I only knew love when I knew love of Thee,
I sealed up my heart against Thy enemy.
I stood long in converse with Thee, who doth see
My heart's inner secrets, but Thou I don't see.
My love is twin loves, yet the twain are for Thee,
The first's for Thy love, and the other's for Thee.
And as for the first, which is love of Thy love:
Remembrance complete, not distracted from Thee.
عرفت الهوى مذ عرفت هواك
وأغلقت قلبي على من عداك
(I only knew love when I knew love of Thee,
I sealed up my heart against Thy enemy.)
And as for the second: my true love of Thee,
I see Thou as present in all that I see.
All praise to Thy name, and no praises for me,
For Thine is the glory in all unity
عرفت الهوى مذ عرفت هواك
وأغلقت قلبي على من عداك
(I only knew love when I knew love of Thee,
I sealed up my heart against Thy enemy.)
أحبك حبين، حب الهوى
و حب لأنك أهل لذاك
(My love is twin loves, yet the twain are for Thee,
The first's for Thy love, and the other's for Thee.)
فأما الذي هو حب الهوى
فشغلي بذكرك عن من سواك
(And as for the first, which is love of Thy love:
Remembrance complete, not distracted from Thee.)
و أما الذي أنت أهل له
فلست أرى الكون حتى أراك
(And as for the second: my true love of Thee,
I see Thou as present in all that I see.)
فلا الحمد في ذا ولا ذاك لي
و لكن لك الحمد في ذا و ذاك
(All praise to Thy name, and no praises for me,
For Thine is the glory in all unity.)
