تبارك الله ما في الدار ديّارُ

تبارك الله ما في الدار ديّارُ

وإنما هي نيران وأنوارُ

وإنما هي نيران وأنوارُ

Blessed is God! There is no dweller in the abode.

Blessed is God, there is no permanence in the abode,

It is nothing but fires and lights.

Rather it is fires and lights.

وقد أماطت سليمى عن براقعها

وقد أماطت سليمى عن براقعها

فوجهها مشرق والطرف سحّار

فوجهها مشرق والطرف سحّار

Sulayma has drawn aside her veils,

Salima has unveiled her face from her covers,

So her face is radiant and her gaze bewitching.

Her face shines and her glance enchants.

وما الجميع سوى إشراق بهجتها

وما الجميع سوى إشراق بهجتها

دوائرٌ كلهم عنها وأدوار

دوائرٌ كلهم عنها وأدوار

All is nothing but the radiance of her splendor—

The whole is but the radiance of her joy,

All of them circles and cycles arising from her.

Circles, all centered around her and revolving.

إن أومأت كانت الأكوان ظاهرة

إن أومأت كانت الأكوان ظاهرة

عنها وإلا ففيها الكل أسرار

عنها وإلا ففيها الكل أسرار

If she gestures, created beings become manifest

If she gestures, the universes appear,

From her; otherwise, all are mysteries within her.

Through her, and else all in her are mysteries.

جلت عيون بها منها لها نظرت

جلت عيون بها منها لها نظرت

في صبغة الكون حيث الكون أطوار

في صبغة الكون حيث الكون أطوار

Exalted were eyes that, through her and from her, gazed upon her

Eyes were dazzled by her, from her their gaze turned

In existence's hue, where existence has many forms.

To the hue of existence wherever existence turns.

يا مالك الملك منا قد ظهرت لنا

يا مالك الملك منا قد ظهرت لنا

وأنت أعياننا والإسم أغيار

وأنت أعياننا والإسم أغيار

O Master of dominion, from us You have appeared to us.

O King of kings, you have made yourself manifest to us,

And You are our very selves, while the name is otherness.

You are our essence though the name is another's.

ملكتنا فملكنا ما ملكت وعن

ملكتنا فملكنا ما ملكت وعن

ذواتنا قد أميطت منك أستار

ذواتنا قد أميطت منك أستار

You possessed us, so we possessed what You possessed; and from

You have conquered us so we rule what you rule,

Our essences, veils from You have been lifted.

And you have lifted from us the veils over your being.

وإنما هي ذات بالورى كثرت

وإنما هي ذات بالورى كثرت

فقل شموس وقل إن شئت أقمار

فقل شموس وقل إن شئت أقمار

It is only an essence, multiplied through created beings.

She is an essence which in creatures seems manifold,

So say 'suns,' and, if you wish, say 'moons.'

Say suns or, if you wish, say moons.

رنات أوتار أسماء لذاتك لا

رنات أوتار أسماء لذاتك لا

كما يقولون رنات وأوتار

كما يقولون رنات وأوتار

The ringing tones of strings are names for Your essence, not

The strings of names for your essence ring, not

Mere ringing tones and strings, as they say.

As they claim, strings and chords ring.

بها طربنا وفيها أنت مطربنا

بها طربنا وفيها أنت مطربنا

وما لغيرك أسماع وأبصار

وما لغيرك أسماع وأبصار

Through them we were enraptured, and in them You inspire our rapture.

By her we are enraptured, and you are our ravisher,

There is no hearing or sight for anyone but You.

To none but you belong hearing and sight.

سقيتنا أيها الساقي بأكؤسنا

سقيتنا أيها الساقي بأكؤسنا

خمر التجلي وفينا دب إسكار

خمر التجلي وفينا دب إسكار

You gave us to drink, O cupbearer, from our cups,

You have given us to drink, O Giver of drink, from our cups,

The wine of self-disclosure, and intoxication crept through us.

The wine of epiphany, and intoxication steals into us.

ونحن كأس وأنت الخمر تشربه

ونحن كأس وأنت الخمر تشربه

وكل معنى أتانا منك خمّار

وكل معنى أتانا منك خمّار

And we are a cup, and You are the wine You drink.

