دَعْ لَذِيذَ الكَرَى وَانْتَبِهْ ثُمَّ صَلِّ
وَاسْتَقِمْ فِي الدُّجَى وَابْتَهِلْ ثُمَّ قُل
Leave the sweetness of sleep, awaken and then pray,
Stand firm in the darkness of night, supplicate, and then say:
يَا مُجِيبَ الدُّعَاء يَا عَظِيمَ الجَلَالِ
يَا لَطِيفٌ بِنَا دَائِمٌ لَمْ يَزَلْ
O Answerer of prayers, O Possessor of majestic glory,
O Ever-Gentle with us, Eternal and never fading.
وَاحِدٌ مَاجِدٌ قَابِضٌ بَاسِطٌ
حَاكِمٌ عَادِلٌ كُلَّ مَا شَاءَ فَعَل
One, Most Glorious, Who withholds and grants,
A Just Ruler who does whatever He wills.
ظَاهِرٌ بَاطِنٌ خَافِضٌ رَافِعٌ
سَامِعٌ عَالِمٌ مَا بِحُكْمِهِ مَيل
Manifest and Hidden, He lowers and raises,
All-Hearing, All-Knowing—there is no deviation in His judgment
أَوَّلٌ آخِرٌ لَيْسَ لَهُ مُنْتَهَى
جَلَّ مَا لَهُ شَرِيكٌ وَلَا لَهُ مَثل
The First and the Last, with no end to His being,
Exalted is He—He has no partner and no equal.
بَعْدَ لُطْفِكَ بِنَا يَا اللهُ افْعَلْ بِنَا
كُلَّ مَا أَنْتَ لَهُ يَا إِلَهِي أَهْل
After Your kindness to us, O Allah, deal with us,
In all ways You deem fitting, O my God.
يَا مُجِيبَ الدُّعَاء يَا مُتِمَّ الرَّجَاءِ
أَسْأَلكَ بِالَّذِي يَا إِلَهِي نَزَل
O Answerer of supplication, O Fulfiller of hope,
I ask You by that which descended, O my God,
بِهِ عَلَى المُصْطَفَى مَعَ شَدِيدِ القُوَى
وَأَسْأَلكَ بِالَّذِي دَكَّ صَلْبَ الجَبَل
Upon the Chosen One, with the Mighty in power,
And I ask You by that which crushed the solid mountain.
الغِنَى وَالرِّضَا وَالهُدَى وَالتُّقَى
وَالعَفْوَ والعَفْوَ ثُمَّ حُسْنَ العَمَل
[Grant us] richness, contentment, guidance, and piety,
And pardon—pardon us—then grant us righteous deeds.
وَأَسْأَلُكَ غَادِيًا مَادِيًا كُلَّمَا
لَجَّ فِيهِا الرَّعْدُ حَلَّ فِينَا الوَجَل
And I ask You for coming, pouring rain, whenever
Thunder roars within it and awe fills our hearts.
وَادِقٌ صَادِقٌ غَادِقٌ ضَاحِكٌ
بَاكيًا كُلَّمَا هَلَّ مَزْنهُ هَطَل
Pouring, truthful, abundant, laughing,
Weeping whenever its clouds pour down rain.
المُحِثَّ المُرِثَّ المُحِنَّ المُرِن
هَامِيًا سَامِيًا آنِيًا مُتَّصِل
Persistent, gentle, resilient and supple,
Flowing, lofty, ever-coming, unceasing.
أَسْأَلكَ بَعْدَ ذَا عَارِضًا سَائِحًا
كُنْ بَهِ طَقٌّ مَثَنّى سَحَابَهُ طَبَل
I ask You after this passing, wandering cloud,
Be it with crackling echoes, its clouds doubled like drums.
دَايِرٍ حَايِرٍ عَارِضٍ رَايِحٍ
كِلِّ مَنْ شَافَ بَرْقَهُ تَخَاطِفُ جَفَل
Turning, bewildered, moving, and departing,
Whoever sees its lightning is seized with sudden fear
أَدْهَمٍ مُظْلِمٍ مُوجِفٍ مُرَكَّمٍ
جَوْرُ سَيْلِهِ يَعُمُّ الوَعْرَ وَالسَّهْل
Dark, dense, and piled up,
Its flood’s force spreads over rugged land and plain.
كُنْ مَزْنَهُ إِلَى مَا ارْتَدَمَ وَارْتَكَم
فِي مَثَانِي السِّدَى دَامِرَاتِ الحِلَل
Let its clouds pour until they collapse and heap,
In the hollows of the sand, devastating the layers of soil.
