بَدَا لَكَ طالَ عَنكَ اكتِتَامُهُ

بَدَا لَكَ طالَ عَنكَ اكتِتَامُهُ

وَلاَحَ صَبَاحٌ كُنتَ أنتَ ظَلامهُ

وَلاَحَ صَبَاحٌ كُنتَ أنتَ ظَلامهُ

What had long been concealed from you appeared to you.

It seemed to you its darkness lingered long,

And a dawn shone forth whose darkness you yourself had been.

And dawn appeared while you were that gloom.

فَأنتَ حِجَابُ القَلبِ عَن سِرِّ غَيبِهِ

فَأنتَ حِجَابُ القَلبِ عَن سِرِّ غَيبِهِ

وَلَولاكَ لَم يُطبَع عَلَيكَ خِتَامُهُ

وَلَولاكَ لَم يُطبَع عَلَيكَ خِتَامُهُ

For you are the heart’s veil from the secret of its unseen realm.

So you're the veil between the heart and the secret of its unseen world,

And but for you, its seal would not have been stamped upon you.

Had it not been for you, its seal would not have been imprinted.

فَإِن غِبتَ عَنهُ حَلَّ فِيه وَطَنَّبَت

فَإِن غِبتَ عَنهُ حَلَّ فِيه وَطَنَّبَت

عَلَى الكَشفِ المَصُونِ خِيَامُهُ

عَلَى الكَشفِ المَصُونِ خِيَامُهُ

Then, if you are absent from it, it dwells within it, and pitched

When you're absent from it, it settles and relaxes

Over the guarded unveiling are its tents.

Upon revelation guarded, its tents pitched.

وَجَاءَ حَدِيثٌ لاَ يُملُّ سمَاعُهُ

وَجَاءَ حَدِيثٌ لاَ يُملُّ سمَاعُهُ

شَهشيٌّ إلَينَا نَثرُهُ وَنِظَامُهُ

شَهشيٌّ إلَينَا نَثرُهُ وَنِظَامُهُ

And there came a discourse one never tires of hearing.

And a discourse comes that does not bore to hear it -

Its prose and its verse are [perhaps delightful] to us.

A gift for us, its prose and composition.