إنindeed فيin قرعstriking المثانيthe doubled strings
إن في قرع المثاني
بهجةَjoy السبعthe seven المثانيthe oft-repeated verses
بهجةَ السبع المثاني
Indeed, in the striking of the doubled strings
The rhythmic drumbeats
lies the joy of the seven oft-repeated verses.
Bring joy like the seven heavens,
وجفونand the eyelids العينthe eye فيهاin them
وجفون العين فيها
حفظpreservation أسرارsecrets العيانdirect sight
حفظ أسرار العيان
And within the eyelids of the eye
And the eyelids wherein lie
the secrets of direct sight are kept.
The secrets seen by open eyes.
جلexalted is نورa light قدhas تجلَّىrevealed itself
جل نور قد تجلَّى
فيin تناويعvaried modes البيانexpression
في تناويع البيان
Exalted is a light that has revealed itself
The light of God has shone clear,
in the varied modes of expression.
In the flexions of rhetoric.
واحدٌone وهوand He كثيرmany
واحدٌ وهو كثير
وجميعand all الكونexistence فانيpassing away
وجميع الكون فاني
One, yet He is many,
One, yet manifold is He,
and all existence passes away.
All creation fated to die.
ذاتهHis essence الذاتthe Essence تسامتrose sublime
ذاته الذات تسامت
فيin لباسthe garb of الحدثانcreated existence
في لباس الحدثان
His essence—the Essence—rose sublime
His essence did transcend
in the garb of created existence.
In the raiment of events.
وصفاتand the attributes الكلthe whole لاحتappeared
وصفات الكل لاحت
بتصاريفthrough transformations of المبانيthe forms
بتصاريف المباني
And the attributes of the whole appeared
Attributes of all did gleam
through the transformations of forms.
In the schemes of entities.
هوHe بلrather لاnot هوHe عنديto me
هو بل لا هو عندي
هوHe فيin ناءthe distant ودانيand the near
هو في ناء وداني
He—rather, not He, to me;
He is, nay He is not to me,
He is in the distant and the near.
He's in woefulness and glee.
نزهواdeclare [Him] transcendent أوor شبهواliken [Him] لاdo not
نزهوا أو شبهوا لا
تعرفواknow غيرother than المعانيthe meanings
تعرفوا غير المعاني
Declare Him transcendent or liken Him; do not
Make Him pure or likened be,
know anything but meanings.
Know nought but the meanings.
والملاand fullness وهمillusion عظيمgreat
والملا وهم عظيم
والخلاand emptiness محضsheer افتتانbeguilement
والخلا محض افتتان
And fullness is a great illusion,
Great the angels, huge mistake,
and emptiness sheer beguilement.
Pure light is but tempting fake.
إنماsimply الماءthe water علىupon ماwhat
إنما الماء على ما
هوit فيin كسرthe breaking of الأوانيthe vessels
هو في كسر الأواني
The water simply remains as
Water just is as contained
it is, when the vessels are broken.
In the fragments of the broken.
Sol 6.1