عينessence الحقيقهReality ماnot لهاfor it مشاهدa beholder
عين الحقيقه ما لها مشاهد
سوىexcept منout of السبعينthe seventy الألفthe thousand واحدone
سوى من السبعين الألف واحد
The eye of Reality has no beholder
None beholds the essence of Reality,
save one among seventy thousand.
save one in seventy thousand.
نادرrare فلاso no حكمjudgment عليهupon him راصدa watcher
نادر فلا حكم عليه راصد
كمhow many تاهwandered فيin تيهbewilderment السلوكspiritual wayfaring قاصدa seeker
كم تاه في تيه السلوك قاصد
A rare one—no sound judgment can encompass him.
Rare indeed; no watcher can pass judgment upon him.
How many a seeker has lost his way in the wilderness of the Path!
How many a seeker has wandered in the bewilderment of wayfaring!
بحرsea الحقيقةReality طافحbrimming وعجاجand tumultuous
بحر الحقيقة طافح وعجاج
فابنso Ibn عربيArabi عاسفتهbattered him الأمواجthe waves
فابن عربي عاسفته الأمواج
The sea of Reality brims and roars;
The sea of Reality is brimming and tumultuous;
even Ibn Arabi was cast off by its waves,
so the waves battered Ibn Arabi.
أوجبmade obligatory بقتلهfor killing him بالنصوصby the texts حلاجHallaj
أوجب بقتله بالنصوص حلاج
رحمهmay He have mercy on him ربيmy Lord كانwas عبدa servant عابدdevout
رحمه ربي كان عبد عابد
and al-Hallaj, by his own utterances, made his execution binding.
Hallaj's killing was mandated by the texts;
May my Lord have mercy on him: he was a devout worshipper.
may my Lord have mercy on him—he was a devout servant.
قتلwas killed بحقrightfully وهوwhile he فيin الحقيقهreality
قتل بحق وهو في الحقيقه
علىin accordance with الشريعةthe sacred law سالكa wayfarer الطريقهthe Path
على الشريعة سالك الطريقه
He was rightly killed, though in truth
He was rightfully killed, though in truth
he followed the Way in accordance with the Sacred Law.
he walked the Path in accordance with the sacred law.
كلeach منof الاثنينthe two لهfor him وثيقهa warrant
كل من الاثنين له وثيقه
قاتلa slayer ومقتولand one slain لهمfor them مقاصدpurposes
قاتل ومقتول لهم مقاصد
Each of the two sides had its warrant:
Each of the two has his warrant:
slayer and slain, each had their purposes.
slayer and slain have their purposes.
أخذواthey took بظاهرby the outward sense of قولهhis saying فحكمواso they ruled
أخذوا بظاهر قوله فحكموا
بقتلهfor killing him الفقهاءthe jurists وليسand not عملواthey acted
بقتله الفقهاء وليس عملوا
They took the outward sense of his saying and judged
They took his words in their outward sense and ruled—
that he be killed—the jurists—but they did not know
the jurists—for his death, yet did not act upon
أنthat فوقabove كلevery عليمlearned person علمknowledge علمwas known
أن فوق كل عليم علم علم
همthey نصرةsupporters الدّينthe faith ماnot لهمfor them معاندan adversary
هم نصرة الدّين ما لهم معاند
that beyond every knower lies knowledge beyond knowledge.
the fact that above every learned person is knowledge made known.
They are the champions of the Faith; none opposes them.
They are the faith's supporters; they have no adversary.
قدindeed قالhe said أناI الحقthe Truth والمرادand the intended meaning يلحقreaches
قد قال أنا الحق والمراد يلحق
رجالmen أهلpeople of الغيبthe Unseen أيthat is أسبقmore advanced
رجال أهل الغيب أي أسبق
He did say, “I am the Truth,” and the intended sense follows—
He said, 'I am the Truth'; the intended meaning reaches
men of the Unseen—which is prior?
the men of the Unseen—that is, the foremost.
هذاthis اعتذاريmy defense قدindeed وردwas transmitted محققverified
هذا اعتذاري قد ورد محقق
عنهconcerning him فلاso not نعتواwe act insolently ولاnor نضاددwe oppose
عنه فلا نعتوا ولا نضادد
This is my substantiated defense
This defense of mine has been transmitted and verified
of him: let us neither overreach nor contend.
concerning him; so let us neither be insolent nor hostile.
