إلى عرفات الله

إلى عرفاتِ اللهِ يا خيرَ زائرٍ

Ila 'arafati Llahi ya khayra za'irin

To the Arafat of God, O best of pilgrims — ✦ ✦

عليكَ سلامُ اللهِ في عرفاتِ

'Alayka salamu Llahi fi 'arafati

God's peace be upon you on the plain of Arafat. ✦

ويومَ تولِّي وجهةَ البيتِ ناضرًا

Wa-yawma tuwalli wijhata l-bayti nadiran

And on the day you turn, radiant, toward the House,

وسيمَ مجالي البِشْرِ والقسماتِ

Wasima majali l-bishri wa-l-qasamati

your face all brightness in its noble lines,

على كلِّ أفقٍ بالحجازِ ملائكٌ

'Ala kulli ufqin bi-l-Hijazi mala'ikun

on every horizon of the Hijaz stand angels ✦

تزفُّ تحايا اللهِ والبركاتِ

Tazuffu tahaya Llahi wa-l-barakati

bearing in procession God's greetings and His blessings.

لدى البابِ جبريلُ الأمينُ براحِهِ

Lada l-babi Jibrilu l-aminu bi-rahihi

At the door is Gabriel the Trustworthy, in his palm

رسائلُ رحمانيّةُ النفحاتِ

Rasa'ilu rahmaniyyatu n-nafahati

letters fragrant with the breath of the All-Merciful;

وفي الكعبةِ الغرّاءِ ركنٌ مرحِّبٌ

Wa-fi l-Ka'bati l-gharra'i ruknun murahhibun

and in the resplendent Kaaba a cornerstone gives welcome —

بكعبةِ قُصّادٍ وركنِ عُفاةِ

Bi-ka'bati qussadin wa-rukni 'ufati

itself a shrine of seekers, a pillar for those who plead.

وزمزمُ تجري بينَ عينيكَ أعينًا

Wa-Zamzamu tajri bayna 'aynayka a'yunan

And Zamzam runs before your eyes in springs ✦

منَ الكوثرِ المعسولِ منفجراتِ

Mina l-kawthari l-ma'suli munfajirati

bursting from the honeyed river of Paradise.

لكَ الدينُ يا ربَّ الحجيجِ جمعتَهم

Laka d-dinu ya rabba l-hajiji jama'tahum

Faith is Yours, O Lord of the pilgrims: You gathered them

لبيتٍ طهورِ الساحِ والعرصاتِ

Li-baytin tahuri s-sahi wa-l-'arasati

to a House whose courts and precincts are all purity.

أرى الناسَ أفواجًا ومن كلِّ بقعةٍ

Ara n-nasa afwajan wa-min kulli buq'atin

I see mankind in throngs, from every corner of the earth, ✦

إليكَ انتهوا من غربةٍ وشتاتِ

Ilayka ntahaw min ghurbatin wa-shatati

ending at Your door their exile and their scattering.

تساووا فلا الأنسابُ فيها تفاوتٌ

Tasawaw fa-la l-ansabu fiha tafawutun

They stand as equals: no lineage outranks another

لديكَ ولا الأقدارُ مختلفاتِ

Ladayka wa-la l-aqdaru mukhtalifati

before You, and no worldly stations differ.

ويا ربِّ هل تُغني عنِ العبدِ حجّةٌ

Wa-ya rabbi hal tughni 'ani l-'abdi hijjatun

And O my Lord — can one pilgrimage avail Your servant ✦

وفي العمرِ ما فيهِ منَ الهفواتِ

Wa-fi l-'umri ma fihi mina l-hafawati

when a lifetime holds the stumbles that mine holds?

