مَا لِي سِوَاكَ هَمْ وَأَنْتَ تَعْلَمْ
My Only Thought is You
En
En
مَا لِي سِوَاكَ هَمْ وَأَنْتَ تَعْلَمْ
فَالْقُرْبُ مَغْنَمْ وَالْبُعْدُ مَغْرَمْ
mā lī siwāka ham wa anta taʿlam
fal qurbu maghnam wal buʿdu maghram
I have no concern but You, as You well know,
Nearness to you is a triumph, whilst distance is a depravation
خُذْنِي إِلَيْكَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْكَ
حُسِبْتُ عَلَيْكَ فِي كُلِّ مَا أَعْلَمْ
khudhnī ilayka bayna yadayka
ḥusibtu ʿalayka fī kulli mā aʿlam
Draw me to You, into Your embrace,
For I am counted with You in all that I know
أَنْتَ مُرَادِي فَكُنْ لِيْ هَادِي
فَالْقَلْبُ صَادِي فَزِلْ لِيْ ذَا الْهَمْ
anta murādī fakun liy hādī
fal qalbu ṣādī fazil liy dhal ham
You are my desire, so be my guide,
The heart is parched, so remove from me this sorrow
مَنْ ذَا يَكُنْ لِي إِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ لِي
تَرَى لِذُلِّي وَأَنْتَ أَرْحَمْ
man dhā yakun lī in lam takun lī
tarā lidhullī wa anta arḥam
Who will be there for me if You are not for me,
You see my lowliness, and You are the Most Merciful
كَمْ ذَا أُنَادِي يَا خَيْرَ هَادِي
يَكْفِي بُعَادِي فَالْجُودُ قَدْ عَمْ
kam dhā unādī yā khayra hādī
yakfī buʿādī fal jūdu qad ʿam
How often I call out, O Best of Guides,
Separation is enough, Your generosity overflows
نُورُ الْوِصَالِ مَهْرُهُ غَالِي
سِوَاكَ مَا لِي جُدْ وَتَكَرَّمْ
nūrul wiṣāli mahruhu ghālī
siwāka mā lī jud watakarram
The light of union has a costly dowry,
I have none but You, so bestow and be gracious
قُرْبِي وَبُعْدِي سِيَّانِ عِنْدِي
لِأَنَّ رُشْدِي فِيمَا تَقَسِّمْ
qurbī wabuʿdī siyyāni ʿindī
lianna rushdī fīmā taqassim
Nearness and distance are the same to me,
For my guidance is in that which You decreed for me
فَاجْعَلْ هِبَاتِي رُوحَ الْحَيَاةِ
حَبِيبْ ذَاتِي طه الْمُعَلِّمْ
faj ʿal hibātī rūḥal ḥayāti
ḥabīb dhātī ṭhal muʿallim
So make my gifts the spirit of life,
The Beloved of my being, Taha, the teacher
تَعْلَمْ لِقَصْدِي حِبِّي وَوُدِّي
فَكُنْ لِلْكُرْدِي فِي كُلِّ مَغْنَمْ
taʿlam liqaṣdī ḥibbī wawuddī
fakun lilkurdī fī kulli maghnam
You know my aim, my love, and my affection,
So be with al-Kurdī in every triumph
صَلَاةُ رَبِّي لِحَبِيبِ قَلْبِي
طه الْمُرَبِّي عَلَيْهِ سَلَّمْ
ṣalātu rabbī liḥabībi qalbī
ṭhal murabbī ʿalayhi sallam
May my Lord’s blessings be upon the Beloved of my heart,
Taha, the Guide, peace be upon him