ربmany a شخصa person تقودهlead him الأقدارُthe decrees of fate
رب شخص تقوده الأقدارُ
للمعاليto lofty heights وماand no لذاكfor that one اختيارُchoice
للمعالي وما لذاك اختيارُ
Many a person is led by the decrees of fate
Some are led by fate
to lofty heights, though he has no choice.
To glory, though they did not choose this state
غافلheedless والسعادةand felicity احتضنتهhas embraced him
غافل والسعادة احتضنته
وهوand he منهاfrom it مستوحشestranged نفّارquick to flee
وهو منها مستوحش نفّار
Heedless, yet felicity has embraced him,
Oblivious, though happiness embraced them
while he is estranged from it and quick to flee.
They remain desolate and apart
يتعاطىhe engages in القبيحthe ugly عمداًdeliberately فيلقاthen he finds
يتعاطى القبيح عمداً فيلقا
هit جميلاًbeautiful وفلسهand his copper coin دينارa dinar
ه جميلاً وفلسه دينار
He deliberately does what is ugly, yet finds
They deliberately do wrong, yet find
it beautiful, and his copper coin is a dinar.
It turns to good, their poverty to gold refined
كلماwhenever قارفhe committed الذنوبsins أتتهcame to him
كلما قارف الذنوب أتته
توبةrepentance طهرتهpurified him واستغفارand seeking forgiveness
توبة طهرته واستغفار
Whenever he commits sins, there comes to him
Whenever they commit sins, repentance comes
repentance that purifies him, and a plea for forgiveness.
With pardon, cleansing them from stain
وعليهand over him إنif زلhe slips عينan eye منfrom الfirst part of ‘God’
وعليه إن زل عين من ال
لهcompletion of ‘God’ تقيهguards him ويسترand veils الستارthe Veiler
له تقيه ويستر الستار
And if he slips, over him is an eye from
If their gaze should slip, the Lord will guard
God, guarding him, while the Veiler veils him.
And veil their shame behind His standard
فهوso he باللهthrough God دائماalways يترقىhe ascends
فهو بالله دائما يترقى
لاnot بهthrough himself حيثwhere تشرقshine forth الأنوارthe lights
لا به حيث تشرق الأنوار
Thus through God he continually ascends,
With God they ever rise more high
not through himself, to where the lights shine forth.
To where Light's banners fill the sky
وفتىand a young man كابدtoiled in العبادةworship حتىuntil
وفتى كابد العبادة حتى
منهof him قدalready ملgrew weary ليلهhis night الأنوارthe lights
منه قد مل ليله الأنوار
And a young man toiled in worship until
A youth who worshipped until he was bored
the lights grew weary of him during his night.
Sick of the rituals, though once adored
يتسامىhe seeks to rise بالذكرthrough remembrance والفكرand reflection قصداًdeliberately
يتسامى بالذكر والفكر قصداً
وهوand he ناءfar away وعنهand from him شطlies far away المزارthe place of visitation
وهو ناء وعنه شط المزار
He deliberately seeks to rise through remembrance and reflection,
Seeking through thought and remembrance to draw near
yet he is far away, and the place he seeks lies far from him.
Yet from it aloof, distant, and austere
يفعلhe does الخيرgood ثمthen يلقاهhe finds it شراًevil
يفعل الخير ثم يلقاه شراً
وإذاand when رامhe sought جنةa garden فهيthen it is نارfire
وإذا رام جنة فهي نار
He does good, then finds it evil,
Does good but gets only evil back
and when he seeks a garden, it is fire.
Seeking paradise but finding Hell's rack
حكمwisdoms حارتwas bewildered البريةcreation فيهاover them
حكم حارت البرية فيها
وحقيقand fitting بأنهاthat it تحتارis bewildered
وحقيق بأنها تحتار
Wisdoms over which creation stands bewildered,
Wisdom confused, lost in empty spaces
and it is fitting that it should be bewildered.
Truly bewildered in all cases
وعطاياand gifts منfrom المهيمنthe Guardian دلتhave shown
وعطايا من المهيمن دلت
أنهthat He اللهGod فاعلone who acts مختارfreely choosing
أنه الله فاعل مختار
And gifts from the Guardian that have shown
Gifts from the Omnipotent indicate
that He is God, who acts by His own choice.
He is the Chooser, the Arbitrator
Sol 6.1