Night Prayer and Nearness to God

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اِعْرِفْ قَدْرَ مَا ضَاعَ مِنْكَ وَابْكِ بُكَاءَ مَن يَدْرِي مِقْدَارَ الْفَائِتِ

Know the value of what you have lost and weep like one who knows the worth of what is gone.

لَو تَخَيَّلت قرب الأحباب لأقمت المأتم على بعْدك

If you imagined the closeness of loved ones, you would hold a funeral for your distance.

لَوِ اسْتَنْشَقْتَ رِيحَ الأَسْحَارِ لَأَفَاقَ مِنْكَ قَلْبُكَ المَخْمُورُ

If you inhaled the dawn breeze, your intoxicated heart would awaken.

مَنِ اسْتَطَالَ الطَّرِيقَ ضَعُفَ مَشْيُهُ

He who finds the road long, his walk is weakened.

وَمَا أَنْتَ بِالْمُشْتَاقِ إِن قُلْتَ بَيْنَنَا

You are not longing if you say there is distance between us,

طِوَالَ اللَّيَالِي أَوْ بَعِيدِ المَفَاوِزِ

throughout the nights or across vast distances.

أَمَا عَلِمْتَ أَنَّ الصَّادِقَ إِذَا هَمَّ أَلْقَى بَيْنَ عَيْنَيْهِ عَزْمَهُ

Do you not know that the truthful person, when he resolves, casts his determination before his eyes?

إِذَا نَزَلَ آبُ فِي الْقَلْبِ حَلَّ آذَارُ فِي الْعَيْنِ

When the heat of August settles in the heart, the rain of March flows from the eyes.

هَانَ سَهَرُ الحُرَّاسِ لَمَّا عَلِمُوا أَنَّ أَصْوَاتَهُمْ بِسَمْعِ الْمَلِكِ

The vigil of the guards became easy when they knew their voices reached the king's ears.

مَن لَاحَ لَهُ حَالُ الْآخِرَةِ هَانَ عَلَيْهِ فِرَاقُ الدُّنْيَا

He who contemplates the hereafter, the separation from the world becomes easy for him.

إِذَا لَاحَ لِلْبَاشِقِ الصَّيْدُ نَسِيَ مَأْلُوفَ الْكَفِّ

When the falcon catches sight of the prey, it forgets the hand it knows.

يَا أَقْدَامَ الصَّبْرِ احْمِلِي بَقِيَّ الْقَلِيلَ

O feet of patience, carry the remaining little.

تَذَكَّرْ حَلَاوَةَ الْوِصَالِ يَهُنْ عَلَيْكَ مَرُّ الْمُجَاهَدَةِ

Remember the sweetness of reunion, and the bitterness of struggle will become easy for you.

قد علمت أَيْن الْمنزل فاحد لَهَا تسر أَعلَى الهمم

You know where the abode is, so set a course for it; the highest aspirations race towards it.

هِمَّةُ مَنِ اسْتَعَدَّ صَاحِبُهَا لِلِقَاءِ الْحَبِيبِ

It is the aspiration of one who has prepared himself for the meeting with the beloved.

قَدِّمِ التَّقَادُمَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ الْمُلْتَقَى فَاسْتَبْشَرَ بِالرِّضَا عِنْدَ الْقُدُومِ

Present the gifts before the meeting, and rejoice with acceptance upon arrival.

وَقدمُوا لانفسهم الْجنَّة ترْضى مِنْك بأَدَاء الْفَرَائِض

And they put forward paradise for themselves. It is pleased with you through fulfilling the obligations.

وَالنَّارُ تَنْدَفِعُ

And the fire is repelled.