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I Only Knew Love (Live at the Holland Festival) cover art

I Only Knew Love (Live at the Holland Festival)

by Sami Yusuf

Album: I Only Knew Love (Live at the Holland Festival)

Duration: 3:37

Maqam: RastGenre: nasheed, madihYear: 2020Type: nasheedComposer: Sami Yusuf

Story & Cultural Context

This track is a live performance by Sami Yusuf from the Holland Festival, showcasing his signature style of blending spiritual themes with contemporary music. It emphasizes themes of divine love and has been popular in Islamic music circles for its emotional depth and cultural significance.

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I Only Knew Love (Live at the Holland Festival)

I Only Knew Love (Live at the Holland Festival)

AI-Enriched80%
MaqamRast
Instruments
vocal-onlystrings

Credits

ComposerSami Yusuf
LyricistSami Yusuf
ArrangementSami Yusuf
ProducerAwakening Records
LabelAwakening Records

Story & Cultural Context

This track is a live performance by Sami Yusuf from the Holland Festival, showcasing his signature style of blending spiritual themes with contemporary music. It emphasizes themes of divine love and…

Titles in Other Languages

العربيةلم أعرف إلا الحب
EnglishI Only Knew Love

Lyrics

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 еnemy.)

And as for the second: my truе love of Thee

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

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.)