خطرَت في شَمائِلٍ ونُعوتِ

خطرَت في شَمائِلٍ ونُعوتِ

نَفتِ العَقلَ في مَحلِّ الثُبوتِ

نَفتِ العَقلَ في مَحلِّ الثُبوتِ

She glided in graces and attributes,

She appeared in attributes and qualities

Banishing reason in the realm of certainty.

That dazzled reason in its abode of certainty

وَتَجَلَّت تَميسُ في ثَوب حُسنٍ

وَتَجَلَّت تَميسُ في ثَوب حُسنٍ

حيكَ بالكبرياءِ والجَبَروتِ

حيكَ بالكبرياءِ والجَبَروتِ

And she appeared, swaying in a robe of beauty,

And dawn manifested in a dress of beauty

Woven with majesty and might.

Woven with pride and omnipotence

شاهدَ العَقلُ من وَميضِ سَناها

شاهدَ العَقلُ من وَميضِ سَناها

ما سَباهُ فظلَّ كالمَبهوتِ

ما سَباهُ فظلَّ كالمَبهوتِ

Reason saw, in the flash of her radiance,

Reason witnessed from the radiance of her splendor

What captivated it, so it remained like one dumbfounded.

What left it confounded and stunned

وَرآها قَد أَرخصَت كلَّ غالٍ

وَرآها قَد أَرخصَت كلَّ غالٍ

فَتَغالى في حُسنها المَنعوتِ

فَتَغالى في حُسنها المَنعوتِ

And it saw that she had cheapened every precious thing,

And saw that she made all things precious seem cheap

So it went to excess in describing her beauty.

So the priceless beauty became yet more prized

رامَ ذو النُطق أَن يَفوهَ بِقَولٍ

رامَ ذو النُطق أَن يَفوهَ بِقَولٍ

فاِنثنى لم يَسَعه غير السكوتِ

فاِنثنى لم يَسَعه غير السكوتِ

The one endowed with speech sought to utter a word,

The articulate one wished to utter some words

Then drew back; nothing was possible for him but silence.

But recoiled, unable save to keep silent

إن تيمَّمتَ سَمتها فتجنَّب

إن تيمَّمتَ سَمتها فتجنَّب

يا أَخا العَزم عَن جَميع السموتِ

يا أَخا العَزم عَن جَميع السموتِ

If you aim toward her, then turn away,

If you aspire to her lofty qualities then refrain

O brother of resolve, from every other direction.

O brother of determination, from all ambitions

وإذا ما دَنوتَ قُربَ حِماها

وإذا ما دَنوتَ قُربَ حِماها

فاِخلع النَعلَ خاضِعاً بقُنوتِ

فاِخلع النَعلَ خاضِعاً بقُنوتِ

And whenever you come near her sanctuary,

And if you draw near the precincts of her protection

Take off your sandal, humbly, in reverent obedience.

Remove your shoes submissively in prayer

واِحفظِ القَلبَ أَن يَبوحَ بسرٍّ

واِحفظِ القَلبَ أَن يَبوحَ بسرٍّ

واِنتظِرها لوَقتِها المَوقوتِ

واِنتظِرها لوَقتِها المَوقوتِ

And guard the heart lest it divulge a secret,

And keep your heart from revealing any secrets

And await her at her appointed time.

And await her at her predestined time

وإذا أَصفَتِ الهَوى وأَدارَت

وإذا أَصفَتِ الهَوى وأَدارَت

في صفا الدرِّ ذائبَ الياقوتِ

في صفا الدرِّ ذائبَ الياقوتِ

And when she purifies love and passes around

And if she turns affectionately and directs

In pearl's clarity, molten ruby,

Toward you in intimacy the melting ruby

فاِغتبِقها ولا تمِل لِسِواها

فاِغتبِقها ولا تمِل لِسِواها

فهي تُغني المحبَّ عن كُلِّ قوتِ

فهي تُغني المحبَّ عن كُلِّ قوتِ

Then drink her at evening, and incline toward no other.

Then cling to her and do not weary of her alone

For she frees the lover from all need of sustenance.

For she will suffice the lover instead of all strength

لَو تَجَلّى منها على الكون كأسٌ

لَو تَجَلّى منها على الكون كأسٌ

أَسكرَت كلَّ ناطِقٍ وَصَموتِ

أَسكرَت كلَّ ناطِقٍ وَصَموتِ

Were a cup of her to be revealed to the universe,

If a cup were to appear from her to the universe

It would intoxicate every speaking and silent being.

