تَحَوَّلتَ عَن عَيني إِلى مُضمَرِ السِّرِّ

تَحَوَّلتَ عَن عَيني إِلى مُضمَرِ السِّرِّ

فَمَثواكَ ما بَينَ الجَوانِحِ وَالصَّدرِ

فَمَثواكَ ما بَينَ الجَوانِحِ وَالصَّدرِ

You have moved from my sight to the secret’s hidden recess;

You have turned away from my eyes to the hidden place of secrets

so your dwelling lies between the ribs and the breast.

So your dwelling is between my innermost being and my chest

فَأَنتَ وَإِن كُنتَ القَريبَ مُبَعَّدٌ

فَأَنتَ وَإِن كُنتَ القَريبَ مُبَعَّدٌ

لأَنَّكَ مِن قَلبي بِمَنزِلَةِ السِّرِّ

لأَنَّكَ مِن قَلبي بِمَنزِلَةِ السِّرِّ

So you, though you are near, are kept far away,

And though you are near, you are distant

for you hold in my heart the place of a secret.

For you are to my heart like a secret

وَلِلسِّرِّ مِنّي مَوضِعٌ لا يَنالُهُ

وَلِلسِّرِّ مِنّي مَوضِعٌ لا يَنالُهُ

حَبيبٌ عَلى أَنَّ الحَبيبَ كَما تَدرِي

حَبيبٌ عَلى أَنَّ الحَبيبَ كَما تَدرِي

And the secret has a place within me that cannot be reached

And for the secret there is within me a place no beloved can reach

by a beloved, though the beloved is as you know.

Even though the beloved knows as you know

فَيا رَبِّ ما لي وَالزَّمانُ يَروعُنِي

فَيا رَبِّ ما لي وَالزَّمانُ يَروعُنِي

بِتَشتِيتِ شَملِ الخِلِّ وَالدَّمعِ وَالسَّهرِ

بِتَشتِيتِ شَملِ الخِلِّ وَالدَّمعِ وَالسَّهرِ

So, O my Lord, what is my plight, while Time terrifies me

So oh Lord, why does time alarm me

by sundering my bond with my dear friend, with tears and sleeplessness?

With the scattering of the gathering of friends, tears, and wakefulness

فَلَو قيلَ لي اِختَر ما تُرِيد لَقُلتُ لا

فَلَو قيلَ لي اِختَر ما تُرِيد لَقُلتُ لا

أُريدُ سِوَى قُربِ الفَقيهِ أَبي بَكرِ

أُريدُ سِوَى قُربِ الفَقيهِ أَبي بَكرِ

So if I were told, ‘Choose what you desire,’ I would say, ‘I do not

If told to choose what I want, I would say nothing

desire anything but nearness to the jurist Abu Bakr.’

But nearness to the learned Abu Bakr