ولد الهدى

وُلِدَ الهُدى فَالكائِناتُ ضِياءُ — وَفَمُ الزَمانِ تَبَسُّمٌ وَثَناءُ

Wulida l-huda fa-l-ka'inatu diya'u — wa-famu z-zamani tabassumun wa-thana'u

The Guide is born, and all creation is radiance — and the mouth of time is a smile and a song of praise ✦

الروحُ وَالمَلَأُ المَلائِكُ حَولَهُ — لِلدينِ وَالدُنيا بِهِ بُشَراءُ

Ar-ruhu wa-l-mala'u l-mala'iku hawlahu — li-d-dini wa-d-dunya bihi bushara'u

The Spirit and the host of angels surround him — bearers of glad tidings, to faith and to the world

وَالعَرشُ يَزهو وَالحَظيرَةُ تَزدَهي — وَالمُنتَهى وَالسِدرَةُ العَصماءُ

Wa-l-'arshu yazhu wa-l-haziratu tazdahi — wa-l-muntaha wa-s-sidratu l-'asma'u

The Throne exults and the sacred precinct glows — with the utmost boundary and the inviolate Lote Tree ✦

وَالوَحيُ يَقطُرُ سَلسَلًا مِن سَلسَلٍ — وَاللَوحُ وَالقَلَمُ البَديعُ رُواءُ

Wa-l-wahyu yaqturu salsalan min salsalin — wa-l-lawhu wa-l-qalamu l-badi'u ruwa'u

Revelation drips, spring-water out of spring-water — and the Tablet and the wondrous Pen stand beautiful

يا خَيرَ مَن جاءَ الوُجودَ تَحِيَّةً — مِن مُرسَلينَ إِلى الهُدى بِكَ جاؤوا

Ya khayra man ja'a l-wujuda tahiyyatan — min mursalina ila l-huda bika ja'u

O best of all who ever came into existence, a greeting — from the messengers, who came to guidance through you

بِكَ بَشَّرَ اللَهُ السَماءَ فَزُيِّنَت — وَتَضَوَّعَت مِسكًا بِكَ الغَبراءُ

Bika bashshara llahu s-sama'a fa-zuyyinat — wa-tadawwa'at miskan bika l-ghabra'u

With you God gave the heavens glad tidings, and they were adorned — and through you the dusty earth breathed musk ✦

يَومٌ يَتيهُ عَلى الزَمانِ صَباحُهُ — وَمَساؤُهُ بِمُحَمَّدٍ وَضّاءُ

Yawmun yatihu 'ala z-zamani sabahuhu — wa-masa'uhu bi-Muhammadin wadda'u

A day whose morning walks proud over all of time — and whose evening, through Muhammad, blazes with light

يوحى إِلَيكَ الفَوزُ في ظُلُماتِهِ — مُتَتابِعًا تُجلى بِهِ الظَلماءُ

Yuha ilayka l-fawzu fi zulumatihi — mutatabi'an tujla bihi z-zalma'u

Triumph is revealed to you within its darkness — verse upon verse, until the gloom is driven back

وَالآيُ تَترى وَالخَوارِقُ جَمَّةٌ — جِبريلُ رَوّاحٌ بِها غَدّاءُ

Wa-l-ayu tatra wa-l-khawariqu jammatun — Jibrilu rawwahun biha ghadda'u

The signs come one upon another, the wonders abound — Gabriel arriving with them at dusk and at dawn

دينٌ يُشَيَّدُ آيَةً في آيَةٍ — لَبِناتُهُ السوراتُ وَالأَضواءُ

Dinun yushayyadu ayatan fi ayatin — labinatuhu s-suratu wa-l-adwa'u

A faith built upward, verse set into verse — its building-blocks the suras, and its mortar light ✦

الحَقُّ فيهِ هُوَ الأَساسُ وَكَيفَ لا — وَاللَهُ جَلَّ جَلالُهُ البَنّاءُ

Al-haqqu fihi huwa l-asasu wa-kayfa la — wa-llahu jalla jalaluhu l-banna'u

Truth in it is the very foundation — and how not — when God, majestic in His majesty, is the builder

