إذا النظر الفكريّ كان سميري

إذا النظر الفكريّ كان سميري

وكان وجودُ الحقِّ فيه سجيري

وكان وجودُ الحقِّ فيه سجيري

When intellectual contemplation was my companion by night,

When intellectual reflection was my companion by night,

and the presence of the Real within it my bosom friend,

and the Real's existence was my intimate companion within it,

وعز لوجدانِ الحقيقةِ مطلبي

وعز لوجدانِ الحقيقةِ مطلبي

وكان ورودي في عمى وصدور

وكان ورودي في عمى وصدور

my quest to find Reality proved elusive,

and my quest to find reality proved difficult,

and my approach was through blindness and retreat.

and my coming and going were in blindness,

تيقنت أني إنْ تأملتُ خاطري

تيقنت أني إنْ تأملتُ خاطري

وجدت الذي أبغيه عين ضميري

وجدت الذي أبغيه عين ضميري

I became certain that, if I examined my inward thought,

I became certain that, if I contemplated my mind,

I would find the very thing I sought—the essence of my inmost self.

I would find what I sought to be my very inner self.

دعاني إليه الشوق من كلِّ جانب

دعاني إليه الشوق من كلِّ جانب

فكان بشيري بالهوى ونذيري

فكان بشيري بالهوى ونذيري

Longing called me toward it from every side,

Longing called me toward Him from every side,

and became, in love, both my herald of gladness and my warner.

and so it was my bearer of love's glad tidings and my warner.

نفوسٌ عفيفاتٌ أتين يعدنني

نفوسٌ عفيفاتٌ أتين يعدنني

وقد ضربوا ما بينهن بسور

وقد ضربوا ما بينهن بسور

Chaste souls came visiting me,

Chaste souls came to visit me,

while a wall had been raised between them.

and they had erected a wall between them.

شهدن علينا إذ شهدن بما لنا

شهدن علينا إذ شهدن بما لنا

وحرمة حبي ما شهدنَ بزورِ

وحرمة حبي ما شهدنَ بزورِ

They testified against us when they testified to what was ours;

They bore witness against us when they bore witness to what was ours;

by the sanctity of my love, they bore no false witness.

and by the sanctity of my love, they bore no false witness.

لقد ذهبت في حسنِ ذاتي طوائف

لقد ذهبت في حسنِ ذاتي طوائف

ذهاب خبير بالأمور بصير

ذهاب خبير بالأمور بصير

Factions have gone their ways concerning the beauty of my essence—

Indeed, groups have ventured into the beauty of my essence,

the way of one experienced in affairs and clear-sighted.

as one versed in affairs and clear-sighted would venture.

أضلُّوا على علمٍ فضلوا وضللوا

أضلُّوا على علمٍ فضلوا وضللوا

فيا ليتَ شعري من يكون عذيري

فيا ليتَ شعري من يكون عذيري

Knowing full well, they led astray; thus they strayed and made others stray.

They were knowingly led astray, so they strayed and misled others;

Ah, would that I knew who might plead my cause.

so, ah, would that I knew who would be my defender!