نَاشِيٍ غَاشِيٍ سَدَاهُ فَوْقَ السُّهَا
كُنْ مُقَدِّمَ سَحَابِهِ يَجْرِجِرُ عَجَل
Rising and spreading, its extent above the plain,
Let the forefront of its clouds roll swiftly and with haste.
مُدْهِشٍ مُرْهِشٍ مُرْعِشٍ مُنْعِشٍ
لَمَعَ بَرْقُهُ كَمَا سُيُوفُ هِنْدٍ تَسَل
Astonishing, striking, thrilling, and refreshing,
Its lightning flashes like the swords of India slashing.
كُنْ نَثْرَ الطَّهَا يَوْمَ هَبَّ الهَوَا
فَرَّقِ رِيمٍ جَفَلَ وَارْتَهَشَ وَاجْتَوَل
Be the scattering of dust the day the wind blows,
It parts the gazelles, they flee in fright and scatter.
بِهِ يَحُطُّ الحَصَى بِالوَطَا مِنْ عَلَاهُ
مَنْحِي بِالرِّفَا وَالغَثَا بِالشَّلَل
With it, stones settle on the plain from its heights,
Granting ease and wealth, while scattering debris over the ground.
كُلَّمَا اخْتَفَقَ وَاصْطَفَقَ وَانْدَفَقْ
وَاسْتَهَلَّ وَانْتَهَلَ انْهَمَلَ كَالْهَلَل
Whenever it surges, strikes, and flows,
Begins and pours forth, it cascades like joyful exultation.
بَعْدَ ذَا آخَرٍ مَا حَمِى جَوْرُ مَاه
ثُمَّ يَشِيلُ الشَّجَرَ فِي مَسِيلِ الفَحْل
After this, nothing shields the power of the flood,
Then it uproots the trees in the path of the torrent.
كُلَّمَا ازْدَجَرَ وَانْدَجَرَ وَانْفَجَر
مَاهٌ حَطَّ الحَجَرَ فِي جُرُوفِ الجَبَل
Whenever it surged, raged, and exploded,
The flood deposited stones in the mountain gullies.
حِينَمَا ارْتَوَى وَاسْتَوَى وَاقْتَوَى
اسْتَقَلَّ وَانْتَقَلَ اضْمَحَلَّ المَحَل
When it was sated, leveled, and strengthened,
It stood independently, moved on, and the site eroded.
وَالْفَيَاضُ أَخْصَبَتْ وَالْرِّيَاضُ أَعْشَبَت
وَالْرَّكَايَا أَرْجَعَتْ وَالْمَقْلُ أَسْفَهَلَ
The overflowing waters fertilized, and the gardens flourished,
The furrows returned, and the meadows spread wide.
وَالْحُزُومُ أَرْبَعَتْ وَالْجَوَازِي سَعَت
وَالطُّيُورُ أَسْجَعَتْ فَوْقَ زَهْرِ النَّفْلِ
The bundles of crops multiplied, and the grains expanded,
And the birds chirped harmoniously above the clover blooms.
كُنْ وَصْفُ اخْتِلَافِ الزَّهْرِ فِي الرِّيَاضِ
بِالتَّلَاوُنِ فُرُوشَ الزَّوَالِي تَفَل
Be the description of the flowers’ variety in the gardens,
In colors, their rows and plots spread abundantly.
بَعْدَ ذَا عَلْهَا مُرَهِّشٍ قَالِطٍ
فِي بِقَايَا أَرْبَعٍ مِنْ سِمَاكِ العَزَل
After this, a refreshing, vibrant sight appears,
Among the remnants of four, from the unbroken heights.
بَعْدَ هَذَا يَعْلَه زِلَالٌ بِدَلَال
قَدَرَ شَهْرٍ سِقَى رَاسِيَاتِ النَّخَل
After this, pure water rises in abundance,
As the month waters the heads of the palm trees.
رَاسِيَاتِ المَثَانِي أَطْوَالَ الخُطُور
مُسْتَطِيلَ المِقَادِمِ جِرِيدًا مُظَل
The upper trunks of the groves reach in length,
Stretching the beds of the fields with long, shaded rows.
حَيْثِهِنَّ الذَّخَايِرُ إِلَى مَا بِقَا
بِالدَّهْرِ مَا يِدِيرُ الهَدِيرُ الجِمَل
Where the treasures remain until nothing is left,
Through the ages, the roar does not cease.
تَغْتَنِي بَهِ أَرْجَالٌ بِوَادِي الحَرِيق
هُمْ قُرُومٌ كِرَامٌ إِلَى جَاءَ المَحَل
With it, men in the Valley of Fire grow wealthy,
They are noble clans until the place arrives.
هُمْ جِزَالُ العَطَايَا غَزَّارُ الجِفَان
هُمْ لِبَابٌ لِضَيْفٍ بِلَيْلٍ هَشَل
They are generous with gifts, abundant in their vessels,
They are the door for a guest on a weary night.
