سَرىjourneyed by night طَيفُهاher phantom وَهناًlate at night فِلِلَّهِso, by God ماhow أَهناblissful
سَرى طَيفُها وَهناً فِلِلَّهِ ما أَهنا
كَرىًa slumber فيهِin it فُزناwe won بِاللَبانَةِthe desired boon مِنfrom لُبنىLubna
كَرىً فيهِ فُزنا بِاللَبانَةِ مِن لُبنى
Her phantom came late at night—by God, how blissful
A slumber in which we won our desire from Lubna!
وَياand O حَبَّذاhow welcome ذاكَthat الخَيالُapparition الَّذيwhich سَرىjourneyed by night
وَيا حَبَّذا ذاكَ الخَيالُ الَّذي سَرى
إِلىto المَسجِدِthe mosque الأَقصىthe farthest مِنَfrom المَسجِدِthe mosque الأَدنىthe nearer
إِلى المَسجِدِ الأَقصى مِنَ المَسجِدِ الأَدنى
And O how welcome that apparition which journeyed by night
To the Farthest Mosque from the nearer mosque!
فَأَشهَدَناso made us witnesses بِالغَيبِin the unseen فيهِin it حُضورُهُits presence
فَأَشهَدَنا بِالغَيبِ فيهِ حُضورُهُ
وَغَيَّبَناand made us absent فيin حالِthe state of مَشهَدِهِbeholding it عَنّاfrom ourselves
وَغَيَّبَنا في حالِ مَشهَدِهِ عَنّا
So its presence there made us witnesses in the unseen,
And, as we beheld it, made us absent from ourselves.
وَأَبدىand revealed لَناto us مِنfrom لُطفِthe subtle grace of لِمياءَLamya صورَةًa form
وَأَبدى لَنا مِن لُطفِ لِمياءَ صورَةً
شَهِدناwe witnessed بَهاthrough it مِنof حُسنِهاher beauty ذَلِكَthat المَعنىmeaning
شَهِدنا بَها مِن حُسنِها ذَلِكَ المَعنى
And revealed to us, from Lamya’s subtle grace, a form
Through which we witnessed that meaning in her beauty.