كَانَ لَيْلٌ وَآدَمٌ فِي سُبَاتِ
نَامَ عَنْ حِسِّه إِلى مِيقَاتِ
It was night, and Adam slept in slumber
Unaware until the appointed time
وَالْبَرَايَا فِي هِدْأَةِ الظُّلمَاتِ
خَاشِعَاتٌ رَجَاءَ أَمْرٍ آتِ
While the wild beasts were hushed in the darkness of night
Humbly hopeful for the expected event
يَتَوَقَّعنَ آيَةَ الآيَاتِ
وَالرُّبَى فِي مُسُوحِهِنَّ سَوَاجِدْ
Awaiting the greatest miracle of miracles
And the beasts roamed in submission
مِنْ بَعِيدٍ وَالأُفْقُ جَاثٍ كَعَابِدْ
وَنُجُومُ الثَرَى سَوَاهٍ سَوَاهِدْ
From afar as the horizon knelt like worshippers
And the stars of earth were equals watching over equals
وَنُجُومُ الْعُلَى رَوَانٍ شَوَاهِدْ
يَتَطلَّعْنَ مِنْ عَلٍ ذَاهِلاَتِ
And the stars on high were shining witnesses
Looking down from on high in bewilderment
نَظَرَ اللهُ آدَماً فِي الخُلُودِ
مُوحَشاً لانْفِرَادِهِ فِي السُّعودِ
God saw Adam in eternity
Alone in his exaltation and bliss
مُسْتَزِيداً وَالنَّقصُ فِي المُسْتَزِيدِ
فَرَأَى أَنْ يُتِمَّه فِي الْوُجُودِ
Yearning, though the yearner suffers want
So He decided to perfect him in existence
بِعَرُوسٍ شَرِيكَةٍ فِي الْحَيَاةِ
إِلْفُ عُمْرٍ وَالإِلْفُ لِلإنْسَانِ
With a partner for life
The lifetime of a thousand years is, for human,
حَاجَةٌ مِنْ لَوَازِمِ النُّقصَانِ
تِلْكَ فِي الخَلْقِ سُنَّة الرَّحْمَنِ
A need inherent to his incompleteness
Such is, in creation, the way of the Merciful
سَنَّها مُنْذُ بَدْءِ هَذَا الْكِيَانِ
وَبِهَا قَامَ عَالَمُ الْفَانِيَاتِ
He ordained it since the genesis of this cosmos
And through it the world of transients arose
مُنْذُ كَانَتْ هَذِي الْخَلِيقَةُ قِدْماً
نَثَراتٍ مِنَ الْهَبَاءِ فَضَمَّا
Since the beginning, when the creation was eternal
Scattered particles of dust then brought together
مَا تَرَاخَى مِنْهَا فَأَلَّفَ جِرْمَا
ثُمَّ أَحْيَاهُ ثُمَّ آتَاهُ جِسْمَا
What clung He composed into a body
Then gave it life, then gave it a body
مِثْلَهُ يَكْمُلاَنِ ذَاتاً بِذَاتِ
بسِطتْ أَنْمُلُ اللَّطِيفِ الْقَدِيرِ
Matching it to perfect it by its pair
The gentle fingers of the Almighty stretched out
فِي الدُّجَى مِنْ أَوْجِ الْعَلاَءِ المُنِيرِ
فَأَمَاجَتْ بِالضَّوْءِ بَحْرَ الأَثِيرِ
In the darkness from the splendid empyrean
They churned the ethereal sea with light
وَأَلْقَتْ بِآدَمٍ فِي السَّرِيرِ
لاِجْتِرَاحِ الْكُبْرَى مِنَ المُعْجِزَاتِ
And cast Adam into slumber
To rest from the greatest of miracles
فَتَحَتْ جَنْبَهُ وَسَلَّتْ بعَطْفِ
مِنْهُ ضِلْعاً فَجَاءَ تِمْثَالُ لُطْفِ
They opened his side and drew gently
From it a rib, and the form of grace appeared
جَلَّ قَدْراً عَنْ اَصْلِهِ فَاسْتَصُفِّي
مِنْ دَمِ الصَّدْرِ لاَ التُّرَابِ الصَّرْفِ
Nobler than its origin, so cleanse your thoughts
Of earthly soil, this is the red blood of man
سَمَاَ عَنْ صِفَاتِهِ بِصِفَاتِ
فَبَدَتْ غَضَّة الصِّبا حَوَّاءُ
Her traits distilled from his traits
So there appeared Eve fresh as the dawn
وَهْيَ هَيْفَاءُ كَاعِبٌ زَهْرَاءُ
لِيَدِ اللهِ مَظْهَرٌ وُضَّاءُ
A stumbling, tumbling, fawn-like girl
A marvel made by God’s hand, radiant and fair
وَسَنى بَين بِهَا وَسَنَاءُ
شَفَّ عَنْهُ الْجَمَالُ كَالمِرْآةِ
Her beauty relieved him like a mirror
The night passes as he looks behind him to her
تَتَجَلَّى وَاللَّيْلُ يَمْضِي انْدِفَاعا
نَاظِراً خَلْفَهُ إِلَيْهَا ارْتِيَاعَا
Yearning, as the harbinger of dawn sheds light
Spreading the banners of radiance in succession
وَبَشِيرُ الصَّباحِ يُدْلِي الشُّعاعَا
نَاشِراً رَايَاتِ الضِّياءِ تِبَاعَا
Calling for joy and congratulations
The stars glance at her beauty then dim their eyes
دَاعِياً لِلسُّرُورِ وَالتَّهنِئَاتِ
وَتَوَالِي النُّجومِ تَرْمُقُ آنَا
While the stars of Heaven reveal their infatuation
With a beauty they saw, and the two became
حُسْنَهَا ثُمَّ تُغْمِضُ الأَجْفَانَا
وَنُجُومُ الجِنَانِ تُبْدِي افتِتانا
A sign for the seeing and hearing
The whispers of the flowers converse
بِالْجَمَالِ الَّذي رَأَتْهُ فَكَانَا
آيَةُ المُبْصِرَاتِ وَالسَّامِعَاتِ
The sighs of dawn call to each other
The warblers’ singing responds
وَتَنَاجَتْ فَوَائِحُ الأَزْهَارِ
وَتَنَادَتْ نَوَافِحُ الأَسْحَارِ
Saying “This is the quintessence of mysteries”
And the seal of the most wondrous wonders
وَتَدَاعَتْ صَوَادِحُ الأَطْيَارِ
قُلْنَ هَذِي خُلاَصَةُ الأَسْرَارِ
“Our Lord, there is none worthy of worship but You
What creation do we see with a new form?