We are the cup, and you the wine imbibed,

Every meaning that came to us from You is a wine-seller.

And every meaning that came to us is from you, the server of wine.

كتبتنا بك في ألواح نشأتنا

كتبتنا بك في ألواح نشأتنا

فنحن عنك أحاديث وأخبار

فنحن عنك أحاديث وأخبار

You inscribed us through Yourself on the tablets of our creation.

You have written us by you in the tablets of our essence,

So we are stories and tidings of You.

So we are your tales and legends.

صرف الوجود به عنه الشؤن بدت

صرف الوجود به عنه الشؤن بدت

كما الدخان له قد أبدت النار

كما الدخان له قد أبدت النار

Pure existence: through it, from it, the modes appeared,

The being of existence by it from it is turned,

As fire has made its smoke appear.

As smoke is turned by fire that kindled it.

وما كذلك نفس الأمر في نظري

وما كذلك نفس الأمر في نظري

وإنما الكل في أقوالهم حاروا

وإنما الكل في أقوالهم حاروا

Yet the matter itself is not so, in my view.

Not so in my view is the reality of the matter,

Rather, all have become bewildered in their sayings.

Though in their words all have gone astray.

نحن العبيد وإن وصلتنا كرماً

نحن العبيد وإن وصلتنا كرماً

فإنما نحن يا مولاي أحرار

فإنما نحن يا مولاي أحرار

We are slaves; but if You graciously grant us union,

We are the servants, and if we have been graced,

Then we are free, O my Master.

Still we, my Master, remain the free.

وإننا أنت لا شيء سواك هنا

وإننا أنت لا شيء سواك هنا

ولكن الحكم هتّاكٌ وستار

ولكن الحكم هتّاكٌ وستار

And we are You; nothing but You is here.

And we are you, nothing but you here,

But the decree rends veils and conceals.

Though judgment veils and hides this.

إيماء جفنك يا ذا العين يظهرنا

إيماء جفنك يا ذا العين يظهرنا

فأشقياء كما شاءت وأبرار

فأشقياء كما شاءت وأبرار

A gesture of Your eyelid, O possessor of the eye, makes us appear.

A blink of your eye reveals us,

Thus, as it wills, some are wretched and some righteous.

As wretched or righteous, however you desire.

وأنت أنت على ما أنت من قدم

وأنت أنت على ما أنت من قدم

ونحن نحن فلا نقص ولا عار

ونحن نحن فلا نقص ولا عار

And You are You, as You have been from eternity.

You are still you, as you have always been,

And we are we, so there is no deficiency and no disgrace.

While we are we, no loss or shame.

وهذه نسب أنت اعتبرت لها

وهذه نسب أنت اعتبرت لها

فيها فكان لهم كتمٌ وإظهار

فيها فكان لهم كتمٌ وإظهار

And these are relations: You were reckoned with respect to them

These are lineages you have deemed,

Within them; so concealment and disclosure were theirs.

In which for them are secrecy and disclosure.

وحاصل الأمر أن الأمر حاصله

وحاصل الأمر أن الأمر حاصله

هذا ولكنه بالغير غرّار

هذا ولكنه بالغير غرّار

And the matter's upshot is that the matter's upshot

The upshot of the affair is the affair's upshot

Is this; yet through otherness it deceives.

Is this, though with others it is masked.

الله أكبر لا يدري مقالتنا

الله أكبر لا يدري مقالتنا

في كوننا غيرنا والكل محتار

في كوننا غيرنا والكل محتار

God is greatest! No one knows our utterance

God is greatest! None knows our saying,

In our existence but ourselves, and all are bewildered.

That we are other than ourselves and all are confused.

الله أكبر نحن الغائبون به

الله أكبر نحن الغائبون به

عنا وليس لنا في ذاك آثار

عنا وليس لنا في ذاك آثار

God is greatest! Through Him we are absent

God is greatest! By Him we are absent

From ourselves, and no traces of us remain in that.

From ourselves, and for us in that there are no traces.

ولا سوانا من الأكوان يعرفنا

ولا سوانا من الأكوان يعرفنا

والغيب نحن وهذا القول إضمار

والغيب نحن وهذا القول إضمار

Nor does any created being other than us know us.