وبوand Abu يزيدYazid تيهتهbewildered him الاحوالthe spiritual states
وبو يزيد تيهته الاحوال
حتىuntil شطحhe spoke ecstatically بالقولin speech مثلlike ماwhat قالhe said
حتى شطح بالقول مثل ما قال
And the spiritual states deepened his bewilderment
And spiritual states bewildered Abu Yazid,
until he broke into ecstatic speech, saying what he said.
until he uttered ecstatic words, like those spoken by
العالمthe learned one العارفthe gnostic زكيpure الأعمالin deeds
العالم العارف زكي الأعمال
قدindeed قالhe said مماfrom what كانwas لهfor him يشاهدhe beholds
قد قال مما كان له يشاهد
A learned gnostic, pure in deeds,
the learned gnostic, pure in deeds.
he spoke of what he used to behold.
He spoke from what he himself beheld.
قدindeed قالhe said سبحانيglory be to me ولهand it has معانيmeanings
قد قال سبحاني وله معاني
ينبيhe tells علىconcerning اللَهGod فيin كلامspeech ثانيanother
ينبي على اللَه في كلام ثاني
He said, “Glory be to me!”—words with meanings
He said, 'Glory be to me!'—and it has meanings;
of which God tells in another discourse.
he speaks concerning God in another utterance.
ذاthis نصهstated it explicitly غزاليGhazali المعانيthe meanings
ذا نصه غزالي المعاني
محمدMuhammad بنson of محمدMuhammad بنson of حامدHamid
محمد بن محمد بن حامد
This is the very text of al-Ghazali, master of meanings—
Ghazali, master of meanings, stated this explicitly:
Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Hamid.
Muhammad son of Muhammad son of Hamid.
كذاlikewise امامthe imam الدينthe faith ذوpossessed of السباقprecedence
كذا امام الدين ذو السباق
ذوpossessed of الفضلexcellence عبدالقادرAbd al-Qadir العراقيthe Iraqi
ذو الفضل عبدالقادر العراقي
Likewise, the imam of the Faith, foremost among his peers,
Likewise the imam of the faith, foremost in the race,
the virtuous Abd al-Qadir al-Iraqi,
the man of excellence, Abd al-Qadir al-Iraqi,
سقىgave to drink كؤوسcups الوصلunion والتلاقand meeting
سقى كؤوس الوصل والتلاق
قدindeed تاهhe wandered فيin نثرهhis prose وفيand in القصائدthe poems
قد تاه في نثره وفي القصائد
gave cups of union and encounter to drink.
served cups of union and meeting;
He too wandered, enraptured, in his prose and poems.
he wandered in his prose and in his poems.
وكلهمand all of them ماnot خالفواthey opposed الشريعهthe sacred law
وكلهم ما خالفوا الشريعه
فكيفso how يزلقslips منone who لهto him مطيعهobedient
فكيف يزلق من له مطيعه
Yet none of them departed from the Sacred Law.
And none of them opposed the sacred law;
How then could one slip, when obedient to him are
so how can one slip when obedient to him are
نفسهhis self وأحظاظهand his desires معalong with الطبيعهnature
نفسه وأحظاظه مع الطبيعه
العارفونthe gnostics الكملthe perfected لأماجدindeed noble ones
العارفون الكمل لأماجد
his ego, his appetites, and nature itself?
his self and his desires, together with his nature?
The perfect gnostics are indeed illustrious.
The perfected gnostics are indeed noble.
ياO حبذاكhow lovely that is التيهbewilderment ليتwould that منone who لهfor him
يا حبذاك التيه ليت من له
شربهa draught تبرّدcools بالوصالthrough union غلهhis burning thirst
شربه تبرّد بالوصال غله
Oh, blessed is that bewilderment! If only one who has
Ah, how lovely that bewilderment! Would that one had
a draught of it might cool through union his burning thirst—
a draught to cool his burning thirst through union,
بجاهby the standing of منthe one whom ربّthe Lord of السماheaven أجلهhonored him
بجاه من ربّ السما أجله
محمدMuhammad المحمودthe praised one ذيpossessed of المحامدpraiseworthy qualities
محمد المحمود ذي المحامد
by the honor of him whom the Lord of heaven exalted:
by the standing of him whom the Lord of heaven honored:
Muhammad the Praised, possessor of all praiseworthy qualities.
Muhammad, the praised one, endowed with praiseworthy qualities.
Sol 6.1