وَخِتَامُ الْعَجَائِبُ المُدْهِشَاتِ
رَبَّنا ما سِوَاكَ مِنْ مَعْبُودِ
Is she a risen sun or did she appear to Your servants
A trait of Yours in a unique example
أَيَّ خَلْقٍ نَرَى بِشَكْلٍ جَدِيدِ
بِنْتَ شَمْسٍ أَمْ قَدْ بَدَتْ لِلْعَبِيدِ
To receive our prostration and prayers?”
A voice said “It is providence come to pass
صِفَةٌ مِنْكَ فِي مِثَالٍ فَرِيدِ
لِتَلَقِّي سُجُودِنَا وَالصَّلاَةِ
It has illuminated your kingdom and shaded it
She has assumed authority over you all
قَالَ صَوْتٌهِيَ الْعِنَايَةُ حَلَّتْ
فَأَنَارَتْ مَلِيكَكُمْ وَأَظَلَّتْ
And today she is a radiant bride
And tomorrow, mother to the lords of all creatures”
وَهْيَ سُلْطَانَةٌ عَلَيْكُمْ تَوَلَّتْ
وَهْيَ فِي يَوْمِهَا عَرُوسٌ تَجَلَّتْ
This is Eve, in the beginning of time
No sorrow had yet clouded her joy in the garden
وَغَداً أُمُّ سَادَةِ الْكَائِنَاتِ
تِلْكَ حَوَّاءُ فِي ابْتِدَاءِ الزَّمَانِ
Save ignorance of the secret of being
And feeling that in knowing
لَمْ يُكَدِّرْ صَفَاءَهَا فِي الجِنَانِ
مَا سِوَى جَهْلٍ سِرٍّ هَذَا الكِيَانِ
Lay a pleasure beyond all other pleasures
She bought her knowledge by loss of eternity
وَشُعُورٍ بِأَنَّ فِي العِرْفَانِ
لَذَةً فَوْقَ سَائِرِ اللَّذَّاتِ
And bought with bliss the secret of passion
She preferred, over even keel, a life
فَاشْتَرَتْ عِلْمَهَا بِفَقْدِ الدَّوَامِ
وَاشْتَرَتْ بِالنَّعيمِ سِرَّ الْغَرَامِ
Of health and illness, union and separation
When her act was a sin
وَاسْتَحَبَّت عَلَى اعْتِدَالِ المُقَامِ
عِيشَةً بَيْنَ صِحَّة وَسَقَامِ
Did she not, as mother, become
Through her suffering, a holy spirit
فِي التَّصابِي وَمُلْتَقىً وَشَتَاتِ
فَإِذَا كَانَ فِعْلُهَا ذَاكَ إِثْمَا
Supreme amongst angels
The source of redemption and mercy?
أَفَلَمْ تَغْدُ حِينَ أَضْحَتْ أُمَّا
بِمُعَانَاتِهَا العَذَابَ الْجَمَّا
She was wronged in loss
But was rewarded nobly in recompense
رَوْحَ قُدْسٍ مِنَ المَلاَئكِ أَسْمَى
مَصْدَراً لِلْفِدَاءِ وَالرَّحَمَاتِ
Did we not gain love and knowledge?
Our bliss increased thereby
غُبِنْتْ فِي الْخِيَارِ غَبْناً جَسِيماً
لَكِنِ اعْتَاضَتِ اعْتِياضاً كَرِيما
Despite the misfortunes that befell us
For this we love her, however we were
أَوَلَمْ تُؤْتِنَا الْهَوَى وَالعُلُومَا
فَنَعِمْنَا وَزَادَ ذَاكَ النَّعيمَا
Whether happy or sad at an event
Or distraught with fear, or safe
مَا حُفِفْنا بِهِ مِنَ الشِّقوَاتِ
فَلِهَذَا نُحِبُّها كَيْفَ كُنَّا
Her love in the truest of hearts
At the core of hearts and passions
إِنْ فَرِحْنَا فِي حَالةٍ أَوْ حَزِنَّا
أَوْ جَزِعْنَا لِحادِثٍ أَوْ أَمِنَّا
وَهَوَاهَا مِنَ الأَبَرِّينَ مِنَّا
فِي صَمِيمِ القُلُوبِ وَالمُهَجَاتِ
