دب سر الوجود بالمفقودِ

دب سر الوجود بالمفقودِ

فبدا للعيان كالموجود

فبدا للعيان كالموجود

The secret of existence crept into what was absent,

The mystery of existence appeared with what was missing

and it appeared to the eye as though existent.

So it seemed to the eye as existing

دع حديث الحدوث واذكر قديم ال

دع حديث الحدوث واذكر قديم ال

ذكر عندي وهنّني بشهود

ذكر عندي وهنّني بشهود

Leave talk of coming into being, and recall the One long

Leave the talk of occurrence and remember the Eternal

remembered by me; congratulate me on witnessing.

Whose remembrance is not with me and has weakened me with witnessing

درجات رفيعها هو رفعي

درجات رفيعها هو رفعي

وزوالي عن أمره المقصود

وزوالي عن أمره المقصود

Degrees: their loftiest is my exaltation,

Exalted ranks, it is my exaltation

and my vanishing comes from His intended command.

And my decline from His intended will

دم به يا أخا الهوى وتمسَّك

دم به يا أخا الهوى وتمسَّك

في لقاه بظله الممدود

في لقاه بظله الممدود

Abide through Him, O brother of love, and hold fast,

Bleed with love, my brother, and hold fast

when meeting Him, to His outstretched shade.

To meet Him in His outstretched shadow

دير سمعان نشأتي درت فيه

دير سمعان نشأتي درت فيه

ابتغى كأس خمرة العنقود

ابتغى كأس خمرة العنقود

The monastery of Simʿān is my origin; I wandered within it,

The monastery of my upbringing where I grew

seeking a cup of wine from the grape cluster.

Seeking the cup of clustered wine

دنفاً لم أزل بصاحب وجه

دنفاً لم أزل بصاحب وجه

مطلق الحسن عن جميع القيود

مطلق الحسن عن جميع القيود

I have never ceased to be lovesick for one with a face

I have always been close to the companion of the face

of absolute beauty, free of every bond.

Utterly beautiful, free of all constraints

دك طوري بنوره المتجلي

دك طوري بنوره المتجلي

فتجاوزت في الهوى عن حدود

فتجاوزت في الهوى عن حدود

He leveled my Sinai with His self-revealing light,

He illumined my Mount with His manifest light

so, in love, I passed beyond bounds.

So I transcended limits in my love

داء كوني من علتي ليس يبرا

داء كوني من علتي ليس يبرا

والدواء الدواء فيض الجود

والدواء الدواء فيض الجود

The sickness of my being, born of my affliction, does not heal;

My being's illness cannot be cured

and the cure—the cure—is the outpouring of bounty.

And the cure, the cure is His overflowing grace

دعوة منه أظهرت كل شيء

دعوة منه أظهرت كل شيء

فاقتضت فتح بابه المسدود

فاقتضت فتح بابه المسدود

A call from Him made everything manifest,

A call from Him revealed everything

and so required the opening of His barred door.

So it opened the door that was closed

دولة العز للذي فيه يفنى

دولة العز للذي فيه يفنى

ثم يبقى به لحفظ العهود

ثم يبقى به لحفظ العهود

The reign of glory belongs to the one who is annihilated in Him,

The kingdom of glory is for the one who perishes in Him

then abides through Him to preserve the covenants.

Then remains through Him to keep the covenants