يَا مُجِيبَ الدُّعَاءِ يَا مُتِمَّ الرَّجَا
اسْتَجِبْ دَعْوَتِي إِنَّنِي مُبْتَهِل
O Answerer of prayers, O Fulfiller of hope,
Respond to my supplication, for I am devoutly imploring.
اِمْحُ سَيِّئَتِي وَاعْفُ عَنْ زَلَّتِي
إِنَّنِي يَا إِلَهِي مَحَلُّ الزَّلَل
Erase my sins and pardon my mistakes,
For indeed, O my God, I am a place of fault.
فَالَّذِي مَدَّ فِيكَ إِلَهِي فَلَا
خَابَ مَنْ مَدَّ فِيكَ إِلَهِي أَمَل
For whoever relies on You, O my God,
Shall not fail; whoever trusts in You will not despair.
اِهْدِنِي يَا إِلَهِي فَإِنِّي أَقُول
دَعْ لَذِيذَ الكَرَى وَانْتَبِهْ ثُمَّ صَلِّ
Guide me, O my God, for indeed I say:
Leave the sweetness of sleep, awaken, and then pray.
ثُمَّ خَتَمَه صَلَاتِي عَلَى المُصْطَفَى
عَدَّ مَا انْحَى سَحَاب صَدُوق وَهَل
Then I conclude my prayer upon the Chosen One,
As the faithful clouds move aside, and so it is.
اِهْدِنِي يَا إِلَهِي فَإِنِّي أَقُول
دَعْ لَذِيذَ الكَرَى وَانْتَبِهْ ثُمَّ صَلِّ
Guide me, O my God, for indeed I say:
Leave the sweetness of sleep, awaken, and then pray.
ثُمَّ خَتَمَهُ صَلَاتِي عَلَى المُصْطَفَى
عَدَّ مَا انْحَى سَحَاب صَدُوق وَهَل
Then I conclude my prayer upon the Chosen One,
As the faithful clouds move aside, and so it is
The poem “Du‘a Ladhīdh al-Karā” is a famous supplication by the Najdi poet Mohsen bin Othman Al-Hazani, one of the poets from the town of Al-Hariq in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (died in 1245 AH).One year, the town suffered from severe drought; the crops withered, the fields dried, the soil cracked, and the palm trees dried up. They performed the Salat al-Istisqā’ (prayer for rain), yet the rain remained withheld.The poet composed this poem, gathered the young children and the elderly, and resolved to supplicate to Allah Almighty through it, hoping that God would send rain to them. It is said that Allah Almighty indeed granted them rain, and not a single night passed without the flood roaring miraculously and the rain pouring abundantly, making this story famous as an example of supplication and seeking rain.
قَصِيدَةُ “دَعْ لَذِيذَ الكَرَى” هِيَ ابْتِهَالٌ شَهِيرٌ لِلشَّاعِرِ النَّجْدِيِّ مُحْسِنِ بْنِ عُثْمَانِ الهِزَانِيِّ مِنْ شُعَرَاءِ بَلْدَةٍ اسْمُهَا الحَرِيق بِالمَمْلَكَةِ العَرَبِيَّةِ السَّعُودِيَّةِ (تَوَفَّى عَامَ ١٢٤٥ هـ). في سَنَةٍ مِنَ السِّنِينَ أَصَابَ البَلْدَةَ جَفَافٌ شَدِيدٌ، فَجَفَّتِ الضُّرُوعُ وَيَبَسَتِ الزُّرُوعُ وَتَشَقَّقَتِ الأَرْضُ وَيَبِسَ النَّخِيلُ، فَأَقَامُوا صَلَاةَ الاسْتِسْقَاءِ، وَلَكِنَّ المَطَرَ ظَلَّ مُحْبُوسًا.فَقَامَ الشَّاعِرُ بِنَظْمِ هَذِهِ القَصِيدَةِ وَجَمَعَ الأَطْفَالَ الصِّغَارَ وَالشُّيُوخَ الكِبَارَ وَعَزَمَ أَنْ يَتَضَرَّعَ بِهَا لِلَّهِ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى لَعَلَّ اللهَ يُغِيثُهُمْ.وَيُقَالُ أَنَّ اللهَ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى أَغَاثَهُمْ وَلَمْ يَتِمَّ لَهُمْ لَيْلَةٌ إِلَّا وَالسَّيْلُ يَهْدُرُ بِشَكْلٍ عَجِيبٍ وَالمَطَرُ يَهْطِلُ بِغَزَارَةٍ، لِتُصْبِحَ قِصَّةً مَشْهُورَةً فِي التَّوَسُّلِ وَطَلَبِ الغَيْثِ.