None but us in the universes knows us,

And we are the unseen, and this saying is concealment.

And the absent we, though to speak this is veiling.

الله أكبر عزت ذاته وعلت

الله أكبر عزت ذاته وعلت

فليس تدرك آراء وأنظار

فليس تدرك آراء وأنظار

God is greatest! His essence is mighty and exalted.

God is greatest! His essence is exalted,

So neither opinions nor speculations can grasp it.

So thoughts and views cannot attain Him.

وهو العليم به في الكل ليس له

وهو العليم به في الكل ليس له

عنه خفاء فذو لطف وجبار

عنه خفاء فذو لطف وجبار

And He knows Himself in all; for Him there is no

He knows by it in all, from Him is not hidden,

Concealment from Himself; so He is gracious and all-compelling.

Subtle and overpowering is He.

بدا فقالوا هي الأرواح قد حكمت

بدا فقالوا هي الأرواح قد حكمت

على جسوم لها في الكون أعمار

على جسوم لها في الكون أعمار

He appeared, and they said, 'It is the spirits that have ruled

They appeared and said, "It is the spirits that have judged

Over bodies that have lifespans in the world.'

Over bodies theirs in the cosmos for a span."

وهو الخفي فلا أرواح تعرفه

وهو الخفي فلا أرواح تعرفه

ولا جسوم وحارت فيه أفكار

ولا جسوم وحارت فيه أفكار

And He is hidden, so no spirits know Him,

He is the Hidden, so neither spirits nor bodies know Him,

Nor bodies; and thoughts are bewildered concerning Him.

And thoughts of Him remain confused.

فإن يشأ يهتدي كل إليه بما

فإن يشأ يهتدي كل إليه بما

قد ضل فيه وعنه زال إكفار

قد ضل فيه وعنه زال إكفار

If He wills, each finds guidance to Him through that

If He wills, each will be guided to Him

In which he had strayed, and the charge of unbelief is lifted from him.

From the error in which he strayed, far from unbelief.

وإن يشأ فبما قد آمنت كفرت

وإن يشأ فبما قد آمنت كفرت

قوم وإن شاء فالإقلال إكثار

قوم وإن شاء فالإقلال إكثار

And if He wills, through what they had believed, unbelief overtakes

If He wills, through the faith with which some believed,

A people; and if He wills, diminution is increase.

Others are led to blaspheme, if He desires decrease as increase.

حقيقة ما اقتضى شيء لها أثراً

حقيقة ما اقتضى شيء لها أثراً

ترومه فهي إيرادٌ وإصدار

ترومه فهي إيرادٌ وإصدار

A reality: nothing has necessitated for it an effect

The reality of what a thing requires has no effect,

It seeks; it is a bringing in and a sending forth.

You may bring it or send it away.

ولم نقل مثل ما قد قال شاعرهم

ولم نقل مثل ما قد قال شاعرهم

وإنما هي إقبال وإدبار

وإنما هي إقبال وإدبار

Nor did we say the like of what their poet said:

We do not speak like their poet who said,

'It is only approach and retreat.'

"It is but advance and retreat."

أنا الذي قول محيي الدين قلتُ به

أنا الذي قول محيي الدين قلتُ به

بيتين ضمنُهما للناس تذكار

بيتين ضمنُهما للناس تذكار

I am the one who professed Muhyi al-Din's saying—

I am the one who says what Mehmet the Renewer said

Two verses whose content is a reminder to mankind:

In two verses, reminding people:

البحر بحرٌ على ما كان من قدمٍ

البحر بحرٌ على ما كان من قدمٍ

إن الحوادث أمواج وأنهار

إن الحوادث أمواج وأنهار

The sea is a sea, as it has been from eternity;

The sea is still the sea, as it was before,

Indeed, things that arise are waves and rivers.

Events are waves and rivers, no more.

ولا أقول بتكرار الوجود ولا

ولا أقول بتكرار الوجود ولا

عود التجلي فما في الأمر تكرار

عود التجلي فما في الأمر تكرار

And I do not speak of the repetition of existence, nor

I do not claim recurrence nor

The return of self-disclosure, for there is no repetition in the matter.

Return of epiphany - in the matter there is no recurrence.