أنا النور المبين ولا أكنّي

أنا النور المبين ولا أكنّي

أنا التنزيل يعرفني ابن فني

أنا التنزيل يعرفني ابن فني

I am the manifest light, and I do not speak obliquely.

I am the Manifest Light though I veil my name,

I am revelation; an adept in my art knows me.

The Revelation makes me known, understand my strain!

يضل الله بي خلقاً كثيراً

يضل الله بي خلقاً كثيراً

ويهدي بي كثيراً فاسْتَبِنّي

ويهدي بي كثيراً فاسْتَبِنّي

God leads many creatures astray through me,

By me does God lead multitudes astray,

And guides many through me; so discern me clearly.

And by me guide multitudes, so try to ascertain me!

ولكن لا يضل سوى نفوس

ولكن لا يضل سوى نفوس

بإنكار بغت وبسوء ظن

بإنكار بغت وبسوء ظن

Yet He leads astray only souls

But none go astray save foolish souls

That transgressed through denial and mistrust.

Who disbelieve, nurse enmity and entertain suspicion.

وإني الملْك والملكوت فضلاً

وإني الملْك والملكوت فضلاً

وإني صخرة الوادي وإني

وإني صخرة الوادي وإني

And I am the visible and unseen realms, by grace,

I am the King, the Kingdom too, transcending all,

And I am the rock of the valley; and I—

I am the boulder midst the valley; lo, I am He!

ولما كنتُ منه بغير فصلٍ

ولما كنتُ منه بغير فصلٍ

ولا وصلٍ شهدت الكلَّ مني

ولا وصلٍ شهدت الكلَّ مني

Since I was of Him, without separation

When I was part of Him, not sundered,

Or union—beheld all as coming from me.

Nor joined, I witnessed all things in me.

أحقق من أريد بعلم حقي

أحقق من أريد بعلم حقي

وأسكر من أشاء بخمر دني

وأسكر من أشاء بخمر دني

I bring whom I wish to realization through knowledge of my truth.

I fulfill whom I will by the science of my truth,

And I intoxicate whom I will with wine from my jar.

And whom I will, I make drunk with the wine of my nearness.

وأسعدُ باللقا قوماً وأُشقي

وأسعدُ باللقا قوماً وأُشقي

بهجري آخرين وبالتجني

بهجري آخرين وبالتجني

And I gladden some people through meeting, and make wretched

I make some happy by union, others I torment

Others through my abandonment and unjust blame.

By separation and aloofness.

مقامي ليس يحصل بالترجّي

مقامي ليس يحصل بالترجّي

وحالي ليس يدرك بالتمني

وحالي ليس يدرك بالتمني

My station is not attained by hoping,

My station cannot be attained by yearning,

And my state is not grasped by wishing.

Nor my state grasped by longing.

وما باب الهبات ولا العطايا

وما باب الهبات ولا العطايا

بمسدود على أهل التهني

بمسدود على أهل التهني

And the gate of gifts and bestowals is not

The door of gifts and bounties is not barred

Closed to those who take delight.

Against the people of praise.

ولكن القلوب لها عليها

ولكن القلوب لها عليها

من الأغيار ينشأ كل كنّ

من الأغيار ينشأ كل كنّ

Yet hearts have upon them

But the hearts have thereon

Every veil that arises from things other than God.

Veils which bar all approach.

وبالتوحيد يعرف كل شيء

وبالتوحيد يعرف كل شيء

ويجهل كل شيء بالتثني

ويجهل كل شيء بالتثني

And through affirming oneness, everything is known,

By pure unity everything is known,

And through duality, everything is unknown.

While by duality all remains unknown.

هي الأبواب قد سدت جميعاً

هي الأبواب قد سدت جميعاً

سوى بابي فدع عنك التعني

سوى بابي فدع عنك التعني

The doors have all been shut,

All gates are shut save my gate,

Except my door; so spare yourself the toil.

So cease this vain babbling!

وما أنا شاعر وجميع نظمي

وما أنا شاعر وجميع نظمي

بعيد عن مدى شعر المغني

بعيد عن مدى شعر المغني

And I am no poet, and all my verse

I am no poet, and all my poems

Is far removed from the scope of the singer's poetry.

Are far removed from a singer's lays.

وميز بين إلهامٍ وشعر

وميز بين إلهامٍ وشعر

وصرِّح بالمقام ولا تكني

وصرِّح بالمقام ولا تكني

And distinguish between inspiration and poetry,

Distinguish between inspiration and poetry,

And declare the station plainly; do not speak obliquely.

Express the place clearly, do not hint!

ولا تكفر بجهلك في كلامي

ولا تكفر بجهلك في كلامي

ودعه لمن يوحِّد يا مثني

ودعه لمن يوحِّد يا مثني

And do not, in your ignorance, brand my words as unbelief.

Do not disbelieve, in your ignorance, my discourse,

And leave it to one who affirms oneness, O you who see duality.

Leave it for those who profess pure unity.

ولا تعجل على ما لست تدري

ولا تعجل على ما لست تدري

فإنك سوف تدري بالتأني

فإنك سوف تدري بالتأني

And do not be hasty concerning what you do not know,

Do not hastily judge what you do not know,

For you will know through deliberation.

For in time you will come to know with deliberation.

نصحتك فاستطع صبراً معي إن

نصحتك فاستطع صبراً معي إن

سلكت عن الروافض نهج سني

سلكت عن الروافض نهج سني

I have counseled you; so muster patience with me, if

I have given you advice, so show patience with me

You follow a Sunni path, away from the Rafidites.

If you follow the Sunni path of guidance.

تعالى أصلنا عن كل فرع

تعالى أصلنا عن كل فرع

وجل عن التزوج والتبني

وجل عن التزوج والتبني

Our root is exalted above every branch,

Come, let us transcend all branches

And is exalted beyond marriage and adoption.

And avoid marrying and adopting children.

وكل فتى على مقدار ما قد

وكل فتى على مقدار ما قد

سقاه بكفه الساقي يغني

سقاه بكفه الساقي يغني

And every young man, in proportion to what

Each youth is content with the water

The cupbearer has given him to drink with his hand, sings.

Measured out for him by the Giver to drink.

وحين رويتُ عنه روتْ بصدقٍ

وحين رويتُ عنه روتْ بصدقٍ

جميعُ رجال هذا العصر عني

جميعُ رجال هذا العصر عني

And when I narrated from Him, it was truthfully narrated

When I spoke thereof, all the men of this age

By all the men of this age, on my authority.

Bore witness truly concerning me.