I Only Knew Love Lyrics – Sami Yusuf

Description
Maqām: Nahāwand
Commentary: This most famous poem of the 8th century female Sufi saint of Iraq, Rabi‘a al-‘Adawiyyah, has been set to music many times, but this Andalusian melody fits the tone and rhythm of the poem beautifully. The inclusion of the tanbour and daf add a Persian influence to the piece. English lyrics and translation provided by Dr. Tim Winter.

Words: Rabi‘a al-‘Adawiyyah
Music: Traditional Islamic (Andalusian)
Performed and arranged by Sami Yusuf
Recorded at Andante Studios

[Arabic with English Translation] I Only Knew Love Lyrics

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 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.

‘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.

[Arabic] I Only Knew Love Lyrics

عَرَفْتُ الهَوى مُذْ عَرَفْتُ هَواك

وَ أغْلَقْتُ قَلبي عَلَى مَن عَداك

و قُمتُ أُناجِيك يا مَن ترى

خفَايا القُلوبِ و لسْنا نراك

عَرَفْتُ الهَوى مُذْ عَرَفْتُ هَواك

وَ أغْلَقْتُ قَلبي عَلَى مَن عَداك

و قُمتُ أُناجِيك يا مَن ترى

خفَايا القُلوبِ و لسْنا نراك

أُحِبُّكَ حُبَّيْنِ، حُبَّ الهَوى

و حُبَّاً لِأَنَّكَ أهلٌ لِذاك

فَأمَّا الَّذي هُوَ حُبُّ الهَوى

فَشُغْلي بِِذكْرِكَ عَمَّنْ سِواك

عَرَفْتُ الهَوى مُذْ عَرَفْتُ هَواك

وَ أغْلَقْتُ قَلبي عَلَى مَن عَداك

وَ أمَّا الَّذي أنتَ أهلٌ لَهُ

وَ لٰكِنْ لَكَ الْحَمدُ في ذا و ذاك

عَرَفْتُ الهَوى مُذْ عَرَفْتُ هَواك

وَ أغْلَقْتُ قَلبي عَلَى مَن عَداك

أُحِبُّكَ حُبَّيْنِ، حُبَّ الهَوى

و حُبَّاً لِأَنَّكَ أهلٌ لِذاك

فَأمَّا الَّذي هُوَ حُبُّ الهَوى

فَشُغْلي بِِذكْرِكَ عَمَّنْ سِواك

فأمَّا الَّذي أنتَ أهلٌ لَهُ

فَلَسْتُ أرَى الْكَوّنَ حَتَّى أراك

عَرَفْتُ الهَوى مُذْ عَرَفْتُ هَواك

وَ أغْلَقْتُ قَلبي عَلَى مَن عَداك

فَلَا الْحَمدُ في ذا وَ لا ذاكَ لي

وَ لٰكِنْ لَكَ الْحَمدُ في ذا و ذاك

[English] I Only Knew Love Lyrics

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

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

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

For Thine is the glory in all unity

I only knew love when I knew love of Thee

I sealed up my heart against Thy enemy

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

And as for the second: my true love of Thee

I see Thou as present in all that I see

I only knew love when I knew love of Thee

I sealed up my heart against Thy enemy

All praise to Thy name, and no praises for me

For Thine is the glory in all unity

[Persian] I Only Knew Love Lyrics

‫من عشق را تنها زمانی شناختم که با عشق تو آشنا شدم

‫من قلبم را در مقابل دشمن تو ممنوع‌الورود كرده‌ام

‫من مدت‌ها در گفتگو با تو بودم

رازهای درونی قلبم را می‌دانی
به جز تو كسی را نمی‌بینم

‫من عشق را تنها زمانی شناختم که با عشق تو آشنا شدم

‫من قلبم را در مقابل دشمن تو ممنوع‌الورود كرده‌ام

‫من مدت‌ها در گفتگو با تو بودم

رازهای درونی قلبم را می‌دانی
به جز تو كسی را نمی‌بینم

‫عشق من، دو عشق است، اما هر دوی آن‌ها برای توست

‫اولینِ آن، عشق به عشق توست و دیگری، عشق به خود تو

‫و اما اولی، که عشق به عشق توست، چنین است

‫ذکر و یاد کامل تو، و نه حتی ذره‌ای منحرف و غافل از تو

‫من عشق را از زمانی شناختم که با عشق تو آشنا شدم

‫من قلبم را در مقابل دشمن تو ممنوع‌الورود كرده‌ام

‫و دومی: یعنی عشق حقیقی من هست به تو

‫شُکوه و جلال در یگانگیِ محض، تنها از آن توست

‫من عشق را از زمانی شناختم که با عشق تو آشنا شدم

‫من قلبم را در مقابل دشمن تو ممنوع‌الورود كرده‌ام

‫ من تو را با دو عشق دوست دارم، عشق به عشق تو

‫و عشق به این خاطر که تو شایسته آن هستی

‫اما آن عشقی که دوست داشتن عشق توست

‫همان مشغول بودن من به یاد تو، از هر آنکه جز تو، است

‫و اما، آن عشقی که تو شایسته آن هستی

‫چنان است که از آن هنگام که
تو را دیده‌ام، دیگر دنیا را نمی‌بینم

‫من عشق را از زمانی شناختم که با عشق تو آشنا شدم

‫من قلبم را در مقابل دشمن تو ممنوع‌الورود كرده‌ام

‫پس ستایش، نه در آن عشق و نه در این، از آنِ من نیست

‫بلکه ستایش هم در آن عشق و
هم در این، تنها مخصوص توست

[Turkish] I Only Knew Love Lyrics

Aşkı tanıdım ancak Seni sevdiğimde

Kalbimi mühürledim cümle düşmanlarına

Seninle nice zaman söyleştim, Sen ki görensin

Kalbimin en derinlerdeki sırlarını,
fakat ben Seni göremiyorum

Aşkı tanıdım ancak Seni sevdiğimde

Kalbimi mühürledim cümle düşmanlarına

Seninle nice zaman söyleştim, Sen ki görensin

Kalbimin en derinlerdeki sırlarını,
fakat ben Seni göremiyorum

İki aşkım var benim, ama ikisi de Sana

Birinci Senin aşkına, ikincisi ise Sana

Birincisi, Senin aşkının aşkı

Tam bir zikr ile, masivadan arınmış olarak

Aşkı tanıdım ancak Seni sevdiğimde

Kalbimi mühürledim cümle düşmanlarına

İkinciye gelince: Sana olan gerçek aşkım

Çünkü hamd ancak Sana aittir

Aşkı tanıdım ancak Seni sevdiğimde

Kalbimi mühürledim cümle düşmanlarına

İki aşkım var benim, ama ikisi de Sana

Birinci Senin aşkına, ikincisi ise Sana

Birincisi, Senin aşkının aşkı

Tam bir zikr ile, masivadan arınmış olarak

İkinciye gelince: Sana olan gerçek aşkım

Her baktığımda Seni görüyorum

Aşkı tanıdım ancak Seni sevdiğimde

Kalbimi mühürledim cümle düşmanlarına

Senin İsmine hamd-ü senâ olsun, bana hiç olmasın

Çünkü hamd ancak Sana aittir

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