لَو أَبانَت حجابَها أَسماءُ

لَو أَبانَت حجابَها أَسماءُ

ما أَبانَت عَن غيرها الأَسماءُ

ما أَبانَت عَن غيرها الأَسماءُ

If Asma were to lift her veil,

If Asma' unveiled her veil,

Names would reveal none other than her.

The names would not unveil anything but her.

سَترت حُسنها بحُجبِ سَناها

سَترت حُسنها بحُجبِ سَناها

فعَدانا عنها سَنىً وَسَناءُ

فعَدانا عنها سَنىً وَسَناءُ

She veiled her beauty with veils of her radiance,

She concealed her beauty behind the veils of her glory,

So radiance and grandeur kept us from her.

So we missed her, and the years passed.

هي أَسمى من أَن تَراها بعينٍ

هي أَسمى من أَن تَراها بعينٍ

كُلُّ عَينٍ من دونها عَمياءُ

كُلُّ عَينٍ من دونها عَمياءُ

She is too exalted for you to see her with an eye;

She is too sublime to be seen with the eye,

Every eye beneath her is blind.

Every eye apart from hers is blind.

شَهِدَ القَلبُ حُسنَها فهَداهُ

شَهِدَ القَلبُ حُسنَها فهَداهُ

بهداهُ إذ ضَلَّت الآراءُ

بهداهُ إذ ضَلَّت الآراءُ

The heart beheld her beauty, which guided it

The heart witnessed her beauty so it guided him,

By its guidance when opinions went astray.

It guided him when opinions were lost.

عَقَل العَقل كُنهُها عَن وصولٍ

عَقَل العَقل كُنهُها عَن وصولٍ

فَأَقَرَّت بِعجزها العُقَلاءُ

فَأَقَرَّت بِعجزها العُقَلاءُ

Her essence barred reason from attainment;

The intellect comprehended her essence without reaching,

So the wise admitted their incapacity.

So the wise admitted their incapacity.

واِختفَت بالجَلال حينَ تَجَلَّت

واِختفَت بالجَلال حينَ تَجَلَّت

فَلَها بالظُهور منها خَفاءُ

فَلَها بالظُهور منها خَفاءُ

She hid herself in majesty when she revealed herself;

She disappeared in majesty when she appeared,

Thus her very manifestation brings her concealment.

So she has concealment despite her appearance.

كَم أَضَلَّت وكَم هَدت من أُناسٍ

كَم أَضَلَّت وكَم هَدت من أُناسٍ

وَلِكُلٍّ فيما أرته اِرتياءُ

وَلِكُلٍّ فيما أرته اِرتياءُ

How many people she led astray, and how many she guided!

How many she misled and how many she guided,

And each has a judgment on what she showed him.

And for each in what he saw is contention.

ضَلَّ من ضَلَّ في هَواها ولَم يَد

ضَلَّ من ضَلَّ في هَواها ولَم يَد

رِ أَمامٌ سَبيلُها أَم وَراءُ

رِ أَمامٌ سَبيلُها أَم وَراءُ

He who strayed in love for her strayed, and did not

Lost is he who lost his way in her love and did not find,

Know whether her path lay ahead or behind.

Before him a path to her, or behind.

واِهتَدى مَن هَدَته بَدءاً وَلَكِن

واِهتَدى مَن هَدَته بَدءاً وَلَكِن

لَيسَ يَدري ما يَقتَضيه القَضاءُ

لَيسَ يَدري ما يَقتَضيه القَضاءُ

And whoever she guided at first found the way, yet

And guided is he whom she guided in the beginning, but

He does not know what fate decrees.

He does not know what destiny wills.

يَدَّعي وصلَها الجَهولُ وحاشا

يَدَّعي وصلَها الجَهولُ وحاشا

أَن يَنال المصونَ منها اِدِّعاءُ

أَن يَنال المصونَ منها اِدِّعاءُ

The ignorant man claims union with her—far be it

The ignorant claims to have reached her, but never,

That a claim should attain what is kept inviolate in her!

Will pretension attain the protected one.

رامَ من رامَ أَن يَراها عياناً

رامَ من رامَ أَن يَراها عياناً

فاِنثَنى لَم يَنَله إِلّا العَناءُ

فاِنثَنى لَم يَنَله إِلّا العَناءُ

He who sought sought to see her with his own eyes,

He who wished to see her directly,

Then turned back, having met with nothing but hardship.

Fell back, attaining only fatigue.

دُكدِكت دونَها جِبالٌ فأَضحَت

دُكدِكت دونَها جِبالٌ فأَضحَت

وَهيَ مِن نورها المَضيء هَباءُ

وَهيَ مِن نورها المَضيء هَباءُ

Mountains were crushed before her, and became

Mountains crumbled before her and became,

Dust through her shining light.

Dust, while she is of her radiant light.

دَع دَعاوى قَومٍ أَتوها بِجَهلٍ

دَع دَعاوى قَومٍ أَتوها بِجَهلٍ

فالدَعاوى أَبناءُها أدعياءُ

فالدَعاوى أَبناءُها أدعياءُ

Set aside the claims of people who came to her in ignorance;

Leave the claims of the people who came to her in ignorance,

For the sons of claims are pretenders.

For claims are her sons, the pretenders.

واِتَّبع سُبلَ من دَعَتهم إِلَيها

واِتَّبع سُبلَ من دَعَتهم إِلَيها

رَغبَةً لم يَشُب صَفاها رياءُ

رَغبَةً لم يَشُب صَفاها رياءُ

And follow the paths of those she summoned to herself,

And follow the path of those she called to her,

Out of longing whose purity no ostentation has tainted.

A desire unsullied by hypocrisy.

واِقضِ وَجداً في حُبِّها تحيَ ما شِئ

واِقضِ وَجداً في حُبِّها تحيَ ما شِئ

تَ فأَمواتُ حبِّها أَحياءُ

تَ فأَمواتُ حبِّها أَحياءُ

And die of yearning in love for her; you will live as long as you

And be passionate in your love of her to revive whatever you wish,

Wish, for those dead of love for her are alive.

For the dead of her love are the living.