The Hamziyyah of Imam al-Buṣīrī

The wait is over!

The long awaited translation of the The Hamziyyah of Imam al-Buṣīrī: An Ode in Praise of the Best of Creation, in a beautifully bound hardcover, has finally reached Australian shores.

A lot of time and love has been invested into this project, which is felt the moment you lay eyes on the book.. The translation itself is one thing, but the foreword, preface, and introduction provide the reader with a solid understanding of the Hamziyyah's importance, differentiating it from other odes/poems. 

In addition to the translation itself, there are added texts in the appendices that are works of art in their own right. 

The appendices include:

• Spring's Gift, by Sh Hamza Yusuf
• 'Be Like Ahmad', by Sh Hamza Yusuf, with an additional arabic translation in Kufic script
• The poem of the Ten Foundations of every science - with explanation specifically to seerah
• The Noble Prophetic Lineage of The Prophet 
• A couplet on the noble sandal of The Prophet. 

Every part of this book can be admired separately, be it the binding, the pages, the foreword, the introduction, the calligraphy, the artworks, the poetry... 

This is truly a beautiful book and I'm just disappointed I cannot share it's beauty thoroughly via a screen. 

From the introduction:
Great poetry has moved hearts and souls across civilizations from premodern times until today. Imam al-Buṣīrī excelled at praise poetry, and his verses attained global a reach because he praised the best of creation. His two most sublime poems, the Burdah and the Hamziyyah have over the centuries occasioned countless commentaries explicating their eloquence and linguistic subtleties.  

The Hamziyyah takes the reader on a journey of love to the Best of Creation ﷺ, covering substantial parts of the Prophet’s blessed life, his historical period, and the miracles that attended him. Imam al-Buṣīrī expresses his burning love of God and God’s final Messenger with such beauty that his verses continue to resonate with hearts all across the world. 

From His Eminence, Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi:
“After the Qur’an and the prophetic sayings, the highest level of eloquence to which any Arab can aspire is realized in Arabic poetry. Thus, poets in subsequent generations invariably expressed their love for the Prophet ﷺ in marvels of verse that poured forth from their tongues and pens like pearls unbound…Having spent over fifty-five years of my life immersed in the poetry of Imam al-Buṣīrī, listening to the Burdah and Hamziyyah sung in weekly gatherings, and having penned two poetic expansions myself, I can say that Shaykh Hamza’s translation deserves both praise and celebration.”