لمّا عنكَ غبنا ذاك العامَ فإنَّنا

لمّا عنكَ غبنا ذاك العامَ فإنَّنا

نزلنا على بحرٍ وساحلهُ معنا

نزلنا على بحرٍ وساحلهُ معنا

When we were absent from You that year,

When we were away from you that year, we indeed

we alighted upon a sea whose shore was with us,

alighted upon a sea, with its shore beside us.

وشمسٌ على المعنى توافِقُ أفقنا

وشمسٌ على المعنى توافِقُ أفقنا

فمغربُها فينا ومشرقُها منّا

فمغربُها فينا ومشرقُها منّا

and a sun of spiritual meaning aligned with our horizon:

And a sun, in the realm of meaning, accords with our horizon;

its setting was within us, and its rising came from us.

so its setting is within us, and its rising is from us.

ومتَّ يدانا جوهارً منهُ رُكبَت

ومتَّ يدانا جوهارً منهُ رُكبَت

نفوسٌ لنا لمّا صفَت فتجوهَرها

نفوسٌ لنا لمّا صفَت فتجوهَرها

Our hands reached forth for a jewel from it, from which were fashioned

And our two hands [unclear verb] a substance from which were fashioned

souls of ours; when they grew pure, their essence crystallized.

souls of ours; when they became pure, [their becoming substance—wording unclear].

عرَفنا بها كلَّ الوجودِ ولم نزل

عرَفنا بها كلَّ الوجودِ ولم نزل

إلى أن بها كل المعارف أنكَرنا

إلى أن بها كل المعارف أنكَرنا

Through them we knew all existence, and we did not cease

Through them we knew all existence, and did not cease

until, through them, we renounced every form of knowledge.

until, through them, we disavowed all knowledge.

فما السرُّ والمعنى وما الشمسُ قل لنا

فما السرُّ والمعنى وما الشمسُ قل لنا

وما جوهرُ البحرِ الذي عنه عبَّرنا

وما جوهرُ البحرِ الذي عنه عبَّرنا

What, then, are the secret and the meaning, and what is the sun? Tell us.

So what are the secret and the meaning, and what is the sun? Tell us.

And what is the essence of the sea of which we spoke?

And what is the substance of the sea of which we spoke?

حلَلنا وجوداً واسمهُ عند لافظٍ

حلَلنا وجوداً واسمهُ عند لافظٍ

يضيقُ بنا وسعاً ونحنُ فما ضِقنا

يضيقُ بنا وسعاً ونحنُ فما ضِقنا

We came to dwell in a Being whose name, upon an utterer's lips,

We dwelt in an existence whose name, when someone utters it,

is too narrow to contain us, vast though it is—yet we were not constrained.

is too narrow in its capacity to encompass us; yet we were not confined.

تركنا البحار الزاخراتِ وراءنا

تركنا البحار الزاخراتِ وراءنا

فمن أين يدر الناسُ أينَ توجّهنا

فمن أين يدر الناسُ أينَ توجّهنا

We left the surging seas behind us;

We left the brimming seas behind us;

so how can people know where we turned?

so how can people know where we have headed?