notes: This is one of the poem’s warmest moments: he speaks of the Prophet ﷺ as incapable of humiliating a supplicant.
وَمُنْذُ أَلْزَمْتُ أَفْكَارِي مَدَائِحَهُ
وَجَدْتُهُ لِخَلَاصِي خَيْرَ مُلْتَزِمِ
Close translation:
Ever since I bound my thoughts to his praises,
I have found him the best commitment for my deliverance.
Explanation / notes: Praise here is not performance—it’s reorientation: keeping the Prophet ﷺ in mind becomes a path back to repentance and steadiness.
وَلَنْ يَفُوتَ الْغِنَى مِنْهُ يَدًا تَرِبَتْ
إِنَّ الْحَيَا يُنْبِتُ الْأَزْهَارَ فِي الْأَكَمِ
Close translation:
Richness from him will not pass by a dust-poor hand;
for rain makes flowers grow even on hilltops.
Explanation / notes: A
lovely image: need is “dusty hands,” generosity is “rain.” It says:
don’t be ashamed to ask—mercy makes unlikely places bloom.
وَلَمْ أُرِدْ زَهْرَةَ الدُّنْيَا الَّتِي اقْتَطَفَتْ
يَدَا زُهَيْرٍ بِمَا أَثْنَى عَلَى هَرِمِ
Close translation:
I did not seek the worldly “flower” that Zuhayr’s hands plucked
for praising هَرِمِ(Haram ibn Sinān).
Explanation / notes: He contrasts his intention with old patron-poetry: not praise for payment, but praise for salvation and love.
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ(2)
الْفَصْلُ الْعَاشِرُ فِي الْمُنَاجَاةِ وَعَرْضِ الْحَاجَاتِ
Chapter Ten
On Intimate Conversation and Cherished Hopes
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ(2)
يَا أَكْرَمَ الرُّسْلِ(الْخَلْقِ) مَا لِي مَنْ أَلُوذُ بِهِ
سِوَاكَ عِنْدَ حُلُولِ الْحَادِثِ الْعَمَمِ
Close translation:
O noblest of messengers—who do I have to seek refuge in but you
when the overwhelming calamity comes?
Explanation / notes: The
“overwhelming calamity” points to the Day of Judgment. The tone is
intimate: a person clinging to the one he believes God has made a mercy.
وَلَنْ يَضِيقَ رَسُولَ اللهِ جَاهُكَ بِي
إِذَا الْكَرِيمُ تَحَلَّى بِاسْمِ مُنْتَقِمِ
Close translation:
Messenger of God, your rank will not be too narrow for me,
when the Generous (God) manifests the Name “Avenger.”
Explanation / notes: Even at the moment of divine justice, he hopes the Prophet’s مقام (standing) remains wide enough to shelter him—this is fear and hope braided together.
فَإِنَّ مِنْ جُودِكَ الدُّنْيَا وَضَرَّتَهَا
وَمِنْ عُلُومِكَ عِلْمَ اللَّوْحِ وَالْقَلَمِ
Close translation:
For of your generosity is this world and its counterpart (the Hereafter),
and of your knowledge is the knowledge of the Tablet and the Pen.
Explanation / notes: This is famous for its boldness. In sound Islamic reading, it is poetic hyperbole: all giving and all knowledge are truly Allah’s; the Prophet ﷺ is honored as the greatest means by which guidance and mercy reach creation, and he knows what Allah teaches him—without implying independent divinity or absolute omniscience.
يَا نَفْسُ لَا تَقْنَطِي مِنْ زَلَّةٍ عَظُمَتْ
إِنَّ الْكَبَائِرَ فِي الْغُفْرَانِ كَاللَّمَمِ
Close translation:
O my soul, do not despair because of a slip, however great—
for major sins, within forgiveness, are like minor slips.
Explanation / notes: A central spiritual principle: never despair of God’s mercy. The scale of mercy dwarfs the scale of sin.
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ
لَعَلَّ رَحْمَةَ رَبِّي حِينَ يَقْسِمُهَا
تَأْتِي عَلَى حَسَبِ الْعِصْيَانِ فِي الْقِسَمِ
Close translation:
Perhaps my Lord’s mercy—when He apportions it—
comes according to the measure of disobedience in the allotment.
Explanation / notes: He isn’t claiming entitlement; he is expressing hope that mercy meets need: the more broken the servant, the more he begs for healing.
