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-hawā mudh 'araftu hawāk

Wa-'aghlaqtu qalbī 'alā man 'ādāk

(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-hawā mudh 'araftu hawāk

Wa-'aghlaqtu qalbī 'alā man 'ādāk

(I only knew love when I knew love of Thee,

I sealed up my heart against Thy enemy.)



'Uḥibbuka ḥubbayni, ḥubba l-hawā

Wa-ḥubban li-'annaka 'ahlu l-lidhāk



[My love is twin loves, yet the twain are for Thee,

The first's for Thy love,



Fa-'amma l-ladhī huwa ḥubbul-hawā

Fa-shughlī bi-dhikrika 'an man siwāk



[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 ḥattā 'arāk



[And as for the second: my true love of Thee,



Fa-la l-ḥamdu fī dhā wa-lā dhāka lī

Wa-lākin laka l-ḥamdu fī dhā wa-dhāk



[All praise to Thy name, and no praises for me,