Kaya Gravitter

This is probably one of my favorite poems. To hear it recited, may have you in tears. (English translated version on the bottom.)

عرفت الهوى

عرفت الهوى من عرفت هواك

و أغلقت قلبي عمن عداك    

و قمت أناجيك يا من ترى  

خفايا القلوب و لسنا نراك

أحبك حبين

حب الهوى و حبا لأنك أهل لذاك

فأما الذي هو الحب الهوى فشغلي بذكرك عمن سواك

و أما الذي أنت أهل له

فكشفك لي الحجب حتى أراك

فلا الحمد في …….. يا مولاي…… ذا و لا ذاك لي

يا مولاي …. و لكن لك الحمد في ذا و ذاك

أشتاق شوقين

شوق النوى و شوقا لقرب الخلي من حماك

فأما الذي هو شوق النوى فمسرى الدموع لطول نواك

و أما اشياقي لقرب الحمى فنار حياتي خبت في ضياك

و لست على….. يا مولاي …. شدوى أشكو الهوى

يا مولاي…. رضيت بما شئت لي في هداك

In English:

I Came to Know Love By Rabia Basri (or Rabia Al-Adawiyya)

I came to know love the moment I found your love

And I have closed my heart from everyone except you

And I started whispering to you (O you, the one who sees the secrets of the hearts while we don’t see you ) 

I have two types of  love for you

The  Love of inclination and the love for your cause you are worthy of such

The  Love of inclination is when your remembrance keeps me away from everyone else

And truly the love that you are worthy of is ……when you unveil the veils for me to see you 

Truly the praise in either case, O My Lord … is not mine 

O my Lord, Truly, Praise in both cases belongs to you! 

I have two types of longing for you

The longing cause of the distance between me and you ……..

And my longing to the closeness I feel when I am secluded in your refuge

The longing cause the long distance between me and you is creating a stream of tears 

And my longing for the closeness I feel when I am alone in your refuge is because of that ……

the light of my life has been faded in your light ( it’s nothing compared to your light )

Despite all of my chanting, O my lord I am not complaining my love

O, my Lord, I am content with whatever you have pleased for me.