حججت إلى البيت المقدس حجةً

حججت إلى البيت المقدس حجةً

وللحب فيه قد سلكت محجةً

وللحب فيه قد سلكت محجةً

I made a pilgrimage to the Holy House,

I made pilgrimage to the holy house as a pilgrim

And there, for love, I trod a clear path.

And for love in it I have taken a pilgrimage

وكنت إذا ما رجني العشق رجةً

وكنت إذا ما رجني العشق رجةً

عقلت بمن أهواه عشرين حجةً

عقلت بمن أهواه عشرين حجةً

And whenever passionate love shook me with a tremor,

Whenever love shook me, I reckoned

I was bound to the one I love for twenty years.

With whom I fell in love, twenty pilgrimages

ولم أدر من أهوى ولم أعرف الصبرا

ولم أدر من أهوى ولم أعرف الصبرا

ألا إنها سلمى دعيت لفقهها

ألا إنها سلمى دعيت لفقهها

Yet I knew not whom I loved, nor did I know patience.

Yet I did not know whom I loved, nor did I know patience

Behold, she is Salma; I was summoned to understand her.

Verily she is Salma whom I called to understand her

ممنعة لم أستطع درك كنهها

ممنعة لم أستطع درك كنهها

وما العقل راج أن يفوز بشبهها

وما العقل راج أن يفوز بشبهها

Inaccessible, I could not grasp her essence.

Inaccessible, I could not grasp her essence

And reason has no hope of attaining her likeness.

Reason was too weak to win her likeness

ولا نظرت عيني إلى حسن وجهها

ولا نظرت عيني إلى حسن وجهها

ولا سمعت أذناي قط له ذكرا

ولا سمعت أذناي قط له ذكرا

Nor has my eye looked upon the beauty of her face,

My eyes did not look upon the beauty of her face

Nor have my ears ever heard mention of it.

Nor my ears hear her mentioned ever

تجلت جهاراً والبرية في عمى

تجلت جهاراً والبرية في عمى

سوى من بها ذاق الفنا فتنعما

سوى من بها ذاق الفنا فتنعما

She revealed herself openly, while creation was blind,

She manifested openly while the wilderness was in blindness

Except those who tasted annihilation through her and thus found bliss.

Except for those who tasted perishing in her and lived in bliss

وما زلت أسعى في رضاها مصمما

وما زلت أسعى في رضاها مصمما

إلى أنا تراءى البرق من جانب الحمى

إلى أنا تراءى البرق من جانب الحمى

And I never ceased striving for her favor, resolute,

And I kept striving to please her with determination

Until I saw lightning appear from the sanctuary’s side.

Until lightening flashed from the side of the valley

فنعَّمني يوماً وعذَّبني دهرا

فنعَّمني يوماً وعذَّبني دهرا

So it gave me bliss for a day and tormented me for an age.

Gladdening me one day and tormenting me for an age