بِكَ يا ابنَ عَبدِ اللَهِ قامَت سَمحَةٌ — بِالحَقِّ مِن مِلَلِ الهُدى غَرّاءُ

Bika ya bna 'Abdi llahi qamat samhatun — bi-l-haqqi min milali l-huda gharra'u

Through you, O son of Abdullah, there arose a gracious creed — radiant with truth among the paths of guidance

بُنِيَت عَلى التَوحيدِ وَهيَ حَقيقَةٌ — نادى بِها سُقراطُ وَالقُدَماءُ

Buniyat 'ala t-tawhidi wa-hya haqiqatun — nada biha Suqratu wa-l-qudama'u

Founded upon the oneness of God — a truth — that Socrates and the ancients had once proclaimed ✦

وَمَشى عَلى وَجهِ الزَمانِ بِنورِها — كُهّانُ وادي النيلِ وَالعُرَفاءُ

Wa-masha 'ala wajhi z-zamani bi-nuriha — kuhhanu wadi n-nili wa-l-'urafa'u

And by whose light there walked across the face of time — the priests of the Nile valley and the seers

اللَهُ فَوقَ الخَلقِ فيها وَحدَهُ — وَالناسُ تَحتَ لِوائِها أَكفاءُ

Allahu fawqa l-khalqi fiha wahdahu — wa-n-nasu tahta liwa'iha akfa'u

In it God alone stands above creation — and beneath its banner all people stand as equals

وَالدينُ يُسرٌ وَالخِلافَةُ بَيعَةٌ — وَالأَمرُ شورى وَالحُقوقُ قَضاءُ

Wa-d-dinu yusrun wa-l-khilafatu bay'atun — wa-l-amru shura wa-l-huququ qada'u

Religion is ease, the caliphate a freely sworn compact — affairs are counsel, and rights are binding law ✦

الاِشتِراكِيّونَ أَنتَ إِمامُهُم — لَولا دَعاوى القَومِ وَالغُلَواءُ

Al-ishtirakiyyuna anta imamuhum — lawla da'awa l-qawmi wa-l-ghulawa'u

The socialists — you would be their imam — were it not for the slogans of the crowd and their excess ✦

داوَيتَ مُتَّئِدًا وَداوَوا طَفرَةً — وَأَخَفُّ مِن بَعضِ الدَواءِ الداءُ

Dawayta mutta'idan wa-dawaw tafratan — wa-akhaffu min ba'di d-dawa'i d-da'u

You healed with patience; they would heal at one wild leap — and some diseases weigh less than their cure

الحَربُ في حَقٍّ لَدَيكَ شَريعَةٌ — وَمِنَ السُمومِ الناقِعاتِ دَواءُ

Al-harbu fi haqqin ladayka shari'atun — wa-mina s-sumumi n-naqi'ati dawa'u

War, in a just cause, is in your code legitimate — even from the deadliest poisons medicine is drawn

وَالبِرُّ عِندَكَ ذِمَّةٌ وَفَريضَةٌ — لا مِنَّةٌ مَمنونَةٌ وَجَباءُ

Wa-l-birru 'indaka dhimmatun wa-faridatun — la minnatun mamnunatun wa-jaba'u

And charity with you is a covenant and a duty — not a favor grudgingly granted, and not a tax

جاءَت فَوَحَّدَتِ الزَكاةُ سَبيلَهُ — حَتّى التَقى الكُرَماءُ وَالبُخَلاءُ

Ja'at fa-wahhadati z-zakatu sabilahu — hatta ltaqa l-kurama'u wa-l-bukhala'u

Almsgiving came and made its practice a single road — on which the generous and the miserly finally meet

أَنصَفَت أَهلَ الفَقرِ مِن أَهلِ الغِنى — فَالكُلُّ في حَقِّ الحَياةِ سَواءُ

Ansafat ahla l-faqri min ahli l-ghina — fa-l-kullu fi haqqi l-hayati sawa'u

It did the people of poverty justice against the rich — for in the right to life all stand the same

يا مَن لَهُ الأَخلاقُ ما تَهوى العُلا — مِنها وَما يَتَعَشَّقُ الكُبَراءُ

Ya man lahu l-akhlaqu ma tahwa l-'ula — minha wa-ma yata'ashshaqu l-kubara'u

O you whose character holds all that eminence desires — and everything the great fall in love with

