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,
Remembrance complete, not distracted from Thee.
'Araftul-hawÄ mudh 'araftu hawÄk
Wa-'aghlaqtu qalbÄ« 'alÄ man 'ÄdÄk
(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,
For Thine is the glory in all unity.
'Araftul-hawÄ mudh 'araftu hawÄk
Wa-'aghlaqtu qalbÄ« 'alÄ man 'ÄdÄk
(I only knew love when I knew love of Thee,
I sealed up my heart against Thy enemy.)
'Uḥibbuka ḥubbayni, ḥubba l-hawÄ
Wa-ḥubban li-'annaka 'ahlu l-lidhÄk
[My love is twin loves, yet the twain are for Thee,
The first's for Thy love,
Fa-'amma l-ladhÄ« huwa ḥubbul-hawÄ
Fa-shughlÄ« bi-dhikrika 'an man siwÄk
[And as for the first, which is love of Thy love:
Remembrance complete,
Wa-'amma l-ladhī 'anta 'ahlu l-lahu
Fa-lastu 'ara l-kawna ḥattÄ 'arÄk
[And as for the second: my true love of Thee,
Fa-la l-ḥamdu fÄ« dhÄ wa-lÄ dhÄka lÄ«
Wa-lÄkin laka l-ḥamdu fÄ« dhÄ wa-dhÄk
[All praise to Thy name, and no praises for me,