لَوْلاَ أنّي علِمْت

لَوْلاَ أنّي علِمْت

أنَّ من يَفْنَى يبْقَى

أنَّ من يَفْنَى يبْقَى

Had I not known

Had I not known that he who perishes abides,

that whoever is annihilated abides,

I would have never been absent from you.

عَنّي ما كُنْتُ غِبْت

عَنّي ما كُنْتُ غِبْت

إِنَّ مَوْتي حَياتِي

إِنَّ مَوْتي حَياتِي

I would not have vanished from myself.

Indeed my death is my life,

Indeed, my death is my life,

And my perishing is my survival.

وفَنَائِي بَقَا

وفَنَائِي بَقَا

وبِمَحْوِ صِفَاتي

وبِمَحْوِ صِفَاتي

and my annihilation is abiding.

With the erasing of my attributes,

And through the effacement of my attributes,

The meeting became pleasant for me.

طَابَ لِي الْمُلْتَقى

طَابَ لِي الْمُلْتَقى

وانجَمَعْتُ بِذَاتِي

وانجَمَعْتُ بِذَاتِي

the meeting became sweet to me.

And I was united with my essence,

And I gathered myself within my essence,

And became familiar with piety,

وألِفْت التُّقَى

وألِفْت التُّقَى

بعْدَما كُنْتُ تُهْت

بعْدَما كُنْتُ تُهْت

and grew familiar with piety,

After I had been confused.

after I had gone astray.

The decrees helped me,

ساعَدِتْني المقادِر

ساعَدِتْني المقادِر

سَلَّمَ اللهُ سَلِمْت

سَلَّمَ اللهُ سَلِمْت

The decrees of fate helped me;

God bid peace, so I submitted.

God preserved me; I was safe.

Understand my question, my beloved,

باللهِ افْهَم سُؤالِي

باللهِ افْهَم سُؤالِي

وانتَبِهْ يا حَبيب

وانتَبِهْ يا حَبيب

By God, understand my question,

And wake up, enliven the nights.

and awaken, O beloved,

The dawn of your union is near,

وقُم أحيي اللَّيَالِي

وقُم أحيي اللَّيَالِي

فجْرُ وصْلك قَرِيب

فجْرُ وصْلك قَرِيب

and rise to keep vigil through the nights.

So listen and hear my words,

The dawn of your union is near.

And soon come back,

واصْغَ واسمَعْ مقَالِي

واصْغَ واسمَعْ مقَالِي

وارتجِع مِن قريب

وارتجِع مِن قريب

And give ear, and hear my words,

If it appears to you I have known.

and return soon.

And I, my son, am advising you,

إِن بَدا لَك عَرفْت

إِن بَدا لَك عَرفْت

وانَا لَكْ يا ابْني ناصِح

وانَا لَكْ يا ابْني ناصِح

If it becomes clear to you, you will know.

Every time you die you live.

And I am your adviser, O my son:

If you understand,

كُلَّما متَّ عِشْت

كُلَّما متَّ عِشْت

أنْتَ إِن كُنْتَ تَفْهَم

أنْتَ إِن كُنْتَ تَفْهَم

whenever you die, you live.

Observe the secret within you,

You, if you understand,

And let your soul surrender,

راقِب السَّرِ فِيك

راقِب السَّرِ فِيك

واتْرُكِ النَّفْسَ تَسْلَم

واتْرُكِ النَّفْسَ تَسْلَم

watch over the secret within you,

To your obvious enemy.

and leave the self behind; you will be safe

And seek knowledge to know,

مِن عدُوِّ بَليك

مِن عدُوِّ بَليك

واطْلُب الْعلْمَ تَعْلَم

واطْلُب الْعلْمَ تَعْلَم

from an enemy who afflicts you.

Through it we deny any partner.

And seek knowledge; you will learn.

You remain after you have known,

منه نَنْفِي الشَّرِيكْ

منه نَنْفِي الشَّرِيكْ

تَبْقى بَعْدَ أن عَلِمت

تَبْقى بَعْدَ أن عَلِمت

Through it we deny any partner.

Guarding the secret of meanings,

You abide after you have learned;

However God wills, I willed.

تَرْعَى سِرَّ المعَانِي

تَرْعَى سِرَّ المعَانِي

ما يَشا اللهُ شِيت

ما يَشا اللهُ شِيت

you tend the secret of meanings.

O gentle of meanings!

What God wills, you also will.

You sailed the sea of knowledge,

يا لَطيفَ الْمعانِي

يا لَطيفَ الْمعانِي

خضْتَ بَحْرَ الْعُلومْ

خضْتَ بَحْرَ الْعُلومْ

O you of subtle meanings,

And left behind the vessels.

you plunged into the sea of knowledge,

Beneath, beneath the encampments,

وتَرَكْتَ الأوَانِي

وتَرَكْتَ الأوَانِي

تحْتَ تحْتِ التَّخومْ

تحْتَ تحْتِ التَّخومْ

and left the vessels

None can see the creepers,

below, below the boundaries.

Except the like of stars.

لاَ يَرَوْنَ التَّدَانِي

لاَ يَرَوْنَ التَّدَانِي

إِلاَّ مِثْلَ النُّجُومْ

إِلاَّ مِثْلَ النُّجُومْ

They do not see nearness

Thus, if you were left

except as they do the stars.

With your soul's fortune,

هكَذا لَوْ تُرِكتْ

هكَذا لَوْ تُرِكتْ

أنْت مَعْ حَظَّ نفْسِكْ

أنْت مَعْ حَظَّ نفْسِكْ

Thus, had you been left—

You were not specified with guidance.

you, with your self's portion—

Since my overseer disappeared,

بالهُدى ما خُصِصْتْ

بالهُدى ما خُصِصْتْ

أنا مُذْ غابَ رَقِيبي

أنا مُذْ غابَ رَقِيبي

you would not have been singled out for guidance.

Trouble left me.

As for me, since my watcher disappeared,

And my beloved appeared,

زَالْ عَنِّي الْعَنا

زَالْ عَنِّي الْعَنا

وتجَلَّى حبيبي

وتجَلَّى حبيبي

suffering has left me,

And I attained my wishes,

and my beloved revealed himself,

And my healer quenched my thirst,

وبلَغْتُ الْمُنى

وبلَغْتُ الْمُنى

وَسَقانِي طَبيبي

وَسَقانِي طَبيبي

and I attained my desires.

With the drink of bliss.

And my physician gave me to drink

But indeed I got drunk,

مِن شَرابِ الْهَنا

مِن شَرابِ الْهَنا

إِلا إِني سَكِرتُ

إِلا إِني سَكِرتُ

from the drink of bliss.

And truly lost consciousness,

But indeed I became intoxicated,

And departed from my existence.

وتَواجدتُّ حقَّا

وتَواجدتُّ حقَّا

عن وُجُودي خرجْت

عن وُجُودي خرجْت

and I truly entered ecstasy;

I went beyond my own existence.