هو الحب لا فيه معين ترجاه

هو الحب لا فيه معين ترجاه

ولا منقذ من جوره تتوخاه

ولا منقذ من جوره تتوخاه

It is love: in it there is no helper you can hope for,

It is love, in which there is no helper to hope for,

Nor a rescuer from its tyranny whom you can seek.

Nor a savior from its tyranny to seek.

هو الحتف لا يفني المحبين غيره

هو الحتف لا يفني المحبين غيره

ولولاه ما ذاق الورى الحتف لولاه

ولولاه ما ذاق الورى الحتف لولاه

It is death; nothing else destroys lovers.

It is doom, that destroys the lovers except for it,

And but for it, humankind would not have tasted death—but for it.

And if not for it, the world would not have tasted doom but for it.

هداية رب العالمين قلوبنا

هداية رب العالمين قلوبنا

إلى حب من لم يخلق الخلق لولاه

إلى حب من لم يخلق الخلق لولاه

The Lord of all worlds guides our hearts

May the Lord of the Worlds guide our hearts,

To love the one without whom He would not have created all beings.

To the love of the one, for whom creation would not exist, if not for Him.

هو الجوهر الفرد الذي ليس يرتقي

هو الجوهر الفرد الذي ليس يرتقي

لأعلى مقامات النبيين إلا هو

لأعلى مقامات النبيين إلا هو

He is the unique essence: none ascends

He is the unique essence, which cannot ascend,

To the highest stations of the prophets except him.

To the highest ranks of the Prophets, except Him.

هلال نما فارتد بدرا فأشرقت

هلال نما فارتد بدرا فأشرقت

جوانب آفاق العلا بمحياه

جوانب آفاق العلا بمحياه

A crescent grew and became a full moon; then shone

A crescent that grew to become a full moon, so the sides,

The reaches of glory's horizons, lit by his countenance.

Of the horizons of the Most High shone with its light.

هما علة للخلق أعني محمدا

هما علة للخلق أعني محمدا

وأول من لما دعا الخلق لباه

وأول من لما دعا الخلق لباه

The two are the cause of creation—I mean Muhammad

They are the reason for creation, I mean Muhammad,

And the first to answer him when he called humankind.

And the first one who called creation to obey Him.

هوى النجم يبغي داره لا بل ارتقى

هوى النجم يبغي داره لا بل ارتقى

إليها فمثوى النجم من دون مثواه

إليها فمثوى النجم من دون مثواه

The star fell, seeking his abode—no, rather, it ascended

The star yearned for its abode, no, it ascended,

To it, for the star's abode lies below his abode.

To it, so the star’s dwelling is nothing but it.

هل أختار خير المرسلين مواخيا

هل أختار خير المرسلين مواخيا

سواه فأولا الكمال وآخاه

سواه فأولا الكمال وآخاه

Did the best of messengers choose as a brother

Did the Best of Messengers choose as a confidante,

Anyone but him, then bestow perfection on him and make him his brother?

Other than Him, so He granted perfection and supported Him?

هل اختار في يوم الغدير خليفة

هل اختار في يوم الغدير خليفة

سواه له حتى على الخلق ولاه

سواه له حتى على الخلق ولاه

Did he choose, on the day of Ghadir, a successor

Did He choose on the day of Ghadeer as His caliph,

Other than him for himself, even appointing him over humankind?

Other than Him, and entrusted the creation to Him?

هدى لاح من قول النبي وليكم

هدى لاح من قول النبي وليكم

علي ومولى كل من كنت مولاه

علي ومولى كل من كنت مولاه

Guidance shone from the Prophet's words: 'Your guardian

The guidance that shone from the words of the Prophet: “And your guardian is,

Is Ali, and he is master of everyone whose master I have been.'

Ali and the master of whoever I was his master.”

هناك أتاه الوحي بلغ ولا تخف

هناك أتاه الوحي بلغ ولا تخف

ومن كل ما تخشاه يعصمك الله

ومن كل ما تخشاه يعصمك الله

There revelation came to him: 'Proclaim, and do not fear;

There the revelation came to him: “Convey and do not fear,

And God will protect you from all that you fear.'

And God will protect you from all that you fear.”

هنا لك أبدى المصطفى بعض فضله

هنا لك أبدى المصطفى بعض فضله

وباح بما قد كان للخوف أخفاه

وباح بما قد كان للخوف أخفاه

Here the Chosen One revealed to you some of his excellence,

And spoke of what fear had kept hidden.

And spoke openly of what he had concealed out of fear.