I Only Knew Love

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
‘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 nemy.)
And as for the second: my tru 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
‘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, and the other’s for Thee.)
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, not distracted from Thee.)
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
I see Thou as present in all that I see.)
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
For Thine is the glory in all unity.)