عجبت من شيئين قد أجمعت

عجبت من شيئين قد أجمعت

عليهما كل عقول الأنامْ

عليهما كل عقول الأنامْ

I marveled at two things agreed upon

I am amazed by two things that

by all the minds of humankind.

All people's minds have agreed upon.

فالأول المعدوم من كل شَيْ

فالأول المعدوم من كل شَيْ

أزال عنه الله وصف انعدامْ

أزال عنه الله وصف انعدامْ

The first is the nonexistent among all things:

The first is the nonexistent, which

God removed from it the attribute of nonexistence.

God has removed the description of nonexistence from.

فصار موجوداً وأضحى له

فصار موجوداً وأضحى له

وصفَ وجودٍ ظاهرٍ للعوام

وصفَ وجودٍ ظاهرٍ للعوام

So it became existent and came to have

So it has become existent and has taken on

an attribute of existence apparent to ordinary people.

An evident description of existence for all people.

فاعجب لموصوفٍ هو المنتفي

فاعجب لموصوفٍ هو المنتفي

ووصفه الثابت دون انبهام

ووصفه الثابت دون انبهام

So marvel at a thing described that is itself nonexistent,

So wonder at a described one who is denied

while its attribute is established, without ambiguity.

While his enduring description has no ambiguity.

بمن ترى الوصف غدا قائماً

بمن ترى الوصف غدا قائماً

تحققوا يا قوم هذا الكلام

تحققوا يا قوم هذا الكلام

In whom do you think the attribute has come to subsist?

By whom do you see the description has now stood

Grasp the truth of these words, O people.

Realize, O people, these words.

والآخر الحق الوجود الذي

والآخر الحق الوجود الذي

قَدَّر كل الخلق بالإنتظام

قَدَّر كل الخلق بالإنتظام

And the other is the Real—Existence itself—who

And the second is the True Existent Being Who

ordained all creation in harmonious order.

Has determined all creation with harmony.

كيف بمعدوماته قد غدا

كيف بمعدوماته قد غدا

متصفاً والعقل فيها إمام

متصفاً والعقل فيها إمام

How has He come, by His nonexistent things,

How, with His nonexistences, has He become

to be characterized, while reason is a guide among them,

Described, while the intellect therein is an imam?

حتى بدا التنزيه عنها به

حتى بدا التنزيه عنها به

واحتاج هذا الأمر للإختصام

واحتاج هذا الأمر للإختصام

until His transcendence above them became clear through it,

To the point that transcendence from them through Him

and this matter came to require disputation?

Has required this matter to arbitration.

وإنما القهار وهو الذي

وإنما القهار وهو الذي

أفعاله تجرى بحكم المرام

أفعاله تجرى بحكم المرام

Yet it is the All-Subduing alone, He whose

And only the All-Powerful One, and He

acts proceed according to His will.

Whose actions proceed by decree.

فيطلع العقل على ما يشا

فيطلع العقل على ما يشا

من المعاني عن ضيا أو ظلام

من المعاني عن ضيا أو ظلام

So He acquaints reason with whatever He wills

So the intellect emerges unto what He wills

of meanings, from radiance or darkness,

Of meanings whether with illumination or darkness

تصرُّفاً منه به كيفما

تصرُّفاً منه به كيفما

أراد لا عتبٌ كما لا ملام

أراد لا عتبٌ كما لا ملام

an exercise of His power over it, however

By His disposal therein however

He wills—no reproach, and likewise no blame.

He has willed, no objection nor blame.