وتشهدُ ما آذيتُ نفسًا ولم أضرْ

Wa-tash-hadu ma adhaytu nafsan wa-lam adur

You witness I never wounded a soul, did no harm,

ولم أبغِ في جهري ولا خطراتي

Wa-lam abghi fi jahri wa-la khatarati

sought no wrong in my speech nor in my secret thoughts;

ولا حُمِّلتْ نفسٌ هوًى لبلادِها

Wa-la hummilat nafsun hawan li-biladiha

and no soul was ever charged with love of its homeland

كنفسي في فعلي وفي نفثاتي

Ka-nafsi fi fi'li wa-fi nafathati

deeper than mine, in all I do and all I utter.

وقدّمتُ أعذاري وذلّي وخشيتي

Wa-qaddamtu a'dhari wa-dhulli wa-khashyati

I have laid out my excuses, my humbleness, my fear,

وجئتُ بضعفي شافعًا وشكاتي

Wa-ji'tu bi-da'fi shafi'an wa-shakati

and brought my weakness and my complaint to intercede.

وأنتَ وليُّ العفوِ فامحُ بناصعٍ

Wa-anta waliyyu l-'afwi fa-mhu bi-nasi'in

You are the Master of pardon: erase with the white light

منَ الصفحِ ما سوّدتُ من صفحاتي

Mina s-safhi ma sawwadtu min safahati

of forgiveness whatever pages I have blackened. ✦

ومن تضحكِ الدنيا إليهِ فيغتررْ

Wa-man tadhaki d-dunya ilayhi fa-yaghtarir

For he at whom the world smiles, and who is beguiled,

يمتْ كقتيلِ الغيدِ بالبسماتِ

Yamut ka-qatili l-ghidi bi-l-basamati

dies as the victims of beauties die — slain by a smile.

إذا زرتَ بعدَ البيتِ قبرَ محمدٍ

Idha zurta ba'da l-bayti qabra Muhammadin

When, after the House, you visit Muhammad's tomb ✦

وقبّلتَ مثوى الأعظُمِ العطراتِ

Wa-qabbalta mathwa l-a'zumi l-'atirati

and kiss the resting place of the fragrant bones,

وفاضتْ منَ الدمعِ العيونُ مهابةً

Wa-fadat mina d-dam'i l-'uyunu mahabatan

and eyes brim over with the tears of awe

لأحمدَ بينَ السترِ والحجراتِ

Li-Ahmada bayna s-sitri wa-l-hujurati

for Ahmad, there between the veil and the chambers,

وأشرقَ نورٌ تحتَ كلِّ ثنيّةٍ

Wa-ashraqa nurun tahta kulli thaniyyatin

a light will dawn beneath every mountain pass

وضاعَ أريجٌ تحتَ كلِّ حصاةِ

Wa-da'a arijun tahta kulli hasati

and a perfume rise from under every stone.

فقل لرسولِ اللهِ يا خيرَ مرسلٍ

Fa-qul li-rasuli Llahi ya khayra mursalin

Then say to God's Messenger: O best of the sent,

أبثُّكَ ما تدري منَ الحسراتِ

Abuththuka ma tadri mina l-hasarati

I pour out to you sorrows you already know.

شعوبُكَ في شرقِ البلادِ وغربِها

Shu'ubuka fi sharqi l-biladi wa-gharbiha

Your peoples, in the east of the lands and in their west, ✦

كأصحابِ كهفٍ في عميقِ سُباتِ

Ka-ashabi kahfin fi 'amiqi subati

are like the Sleepers of the Cave, sunk deep in slumber.

بأيمانِهم نورانِ ذكرٌ وسنّةٌ

Bi-aymanihim nurani dhikrun wa-sunnatun

In their right hands are two lights — the Book and the Way —

فما بالُهم في حالكِ الظلماتِ

Fa-ma baluhum fi haliki z-zulumati

so why do they wander in the blackest of darkness?

وقل ربِّ وفِّقْ للعظائمِ أمتي

Wa-qul rabbi waffiq li-l-'aza'imi ummati

And say: my Lord, make my nation equal to great things,

وزيِّنْ لها الأفعالَ والعزماتِ

Wa-zayyin laha l-af'ala wa-l-'azamati

and adorn its deeds and its resolves with grace.