فراشتي رأت النور الذي ظهرا

فراشتي رأت النور الذي ظهرا

نور الوجود الحقيقيْ يخطف البصرا

نور الوجود الحقيقيْ يخطف البصرا

My moth saw the light that appeared—

My moth saw the light that appeared

the light of true Being, which snatches away sight.

The light of true existence dazzles the sight

وهاجها النفخ في الناي الرخيم وقد

وهاجها النفخ في الناي الرخيم وقد

بدا الجمال من الوجه الذي بهرا

بدا الجمال من الوجه الذي بهرا

And the breath blown into the mellow flute stirred it, while

And it was aroused by the soft blowing in the flute when

beauty shone forth from the face that dazzled.

Beauty appeared from the face that bedazzled

فألقت النفس منها فيه فاحترقت

فألقت النفس منها فيه فاحترقت

فلم تغادر لها عيناً ولا أثرا

فلم تغادر لها عيناً ولا أثرا

So it cast its own soul into it and burned,

So it cast itself from within into it and was burned

leaving no substance or trace of itself.

It did not leave behind for itself an eye or a trace

والناس قد جهلونا في فراشتنا

والناس قد جهلونا في فراشتنا

على اختلاف لهم في حقنا اشتهرا

على اختلاف لهم في حقنا اشتهرا

And people have misunderstood us concerning our moth,

And people were ignorant of us in our moth

with widely known differences among them concerning us.

For their differing opinions about us became well-known

فقال بعض هوت للنار تعبدها

فقال بعض هوت للنار تعبدها

والبعض قال عليها وَهْمُها قهرا

والبعض قال عليها وَهْمُها قهرا

So some said, 'It plunged toward the fire, worshipping it.'

So some said it fell for the fire, worshipping it

And others said, 'Its delusion overpowered it.'

And some said delusion overpowered it

وقال بعض لها عشق يهيج بها

وقال بعض لها عشق يهيج بها

فتحسب النار نوراً والهوى غدرا

فتحسب النار نوراً والهوى غدرا

And some said, 'It has a love that stirs within it,

And some said it had a passion that stirred it

so it takes fire for light, and passion has betrayed it.'

So it thought the fire was light and passion was betrayal

وكلهم أخطأوا فيها الصواب ولم

وكلهم أخطأوا فيها الصواب ولم

يشعر بها غير حرٍّ يعرف القمرا

يشعر بها غير حرٍّ يعرف القمرا

All of them missed the truth about it, and none

And they all missed the mark about it and did not

understood it but a free person who knows the moon,

Perceive it except for a freeman who knew the moon

يدري التجلي من الغيب الفريد على

يدري التجلي من الغيب الفريد على

من كان للفاعل الحق الحقيق يرى

من كان للفاعل الحق الحقيق يرى

who knows the manifestation from the peerless Unseen to

He knows the manifestation from the unique unseen upon

one who beholds the true, genuine Doer.

Whoever the True Doer of Truth sees

هذا ومن عجب أن الفراشة لا

هذا ومن عجب أن الفراشة لا

تبقى على حالها لما قضت وطرا

تبقى على حالها لما قضت وطرا

Such is it; and it is a wonder that the moth does not

And how strange that the moth does not

remain as it was once it has fulfilled its desire.

Remain in its state when it has burned and flown

وكلما سقطت في الأرض محرقة

وكلما سقطت في الأرض محرقة

عادت كما هي داعي سرِّها جهرا

عادت كما هي داعي سرِّها جهرا

And whenever it falls to the earth, burned,

And whenever it falls to the earth, incinerated

it returns as it was, heralding its secret aloud,

It returns as it was, its secret calling out loud

حتى تعود إليه وهو يحرقها

حتى تعود إليه وهو يحرقها

وباطل هي وهو الحق قد ظهرا

وباطل هي وهو الحق قد ظهرا

until it returns to Him, while He burns it.

Until it returns to Him and He burns it

It is unreal, while He is the Real, now manifest.

And it is false while He is the Truth that appeared

نحن الفراش جميعا حول شعلته

نحن الفراش جميعا حول شعلته

نطوف لكن درت عشاقنا الخبرا

نطوف لكن درت عشاقنا الخبرا

We are all moths around His flame;

We are all moths around His flame

we circle, but our lovers have learned the news.

Circling, but our lovers knew the secret

كما أتى في كتاب الله يوم يكو

كما أتى في كتاب الله يوم يكو

ن الناس هم كالفراش البث منه طرا

ن الناس هم كالفراش البث منه طرا

As it appears in God's Book: on the day when

As it came in God's book, on the day when

people are all like moths, scattered forth from Him.

People will be like scattered moths

وليس يدري الذي لا عشق فيه إلى

وليس يدري الذي لا عشق فيه إلى

وجه المليح ولا كيف الغرام جرى

وجه المليح ولا كيف الغرام جرى

And he does not know, who has no love within him for

And the one in whom there is no passion does not know

the fair one's face, nor does he know how passion flowed.

To the face of the Beautiful, nor how love flowed

في الغيب نور حقيقيٌّ يجل فلا

في الغيب نور حقيقيٌّ يجل فلا

يهواه إلا الذي عمن سواه سرى

يهواه إلا الذي عمن سواه سرى

In the Unseen is a true light, sublime; none

In the unseen, a true light manifests, so none

loves it but one who has journeyed by night away from all but Him.

Loves it except one who has turned away from all else

له ظهور بأشكال قد اختلفت

له ظهور بأشكال قد اختلفت

فيعشقون له الأشكال والصورا

فيعشقون له الأشكال والصورا

He manifests in forms that differ,

It has appearances in various forms

so they fall in love with His forms and images.

So they love the forms and the images

وهو الجميل فلا شيء يشابهه

وهو الجميل فلا شيء يشابهه

والقلب يعرف من كل القلوب برى

والقلب يعرف من كل القلوب برى

He is the Beautiful, and nothing resembles Him;

While He is the Beautiful, so nothing resembles Him

the heart knows the One who fashioned all hearts.

And the heart knows the one who is unique among all hearts

يا ناظرون قفوا ما عندكم خبر

يا ناظرون قفوا ما عندكم خبر

حتى تذيبوا الحشى والعقل والفكرا

حتى تذيبوا الحشى والعقل والفكرا

O onlookers, stop: you have no knowledge

O you who observe, stand still, for you have no news

until you melt your inward parts, your reason, and your thought.

Until you melt the senses, the mind and thought

فراشكم لا يرى نور المليح ولا

فراشكم لا يرى نور المليح ولا

ذاك الجمال الذي عنكم قد استترا

ذاك الجمال الذي عنكم قد استترا

Your moths see neither the fair one's light

Your moth does not see the light of the Beautiful nor

nor that beauty which has hidden itself from you.

That beauty which from you has been hidden

وإنما جيف الدينا لكم فتن

وإنما جيف الدينا لكم فتن

وغيركم قلبه غيب الغيوب درى

وغيركم قلبه غيب الغيوب درى

And only the carrion of this world tempts you,

Rather, the carcasses of religions are temptations for you

but another's heart has known the Unseen of all unseen things.

While another's heart knows the unseen of the unseen