It would intoxicate all speakers and mutes

ولَعمري لَولا سَناها بِلَيلٍ

ولَعمري لَولا سَناها بِلَيلٍ

ما اِهتَدى مُدلجٌ إِلى الحانوتِ

ما اِهتَدى مُدلجٌ إِلى الحانوتِ

And by my life, but for her radiance at night,

And by my life if not for her splendor at night

No night traveler would find the tavern.

No lost soul would find its way to the tavern

يا سُروري بها وقد وَلِهَ القل

يا سُروري بها وقد وَلِهَ القل

بُ فأَلهت بِسِرِّها اللاهوتي

بُ فأَلهت بِسِرِّها اللاهوتي

O my joy in her, when the heart grew love-distraught,

O my joy - reason has become infatuated with her

And she engrossed it with her divine mystery!

So her divine mystery has dazed the mortal mind

آنسَت وحشةَ الفؤادِ وجلَّت

آنسَت وحشةَ الفؤادِ وجلَّت

عنه بالنور ظُلمَةَ الناسوتِ

عنه بالنور ظُلمَةَ الناسوتِ

She soothed the heart's loneliness and dispelled

She cheered the gloom of my heart and lit up

From it, with light, the darkness of human nature.

With her light, the darkness of worldly woes

قد رآها الكَليمُ نورَ هُداهُ

قد رآها الكَليمُ نورَ هُداهُ

ثُمَّ كانَت سَكينَةَ التابوتِ

ثُمَّ كانَت سَكينَةَ التابوتِ

Indeed, God's interlocutor saw her as his guiding light,

The Kalim saw her light guide his path

Then she was the tranquility of the Ark.

Then she was the tranquility of the Ark

أَمَّ طالوتُ حانَها فحبَتهُ

أَمَّ طالوتُ حانَها فحبَتهُ

مُلكَ قَوم طالوا على طالوتِ

مُلكَ قَوم طالوا على طالوتِ

Talut made for her tavern, so she granted him

She loved Talut though he erred

Kingship over a people who towered above Talut.

Ruler of a people imposing on Talut

واِحتَساها داودُ صِرفاً فأَضحى

واِحتَساها داودُ صِرفاً فأَضحى

ظافِراً في الوَغى على جالوتِ

ظافِراً في الوَغى على جالوتِ

And Dawud sipped her unmixed and became

David discerned her influence so he emerged

Victorious in battle over Jalut.

Victorious in battle over Jalut

وأَضَلَّت عقولَ قَومٍ فَقالوا

وأَضَلَّت عقولَ قَومٍ فَقالوا

هيَ سِحرٌ يُعزى إلى هاروتِ

هيَ سِحرٌ يُعزى إلى هاروتِ

And she led a people's minds astray, so they said:

And she clouded the minds of a people who said

“She is sorcery attributed to Harut.”

She is sorcery traceable to Harut

وَطَغى من طَغى بِجَهلٍ عليها

وَطَغى من طَغى بِجَهلٍ عليها

فهدَتهُ للجِبتِ والطاغوتِ

فهدَتهُ للجِبتِ والطاغوتِ

And whoever rebelled against her did so in ignorance,

But he who transgressed against her in ignorance

So she led him to idolatry and false gods.

She guided away from idols and evil

وَنَفَته عَن مَشهد القُربِ منها

وَنَفَته عَن مَشهد القُربِ منها

فَنَفاها بِعَقلهِ المَسبوتِ

فَنَفاها بِعَقلهِ المَسبوتِ

And she banished him from the vision of nearness to her,

And barred him from nearing the precincts of her proximity

So he denied her with his benumbed reason.

So he rejected her with his misguided mind

زادَتِ العالِمَ الوَقورَ ثَباتاً

زادَتِ العالِمَ الوَقورَ ثَباتاً

واِستخفَّت بالجاهِل المَمقوتِ

واِستخفَّت بالجاهِل المَمقوتِ

She increased the dignified scholar's steadfastness,

She increased the steadfast scholar in certainty

And made light of the detested ignorant man.

And thought little of the ignorant fool

كيفَ يَخفى عن العيون سَناها

كيفَ يَخفى عن العيون سَناها

وهوَ بادٍ في المُلك والمَلَكوتِ

وهوَ بادٍ في المُلك والمَلَكوتِ

How could her radiance be hidden from eyes,

How can her brilliance be hidden from eyes

When it is manifest in the material and spiritual realms?

When she is manifest in kingdom and heaven?

قل لِنَفسٍ قد نازَعَتكَ إِليها

قل لِنَفسٍ قد نازَعَتكَ إِليها

إِن تَرومي بها الحَياةَ فَموتي

إِن تَرومي بها الحَياةَ فَموتي

Say to a soul that has drawn you toward her:

Say to the self that has tempted you to her

“If you seek life through her, then die.”

If you desire life through her, then you must die