نقطة الكون تحت باء الوجودِ

نقطة الكون تحت باء الوجودِ

حرفُ معنى انحرافِه المشهودِ

حرفُ معنى انحرافِه المشهودِ

The dot of the cosmos beneath the bāʾ of Being

The point of the universe under the B of existence

is a letter expressing the meaning of its witnessed bend.

The letter of meaning, its observed deviation

ألف الإنحراف فيها ولكن

ألف الإنحراف فيها ولكن

هي في الغيب حضرة المعبود

هي في الغيب حضرة المعبود

The alif of that bending is within it, and yet

The A of deviation is in it, but

in the unseen it is the Presence of the Worshipped One.

It is in the unseen, the presence of the Worshipped

ولها مخرج من الجوف فينا

ولها مخرج من الجوف فينا

غائب ليس مدركاً بشهود

غائب ليس مدركاً بشهود

And within us it has an articulation point in the inner cavity,

And it has an outlet from the interior within us

hidden, not apprehended through witnessing.

Absent, not perceived by witnessing

لا تقل وحدة الوجود إذا لم

لا تقل وحدة الوجود إذا لم

تفنَ عن كل كائن موجود

تفنَ عن كل كائن موجود

Do not speak of the unity of Being if you have not

Do not say the oneness of existence if

been annihilated from every existent being.

You do not perish from every existing being

ثم تفنى ذوقاً بتحقيق حقٍّ

ثم تفنى ذوقاً بتحقيق حقٍّ

عنك حتى عن الفنا المقصود

عنك حتى عن الفنا المقصود

Then, in tasting, you are annihilated through realizing the Real,

Then you perish in taste by realizing the truth

from yourself, even from the annihilation you seek.

From you, even from the intended annihilation

ويصير الوجود عنك خفياً

ويصير الوجود عنك خفياً

لست تدري منه سوى فرط جود

لست تدري منه سوى فرط جود

And Being becomes hidden from you;

And existence becomes hidden from you

you know nothing of it but overflowing bounty.

You do not know of it except for overflowing generosity

ثم تبقى به له لمع برق

ثم تبقى به له لمع برق

ظاهر عن بطونه المعهود

ظاهر عن بطونه المعهود

Then you abide through Him, for Him—a flash of lightning

Then you remain through it for it a flash of lightning

appearing from His familiar hiddenness,

Appearing from its familiar interiors

كظلال عن أمره أو خيال

كظلال عن أمره أو خيال

خيَّلَتْهُ أسماءُ ربٍّ ودود

خيَّلَتْهُ أسماءُ ربٍّ ودود

like shadows from His command, or an image

Like shadows of His command or a fantasy

conjured by the names of a loving Lord.

His beautiful names imagined it

وإذا لم تكن كذلك فاحذر

وإذا لم تكن كذلك فاحذر

من تلابيس عقلك المعقود

من تلابيس عقلك المعقود

And if you are not like that, beware

And if you are not like that, then beware

of the deceptions of your bound intellect.

Of the deceptions of your tied intellect

واجتنب وحدة الوجود ودعها

واجتنب وحدة الوجود ودعها

لرجال قاموا بحفظ العهود

لرجال قاموا بحفظ العهود

And avoid the unity of Being, and leave it

And avoid the oneness of existence and leave it

to men who undertook to keep the covenants:

To men who upheld pacts

ركع في غيوبهم بالفنا عن

ركع في غيوبهم بالفنا عن

كل شيء سوى الوجود سجود

كل شيء سوى الوجود سجود

bowing in their unseen depths, through annihilation from

Bowing in their unknown with annihilation from

everything but Being, prostrate.

Everything other than existence in prostration

ما لهم عندهم ولا لسواهم

ما لهم عندهم ولا لسواهم

مِن وجودٍ ظلٌّ بدا لعمود

مِن وجودٍ ظلٌّ بدا لعمود

In their own eyes, neither they nor others have

They have nothing for them or other than them

any existence: a pillar’s shadow has appeared.

Of existence, a shadow appeared for pillars