خلاف الوجود الصرف فالعدم الأخُ

خلاف الوجود الصرف فالعدم الأخُ

وبنهما للمُمْكِنِ المحضِ برزخُ

وبنهما للمُمْكِنِ المحضِ برزخُ

The contrary of pure existence is nonbeing—its brother.

Opposite pure existence stands nonexistence, its brother;

Between the two lies an isthmus for pure possibility.

And between them lies an isthmus for the purely contingent.

خبير بكل الكائنات وجودها

خبير بكل الكائنات وجودها

فيبدو ويخفى ثم يوحي وينسخ

فيبدو ويخفى ثم يوحي وينسخ

Their existence is cognizant of all beings;

Their being is aware of all created things;

so it manifests and makes hidden, then discloses and effaces.

So he appears and is hidden, then gives revelation and abrogates.

خلوت به والكون كالليل مظلم

خلوت به والكون كالليل مظلم

ولكنه ليل عن النور يسلخ

ولكنه ليل عن النور يسلخ

I was alone with Him while the cosmos lay dark as night.

I was alone with him, while the universe was dark as night;

Yet it was a night being stripped away from the light.

Yet it is a night stripped away from the light.

خفاء لنا منه ظهور حبيبنا

خفاء لنا منه ظهور حبيبنا

وينبوع قلبي بالحقائق ينضخ

وينبوع قلبي بالحقائق ينضخ

His concealment from us is our Beloved’s manifestation;

To us, our beloved's appearing is a concealment of him;

and the fountain of my heart gushes with realities.

And my heart's spring gushes with truths.

خمار عن الوجه الجميل أميط لي

خمار عن الوجه الجميل أميط لي

فأصبحت أسمو في هواها وأشمخ

فأصبحت أسمو في هواها وأشمخ

A veil was lifted for me from the beautiful Face,

A veil was lifted from the beautiful face for me;

and I began to soar in love of her, rising proud and high.

So I began to soar in love for her and tower aloft.

خذ العفو عنه يا ابن ودي فإنما

خذ العفو عنه يا ابن ودي فإنما

وجودك ذنب أنت منه موسخ

وجودك ذنب أنت منه موسخ

Accept pardon from Him, O son of my love, for indeed

Receive pardon for it, O son of my affection, for

your very existence is a sin by which you are stained.

Your existence is nothing but a sin by which you are stained.

خطبت عروسَ الخدرِ والنفسُ مهرُها

خطبت عروسَ الخدرِ والنفسُ مهرُها

فأد إليها مهرها لا تُوبَّخ

فأد إليها مهرها لا تُوبَّخ

You sought the bride of the secluded chamber; the soul is her bride-price.

You have wooed the bride of the secluded chamber, and the self is her dower;

So pay her bride-price to her, lest you be reproached;

So pay her her dower—lest you be reproached—

خفيفاً وخذ منها ثقيلاً هو المنى

خفيفاً وخذ منها ثقيلاً هو المنى

وفوق المنى وجه بطيب مضمخ

وفوق المنى وجه بطيب مضمخ

lightly—and take from her something weighty: desire.

Light of burden; and take from her something weighty, the object of desire.

And beyond desire is a face drenched in fragrance.

And beyond desire is a face anointed with perfume.

خفافيش قوم غافلين بهم عمىً

خفافيش قوم غافلين بهم عمىً

عن النور نور الشمس في الجهل تصرخ

عن النور نور الشمس في الجهل تصرخ

Bats—a heedless people, with blindness lodged in them—

The bats of heedless folk, afflicted with blindness

blind to the light, the light of the sun, shriek in ignorance.

To light—the light of the sun—shriek in ignorance.

خصمتُ بها أقوالَهم في اضطرابهم

خصمتُ بها أقوالَهم في اضطرابهم

عليها وإني من ثبير لأرسخ

عليها وإني من ثبير لأرسخ

By it I confuted their claims amid their wavering

With her I refuted their claims amid their confusion

over it; indeed, I stand firmer than Mount Thabir.

Over her; and I am surely more firmly rooted than Thabir.