يَا رَبِّ وَاجْعَلْ رَجَائِي غَيْرَ مُنْعَكِسٍ
لَدَيْكَ وَاجْعَلْ حِسَابِي غَيْرَ مُنْخَرِمِ
Close translation:
O Lord, make my hope with You not reversed (not disappointed),
and make my reckoning not torn apart (not harshly shattered).
Explanation / notes: A compact duʿā’: keep hope steady, and make the final accounting gentle.
وَالْطُفْ بِعَبْدِكَ فِي الدَّارَيْنَ إِنَّ لَهُ
صَبْرًا مَتَى تَدْعُهُ الْأَهْوَالُ يَنْهَزِمِ
Close translation:
Be gentle with Your servant in both abodes—for he has
a patience that, when terrors call him, runs away.
Explanation / notes: He confesses weakness without drama: “I’m not brave enough for that Day unless You cover me.” This humility is one of the poem’s strengths.
وَائْذَنْ لِسُحْبِ صَلَاةٍ مِنْكَ دَائِمَةٍ
عَلَى النَّبِيِّ بِمُنْهَلٍّ وَمُنْسَجِمِ
Close translation:
And permit clouds of ṣalawāt from You—unceasing—
upon the Prophet, pouring down and flowing.
Explanation / notes: A beautiful closing prayer-image: ṣalawāt as rainclouds—continuous, life-giving, never withheld.
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ
مَا رَنَّحَتْ عَذَبَاتِ الْبَانِ رِيحُ صَبًا
وَأَطْرَبَ الْعِيسَ حَادِي الْعِيسِ بِالنَّغَمِ
Close translation:
So long as the morning breeze sways the bān-branches,
and the camel-driver delights the camels with song.
Explanation / notes: A classic Arabic “forever” formula: as long as nature repeats its rhythms, let blessings continue. It’s a graceful, musical ending—fitting for a poem meant to be recited aloud.
Closing Prayers added out of devotion:
ثُمَّ الرِّضَا عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعَنْ عُمَرِ
وَعَنْ عَلِيٍّ وَعُثْمَانَ ذِي الْكَرَمِ
وَالْآلِ وَالصَّحْبِ ثُمَّ التَّابِعِينَ فَهُمْ
أَهْلُ التُّقَى وَالنَّقَى وَالْحِلْمِ وَالْكَرَمِ
Close translation:
Then (may Allah’s) good pleasure be upon Abū Bakr and upon ʿUmar,
and upon ʿAlī and ʿUthmān—possessor of generosity.
And upon the Family and the Companions, then the Followers—for they are
the people of God‑fearingness, purity, forbearance, and generosity.
يَا رَبِّ بِالْمُصْطَفَى بَلِّغْ مَقَاصِدَنَا
وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا مَا مَضَى يَا وَاسِعَ الْكَرَمِ
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ
وَاغْفِرْ إِلَهِي لِكُلِّ الْمُسْلِمِينَ بِمَا
يُتْلُوهُ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ الْأَقْصَى وَفِي الْحَرَمِ
بِجَاهِ مَنْ بَيْتُهُ فِي طَيْبَةٍ حَرَمٌ
وَاسْمُهُ قَسَمٌ مِنْ أَعْظَمِ الْقَسَمِ
وَهَذِهِ بُرْدَةُ الْمُخْتَارِ قَدْ خُتِمَتْ
وَالْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ فِي بَدْءٍ وَفِي خَتْمِ
أَبْيَاتُهَا قَدْ أَتَتْ سِتِّينَ مَعْ مِائَةٍ
فَرِّجْ بِهَا كَرْبَنَا يَا وَاسِعَ الْكَرَمِ
فَرِّجْ بِهَا كَرْبَنَا يَا وَاسِعَ الْكَرَمِ
فَرِّجْ بِهَا كَرْبَنَا يَا وَاسِعَ الْكَرَمِ
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ(2)
Close translation:
O Lord, by the Chosen One, bring us to our aims,
and forgive us what has passed—O Vast in generosity.
And forgive, my God, all the Muslims by what is recited
in al‑Masjid al‑Aqṣā and in the Sacred Sanctuary.
By the rank of him whose home in Ṭaybah (Madīnah) is a sanctuary,
and whose very name is an oath among the greatest oaths.
And this Burdah of the Chosen has now been sealed,
and praise belongs to Allah at beginning and at end.
Its verses have come to sixty plus a hundred;
so relieve our distress by it—O Vast in generosity.
