أتانا الهوى العذري من حيث لا ندري

أتانا الهوى العذري من حيث لا ندري

فغبنا وطال الشوط عن بسطة العذر

فغبنا وطال الشوط عن بسطة العذر

Chaste love came to us from a quarter we did not know.

Love came to us unknowingly

So we lost ourselves, and the course stretched beyond the reach of excuse.

So we were absent, and the journey was long from the openness of innocence

وقامت معان للفواد خفيةٌ

وقامت معان للفواد خفيةٌ

تُترجم حكم السر يا مي بالجَهرِ

تُترجم حكم السر يا مي بالجَهرِ

And hidden meanings arose within the heart,

And meanings arose in the heart secretly

Voicing the secret's decree aloud, O Mayy.

Translating the wisdom of mystery openly, O Mi

حَكت لَوعَةً أَذكَت ضَميراً مُوَلَّهاً

حَكت لَوعَةً أَذكَت ضَميراً مُوَلَّهاً

بنارٍ فيا للقلبِ من لَهَبِ الجَمرِ

بنارٍ فيا للقلبِ من لَهَبِ الجَمرِ

They told of an anguish that kindled a love-distraught heart

It told a yearning that ignited a devoted conscience

With fire—alas for the heart, seared by the embers' flame!

With a fire, oh the heart's flame from the embers

أَحبِتَّنَا والحُبُّ سِرٌّ مُطَلسَمٌ

أَحبِتَّنَا والحُبُّ سِرٌّ مُطَلسَمٌ

صَبرنا عَلى شيءٍ أَمَرَّ مِنَ الصَبرِ

صَبرنا عَلى شيءٍ أَمَرَّ مِنَ الصَبرِ

O our beloved—love is a talismanic secret—

Our loved ones, and love is a sealed secret

We endured something more bitter than aloe sap.

We were patient with something more bitter than patience

فَبِالعَهدِ والودِّ القديمِ تَحَنَّنُوا

فَبِالعَهدِ والودِّ القديمِ تَحَنَّنُوا

بِقُربٍ فَإِنَّا في عَنَاءٍ منَ الهَجرِ

بِقُربٍ فَإِنَّا في عَنَاءٍ منَ الهَجرِ

So, by the covenant and the affection of old, show compassion

So by the old covenant and affection show mercy

By drawing near, for we suffer the anguish of separation.

With nearness, for we are suffering from estrangement

وَلا تَقطَعُوا عنَّا حِبَالَ حَنَانِكم

وَلا تَقطَعُوا عنَّا حِبَالَ حَنَانِكم

فكم لِلهَوى في القُربِ والبُعدِ مِن سِرِّ

فكم لِلهَوى في القُربِ والبُعدِ مِن سِرِّ

And do not sever the cords of your tenderness from us.

And do not cut off from us the ropes of your affection

For love holds so many secrets in nearness and distance!

For in nearness and distance how much secret there is for love

وَمُنَّوا بِإحسانٍ وَجُودُوا بِرَأفَةٍ

وَمُنَّوا بِإحسانٍ وَجُودُوا بِرَأفَةٍ

وبِالفضلِ لُطفاً أَبدِلُوا العسرَ باليسر

وبِالفضلِ لُطفاً أَبدِلُوا العسرَ باليسر

And bestow kindness, and lavish compassion,

Bestow with kindness and be generous with compassion

And through bounty, graciously replace hardship with ease.

And with bounty gently replace hardship with ease

أَلا يا شُمُوسَ العَالَمِينَ بِأَسرِهَا

أَلا يا شُمُوسَ العَالَمِينَ بِأَسرِهَا

وَيَا مَوئِلَ اللاجينَ في البحرِ والبَرِّ

وَيَا مَوئِلَ اللاجينَ في البحرِ والبَرِّ

Ah, O suns of all the worlds,

Oh lights of the worlds all together

And O refuge of those seeking shelter at sea and on land,

And havens of refugees in sea and land

أَغيثُوا بآياتِ القَبُولِ مُتَيَّماً

أَغيثُوا بآياتِ القَبُولِ مُتَيَّماً

لَكُم ابداً يا قَومِ أدمُعُه تَجري

لَكُم ابداً يا قَومِ أدمُعُه تَجري

Rescue with signs of acceptance one enslaved by love,

Succor the yearning one with signs of acceptance

Whose tears flow for you forever, O my people.

For you always, oh people, his tears flow

وقولُوا لَهُ بالُلُّطفِ أَقبل وَلا تَخَف

وقولُوا لَهُ بالُلُّطفِ أَقبل وَلا تَخَف

نَجَوتَ مِنَ الهَجرِ المُبَرِّحِ وَالضُرِّ

نَجَوتَ مِنَ الهَجرِ المُبَرِّحِ وَالضُرِّ

And tell him gently: ‘Come forward, and do not fear;

And tell him gently come, do not be afraid

You have escaped agonizing separation and harm.’

You have escaped bitter estrangement and harm

وَمُدُّوا لَهُ مِنكُم يَداً هاشِميَّةً

وَمُدُّوا لَهُ مِنكُم يَداً هاشِميَّةً

لَها عادَةُ الإِحسانِ والخَيرِ والبِرِّ

لَها عادَةُ الإِحسانِ والخَيرِ والبِرِّ

And extend to him from among you a Hashimite hand,

And extend to him a Hashimite hand

Whose custom is kindness, goodness, and righteousness.

