ومن أعجب الأمر هذا الخفا

ومن أعجب الأمر هذا الخفا

وهذا الظهور لأهل الوفا

وهذا الظهور لأهل الوفا

And among the most wondrous things is this concealment,

This subtlety and unveiling for the loyal

and this manifestation to the faithful.

And nothing in existence but the One

وما في الوجود سوى واحد

وما في الوجود سوى واحد

ولكن تكثَّر لما صفا

ولكن تكثَّر لما صفا

And in existence there is none but One,

Though multiplied when pure

yet He became manifold when He grew clear.

The origin of all creation is a point

وأصل جميع الورى نقطة

وأصل جميع الورى نقطة

على عين أمر بدت أحرفا

على عين أمر بدت أحرفا

And the origin of all creation is a point,

Upon the Essence which letters manifested

which, upon the essence of a command, appeared as letters.

Those letters then became a word

وتلك الحروف غدت كلمة

وتلك الحروف غدت كلمة

فكانت مشوق الحشى المدنفا

فكانت مشوق الحشى المدنفا

And those letters became a word,

Thus the yearning of hearts which sigh

and so it became the lovesick one, yearning at heart.

If you say "nothing" we say "yes"

فإن قلت لا شيء قلنا نعم

فإن قلت لا شيء قلنا نعم

هو الحق والشيء فيه اختفى

هو الحق والشيء فيه اختفى

For if you say, 'Nothing,' we say, 'Yes.'

It is the Truth and the thing in it vanished

He is the Real, and the thing has vanished in Him.

And if you say "a thing" we say He

وإن قلت شيء نقول الذي

وإن قلت شيء نقول الذي

له الحق أثبت كيف انتفى

له الحق أثبت كيف انتفى

And if you say, 'A thing,' we say: 'That

Who has the Truth established, so how could it cease?

for which the Real affirmed being—how could it cease to be?'

The envious clamored but were not just

وضج الحسود ولم يتئد

وضج الحسود ولم يتئد

ولام العذول وما أنصفا

ولام العذول وما أنصفا

And the envious one clamored and showed no restraint,

The recluses blamed but were not equitable

and the faultfinder reproached me and was unfair.

You have come between me, O critic

وقد حال بينك يا عاذلي

وقد حال بينك يا عاذلي

وبيني بأنك لن تعرفا

وبيني بأنك لن تعرفا

And a barrier has come between you, O my reproacher,

And me, in that you will not know

and me, because you will not understand.

Where are my ribs that burned in ardour?

وأين ضلوعي التي في لظى

وأين ضلوعي التي في لظى

وأين زفيري الذي ما انطفا

وأين زفيري الذي ما انطفا

And where are my ribs that lie in blazing fire?

Where is my sigh that did not rest?

And where is my sighing, which has not been quenched?

Where are my tears that used to flow

وأين دموعي تلك التي

وأين دموعي تلك التي

تسيل وجفني الذي ما غفا

تسيل وجفني الذي ما غفا

And where are those tears of mine that

While my eyelids did not sleep?

flow, and my eyelid that has not slept?

Do you not see that lovers only

ألم تر أن المحبين لا

ألم تر أن المحبين لا

يرون النعيم بغير الجفا

يرون النعيم بغير الجفا

Have you not seen that lovers do not

Regard bliss through tribulation?

find bliss without estrangement?

So gently, softly - I am a man

فمهلاً رويدك إني امرؤ

فمهلاً رويدك إني امرؤ

تركت سلوي لمن عنفا

تركت سلوي لمن عنفا

So gently—take your time! I am a man:

Who left his drinking-companion to one who raged

I left my solace to whoever was harsh,

And I left behind me all creation

وخلفت خلفي جميع الورى

وخلفت خلفي جميع الورى

وقلبي على قلبه أشرفا

وقلبي على قلبه أشرفا

and left all creation behind me,

With my heart above his heart exalted

and my heart looked down upon His heart.

Above me, under me, and nothing under me

وفوقيَ تحتي ولا تحت لي

وفوقيَ تحتي ولا تحت لي

وبعدي هو القبل يا من وفى

وبعدي هو القبل يا من وفى

And what is above me is below me, and I have no below;

After me, He is before, O you loyal one

and what comes after me is what comes before, O you who kept faith.

And when I drank the cups of love

ولما شربت كؤوس الهوى

ولما شربت كؤوس الهوى

وذقت المدامة والقرقفا

وذقت المدامة والقرقفا

And when I drank the cups of love,

And tasted the wine and the pitcher

and tasted the wine and the intoxicating draught,

My attributes vanished, so no description of me

أزيلت صفاتي فلا وصف لي

أزيلت صفاتي فلا وصف لي

وعني جميعي مضى واختفى

وعني جميعي مضى واختفى

my attributes were removed, so I have no attribute;

And all of me departed and was hidden

and my whole self departed from me and vanished.

And I am none but the primordial matter of existence

وما أنا إلا هيولا الورى

وما أنا إلا هيولا الورى

ولمحة نور من المصطفى

ولمحة نور من المصطفى

And I am nothing but the prime matter of creation,

And a flash of light from Mustafa

and a gleam of light from the Chosen One.

My two friends, let us go to passion

خليليَّ قوما بنا للحمى

خليليَّ قوما بنا للحمى

عسانا نرى الرشأ الأهيفا

عسانا نرى الرشأ الأهيفا

My two friends, rise with us toward the sanctuary;

That we may see the lovely commotion

perhaps we may see the slender-waisted young gazelle.

And visit the side of that twisty valley

وعوجا على سفح ذاك اللوى

وعوجا على سفح ذاك اللوى

وإن جئتما دار سلمى قفا

وإن جئتما دار سلمى قفا

And you two, turn aside to the slope of that winding dune;

And if you come to Salma's house, stop

and if you two reach Salma's dwelling, stop.

For I am much enamored and passionate

فإني مشوق كثير الجوى

فإني مشوق كثير الجوى

عسى الحب بالوصل أن يعطفا

عسى الحب بالوصل أن يعطفا

For I am yearning, full of love's anguish;

Hopefully love will make it kind

perhaps love will favor me with union.

And say to him who blamed: "Woe to him

وقولا لمن لام ويح الذي

وقولا لمن لام ويح الذي

به كدر بين أهل الصفا

به كدر بين أهل الصفا

And you two, tell the one who reproached: 'Alas for the one

Who with it made discord amongst the sincere!"

through whom there is murkiness among the people of purity.'