تَراءَت لَنا بَينَ الأَكِلَّةِ وَالحُجبِ

فَتاهَ بِها طَرفي وَهامَ بِها قَلبي

She appeared to me between the food and the veils

So my glance was infatuated with her, and so was my heart

وَأَعجَبُ شَىءٍ أَنَّها مُذ تَبَرَّجَت

رَأَت حُسنَها عَيني وَلَم يَرَها صَحبي

And the strangest thing is that since she began to unveil

My eyes saw her beauty, but my friends did not

تَلَقَّيتُها بِالرَحبِ مِنّي كَرامَةً

وَمِنها تَعَلَّمنا التَلَقِّيَ بِالرَحبِ

I met her with kindness from me as an honor

And from her we learned to meet with kindness

عَجِبتُ لِمَسراها وَأَعجَبُ بِاللِقا

فَيا عَجَبي مِمّا رَأَيتُ وَيا عُجبي

I was amazed by her charm and astonished by the meeting

Oh my wonder at what I saw, oh my astonishment

غَزالَةُ سِربٍ كُنتُ أَخشى نِفارَها

فَأَصبَحتُ مَع فَوزي بِها آمِنَ السَربِ

A gazelle of a herd I had feared would flee

But I found safety with her from fleeing the herd

خَفَضتُ جَناحَ الذُلِّ رَفعاً لِقَدرِها

فَأَوجَبَ ذاكَ الخَفضُ رَفعي عَنِ النَصبِ

I lowered the wing of humiliation to elevate her merit

So that lowering brought about my rise from distress

وَناجَيتُها فيما أُحِبُّ سَماعَهُ

مُشافَهَةً لا بِالتَرَسُّلِ وَالكُتبِ

And I whispered to her what I love to hear

Mouth to mouth, not by messages and books

لَقَد أَصبَحَتنا مِن مُدامِ خِطابِها

وَما قُلتُ إِلحاحاً عَلَيهِ أَلا هُبّي

Her conversation intoxicated us in the morning

And I did not say "give me more" insistently

حَمَلتُ الظَما شَوقاً إِلَيها فَساقَني

إِلى عَينِ تَنسيمٍ أَدَمتُ بِها شُربي

I bore thirst longing for her, so it led me

To a spring to quench my thirst for long

عَلِمتُ بِها ما كُنتُ أَجهَلُ عِلمَه

وَكُنتُ بِها أُنبا فَصِرتُ بِها أُنبي

I learned from her what I had been ignorant of

And I was giving news but through her became a prophet

كَسَتني مِنَ العِزِّ المُقيمِ مَلابِساً

حِساناً وَلَم تَقصِد بِذاكَ سِوى سَلبي

She clothed me in lasting honor’s garments

Beautifully, and she only meant to rob me

وَأَصبَحَ مَوتي كَالحَياةِ بِوَصلِها

فَإِن غِبتُ كانَ البُعدُ في غايَةِ القُربِ

And my death through her company became like life

So when I was absent, the distance was closest

وَكَم جَعَلَت مِنّي عَلَيَّ طَليعَةً

فَعَيني لَها في ذاكَ عَينٌ عَلى قَلبي

And how she made me into an advance guard against myself

So for her my eye was an eye onto my heart

فَكُلٌّ يَرى شَمساً مِنَ الشَرقِ أَشرَقَت

وَتُشرِقُ شَمسُ العارِفينَ مِنَ الغَربِ

For each sees a sun shining from the east

But the sun of the gnostics rises from the west

فَيا حَضرَةَ القُدسِ الَّتي مُذ شَهِدتُها

تَيَقَّنَ قَلبي بِالوُصولِ إِلى رَبّي

Oh holy presence, since I witnessed you

My heart was certain it reached its Lord

حَنانيكِ قَد أَشهَدتِني كُلَّ واجِبٍ

عَليَّ فَلي مِن ذاكَ شُغلٌ عَنِ النَدبِ

Your affection showed me every duty binding me

So I have from that distraction from wailing

فَأَنتِ لَنا قُطبٌ عَلَيهِ مَدارُنا

وَأَيِّ رَحىً أَضحَت تَدورُ بِلا قُطبِ

For you are a pole around which we revolve

What millstone turns without a pole?