It has the habit of benevolence, goodness and righteousness

يُقَالُ لَكُمُ في مُحكَمَ الذكرِ آيَةٌ

يُقَالُ لَكُمُ في مُحكَمَ الذكرِ آيَةٌ

وَكَم آية في مَدحِكُم نُصَّ في الذِكرِ

وَكَم آية في مَدحِكُم نُصَّ في الذِكرِ

A verse is addressed to you in the authoritative Revelation,

In the decisive Quran a verse is said about you

And how many verses in your praise are expressly stated in the Revelation!

And how many verses praising you are set in the scripture

ولمّا سَرى الحادي وَغَنَّى بِنَعتِكُم

ولمّا سَرى الحادي وَغَنَّى بِنَعتِكُم

شَرِبنَا منَ الأَلفاظِ باعِثَةَ السُّكرِ

شَرِبنَا منَ الأَلفاظِ باعِثَةَ السُّكرِ

And when the camel-chanter traveled by night and sang of your qualities,

And when the singer sang, praising you

We drank of the words that stir intoxication.

We drank from words evoking intoxication

فهمنا وعَربَدنَا ورُحنا بِسكرِنا

فهمنا وعَربَدنَا ورُحنا بِسكرِنا

نَميلُ حَيارى تائِهينَ بلا خَمرِ

نَميلُ حَيارى تائِهينَ بلا خَمرِ

So we became love-crazed, caroused, and went off in our drunkenness,

We swayed bewildered, wandering intoxicated without wine

Swaying, bewildered and lost, without wine.

May God watch over the days of union that have passed

رَعَى اللَه أَيَّامَ الوصالِ التي جَلَت

رَعَى اللَه أَيَّامَ الوصالِ التي جَلَت

قَتَامَ قُلوبٍ جاءَ عَن ظُلمَةِ الهجرِ

قَتَامَ قُلوبٍ جاءَ عَن ظُلمَةِ الهجرِ

May God preserve the days of union that cleared away

The darkness of hearts came from the darkness of estrangement

The dust upon hearts, born of separation's darkness.

And it greeted the nights with cups of talk with you

وحَيَّا بِجَرعاءِ الغُوَيرِ لَيالياً

وحَيَّا بِجَرعاءِ الغُوَيرِ لَيالياً

بكُم طابَ مَعناها إِلى مطلَعِ الفجرِ

بكُم طابَ مَعناها إِلى مطلَعِ الفجرِ

And bless the nights on the sandy tract of al-Ghuwayr,

Their meaning was pleasant until the rise of dawn

Whose meaning grew sweet through you until the break of dawn.

Truly their times were short, for meeting

لقد قَصُرَت اوقاتُها انَّهُ اللُّقا

لقد قَصُرَت اوقاتُها انَّهُ اللُّقا

لأَقصرُ وقتٍ ما يكونُ مِن العُمرِ

لأَقصرُ وقتٍ ما يكونُ مِن العُمرِ

Indeed, their hours were brief; truly, reunion

Is the shortest time one can have of life

Is surely the shortest time there is in a lifetime.

By your meanings, the light of your beauty

أَمَا ومَعَانِيكُم ونُورِ جمالِكم

أَمَا ومَعَانِيكُم ونُورِ جمالِكم

وَما ذاعَ في الأَكوانِ من ذلِكَ السِّرِ

وَما ذاعَ في الأَكوانِ من ذلِكَ السِّرِ

Indeed, by your meanings and the light of your beauty,

And what spread through the worlds of that mystery

And by what has spread of that secret throughout the worlds,

And the signs of your greatness, the glory of your majesty

وآياتِ عُليَاكُم وَعِزّ جَلالِكُم

وآياتِ عُليَاكُم وَعِزّ جَلالِكُم

ومَاصينَ حكُماً في المَشَاعِرِ والحجِرِ

ومَاصينَ حكُماً في المَشَاعِرِ والحجِرِ

And by the signs of your eminence and the might of your majesty,

And the one who travels wisely, in feelings and stone

And by what was preserved as a decree at the sacred sites and the Stone,

Your love is my companion, does not leave my mind

هَواكُم جَلِيسي لا يُفَارِقُ مُهجَتي

هَواكُم جَلِيسي لا يُفَارِقُ مُهجَتي

وَلَو طَرفَةً حَتَّى نُوَسَّدَ فِي القَبرِ

وَلَو طَرفَةً حَتَّى نُوَسَّدَ فِي القَبرِ

Love for you is my companion; it never leaves my inmost heart,

Even for a moment, until I am shrouded in the grave

Not even for an eye-blink, until we are pillowed in the grave.

I am content with you as pride, treasure, and refuge

رَضِيتُ بِكُم عِزَّاً وَذُخراً وَموئِلاً

رَضِيتُ بِكُم عِزَّاً وَذُخراً وَموئِلاً

لِدِيني وَدُنيائي وللحشرِ والنَّشرِ

لِدِيني وَدُنيائي وللحشرِ والنَّشرِ

I am content with you as my glory, treasure, and refuge,

For my religion, my worldly life, and for the Gathering and Dispersion

For my faith and my worldly life, and for the gathering and resurrection.