زانَتكَ في الخُلُقِ العَظيمِ شَمائِلٌ — يُغرى بِهِنَّ وَيولَعُ الكُرَماءُ

Zanatka fi l-khuluqi l-'azimi shama'ilu — yughra bihinna wa-yula'u l-kurama'u

In your tremendous nature shine such qualities — as captivate the noble and hold them spellbound

فَإِذا سَخَوتَ بَلَغتَ بِالجودِ المَدى — وَفَعَلتَ ما لا تَفعَلُ الأَنواءُ

Fa-idha sakhawta balaghta bi-l-judi l-mada — wa-fa'alta ma la taf'alu l-anwa'u

When you give, your bounty reaches the farthest horizon — and does what the rain-bearing stars cannot do ✦

وَإِذا عَفَوتَ فَقادِرًا وَمُقَدَّرًا — لا يَستَهينُ بِعَفوِكَ الجُهَلاءُ

Wa-idha 'afawta fa-qadiran wa-muqaddaran — la yastahinu bi-'afwika l-juhala'u

When you forgive, it is from power, and with measure — no fool mistakes your pardon for weakness

وَإِذا رَحِمتَ فَأَنتَ أُمٌّ أَو أَبٌ — هَذانِ في الدُنيا هُما الرُحَماءُ

Wa-idha rahimta fa-anta ummun aw abun — hadhani fi d-dunya huma r-ruhama'u

When you show mercy, you are a mother or a father — the two most merciful beings this world knows

وَإِذا خَطَبتَ فَلِلمَنابِرِ هِزَّةٌ — تَعرو النَدِيَّ وَلِلقُلوبِ بُكاءُ

Wa-idha khatabta fa-li-l-manabiri hizzatun — ta'ru n-nadiyya wa-li-l-qulubi buka'u

When you preach, a tremor takes hold of the pulpits — runs through the assembly, and hearts break into weeping

وَإِذا أَخَذتَ العَهدَ أَو أَعطَيتَهُ — فَجَميعُ عَهدِكَ ذِمَّةٌ وَوَفاءُ

Wa-idha akhadhta l-'ahda aw a'taytahu — fa-jami'u 'ahdika dhimmatun wa-wafa'u

And when you take a pledge, or give your own — your every covenant is sacred trust and faithfulness

يا مَن لَهُ عِزُّ الشَفاعَةِ وَحدَهُ — وَهوَ المُنَزَّهُ ما لَهُ شُفَعاءُ

Ya man lahu 'izzu sh-shafa'ati wahdahu — wa-hwa l-munazzahu ma lahu shufa'a'u

O you to whom alone belongs the glory of interceding — before the Transcendent One, who needs no intercessors

لي في مَديحِكَ يا رَسولُ عَرائِسٌ — تُيِّمنَ فيكَ وَشاقَهُنَّ جَلاءُ

Li fi madihika ya rasulu 'ara'isu — tuyyimna fika wa-shaqahunna jala'u

I keep in your praise, O Messenger, brides of verse — lovesick for you, and longing to be unveiled

هُنَّ الحِسانُ فَإِن قَبِلتَ تَكَرُّمًا — فَمُهورُهُنَّ شَفاعَةٌ حَسناءُ

Hunna l-hisanu fa-in qabilta takarruman — fa-muhuruhunna shafa'atun hasna'u

They are fair ones; and should you graciously accept them — their bride-price is a beautiful intercession

ما جِئتُ بابَكَ مادِحًا بَل داعِيًا — وَمِنَ المَديحِ تَضَرُّعٌ وَدُعاءُ

Ma ji'tu babaka madihan bal da'iyan — wa-mina l-madihi tadarru'un wa-du'a'u

I have not come to your door to flatter, but to plead — for part of praise is supplication and prayer ✦

أَدعوكَ عَن قَومي الضِعافِ لِأَزمَةٍ — في مِثلِها يُلقى عَلَيكَ رَجاءُ

Ad'uka 'an qawmi d-di'afi li-azmatin — fi mithliha yulqa 'alayka raja'u

I call upon you for my weakened people, in a crisis — of the kind in which all hope is laid on you