ليس للاختيار ذرة فعل

ليس للاختيار ذرة فعل

كل فعل لخالق الاختيار

كل فعل لخالق الاختيار

Choice has not an atom of agency;

Choice has not an atom of agency;

every act belongs to the Creator of choice.

every act belongs to the Creator of choice.

لو وكلنا إلى النفوس وما تخ

لو وكلنا إلى النفوس وما تخ

تار كان اختيارنا للبوار

تار كان اختيارنا للبوار

Were we entrusted to our souls and what they choo—

Had we been left to our souls and what they

se, our choice would be ruin.

choose, our choice would have led to ruin.

خيرة اللّه بي أبر وأحفى

خيرة اللّه بي أبر وأحفى

وإلى خيرتي انتساب خساري

وإلى خيرتي انتساب خساري

God’s choice for me is kinder and more solicitous,

God's choice for me is kinder and more caring,

while ascribing things to my own choice is my loss.

and my loss is traceable to my own choice.

لو تلمحت حكمة اللّه فيما

لو تلمحت حكمة اللّه فيما

تقتضيه الأقدار في الأطوار

تقتضيه الأقدار في الأطوار

If you could glimpse God’s wisdom in what

Had you discerned God's wisdom in what

the decrees ordain throughout the stages of being,

the decrees ordain in changing states,

وتأملت لطفه في قضايا

وتأملت لطفه في قضايا

برزت في قوالب الأضرار

برزت في قوالب الأضرار

and contemplate His gentleness in judgments

and pondered His kindness in events

that emerge in the molds of harm,

that emerged in the molds of harm,

شمت دون الحجاب أبهى جمال

شمت دون الحجاب أبهى جمال

يتجلى بأوجه الآثار

يتجلى بأوجه الآثار

you would behold, beyond the veil, the most radiant beauty

you would glimpse beneath the veil the most radiant beauty,

revealing itself through the faces of its effects.

revealed through the faces of His works.

ليس للعجز ذرة من محال

ليس للعجز ذرة من محال

أين تدبير وصمة الافتقار

أين تدبير وصمة الافتقار

Incapacity has not the least atom of impossibility.

Helplessness has not an atom of power;

What place has planning, branded with the stigma of need?

what can the planning of need's blemish accomplish?

كيف يمشي تدبير فطرة ذل

كيف يمشي تدبير فطرة ذل

إن يكن ضد مبرم الأقدار

إن يكن ضد مبرم الأقدار

How can the planning of a nature born to abasement proceed

How can the planning of an abased nature proceed

if it opposes the destinies firmly decreed?

if it opposes the irrevocable decrees?

أتراني أقضي وقد قضي الأم

أتراني أقضي وقد قضي الأم

ر كما شاءه خلاف اختياري

ر كما شاءه خلاف اختياري

Do you suppose I can decide, when the mat—

Do you see me decreeing, when the matter has already been decreed

ter has been decided as He willed, contrary to my choice?

as He willed it, contrary to my choice?

أم ترى لي حولاً يقرر حكماً

أم ترى لي حولاً يقرر حكماً

وهو في علمه محال القرار

وهو في علمه محال القرار

Or do you think I possess a power that can establish a judgment

Or do you suppose I have power to establish a decree

whose establishment is impossible in His knowledge?

when, in His knowledge, it cannot stand?

أم تراني مقدماً ما اقتضى تأ

أم تراني مقدماً ما اقتضى تأ

خيره حكمه من الأوطار

خيره حكمه من الأوطار

Or do you suppose I can bring forward what His judgment required de—

Or do you see me hastening what must be delayed

laying among the objects of desire?

by His decree among the things desired?

أم تراني إذا سخطت بلاء

أم تراني إذا سخطت بلاء

شاءه لي صرفته باختياري

شاءه لي صرفته باختياري

Or that, if I resent an affliction

Or do you see me, when I resent an affliction

He willed for me, I can turn it away by my choice?

He willed for me, averting it by my choice?

أم ترى للوجود ذرة تأي

أم ترى للوجود ذرة تأي

ر وهل للوجود من مقدار

ر وهل للوجود من مقدار

Or do you think existence has an atom of influ—

Or do you suppose existence has an atom of influence,

ence? And does existence possess any measure at all?

and does existence have any weight?

إن تحققته رسوماً وآثا

إن تحققته رسوماً وآثا

راً فما للرسوم والآثار

راً فما للرسوم والآثار

If you apprehend it as forms and tra—

If you ascertain it to be forms and traces,

ces, what reality belongs to forms and traces?

what power, then, have forms and traces?

أو تيقنته فناء ومحوا

أو تيقنته فناء ومحوا

محيت عنك ظلمة الأغيار

محيت عنك ظلمة الأغيار

Or if you know it with certainty as annihilation and erasure,

Or if you are certain it is annihilation and effacement,

the darkness of all that is other will be erased from you.

the darkness of all besides Him is erased from you.

أو تمثلته قوياً قويماً

أو تمثلته قوياً قويماً

فهباء في عاصفات الذواري

فهباء في عاصفات الذواري

Or if you picture it as mighty and steadfast,

Or if you imagine it strong and upright,

it is but dust amid the scattering gales.

it is dust in the tempests of scattering winds.

من رأى الليس لم يعاين سواه

من رأى الليس لم يعاين سواه

في ضروب الايراد والأصدار

في ضروب الايراد والأصدار

Whoever sees nonbeing beholds nothing but Him

Whoever beholds nonbeing beholds none but Him

through every mode of bringing forth and sending back.

in the various acts of bringing in and sending forth.

دعه يرميك بالبلايا فما أق

دعه يرميك بالبلايا فما أق

رب رحماه من مقام اضطرار

رب رحماه من مقام اضطرار

Let Him assail you with afflictions—for how near

Let Him pelt you with afflictions—how close

His mercies are to the station of utter need.

His mercy is to a state of desperate need!

دع حبيبي يسوق لي من بلايا

دع حبيبي يسوق لي من بلايا

ه فما ضاق علمه بانكساري

ه فما ضاق علمه بانكساري

Let my Beloved drive to me some of His afflic—

Let my Beloved bring me some of His afflictions,

tions; His knowledge is not too narrow to encompass my brokenness.

for His knowledge is not too narrow for my brokenness.

دع حبيبي يموه الحب بالص

دع حبيبي يموه الحب بالص

د ويخفي الصفاء في الاكدار

د ويخفي الصفاء في الاكدار

Let my Beloved disguise love with aver—

Let my Beloved disguise love with rejection

sion, and conceal purity amid impurities.

and hide clarity in murkiness.

علمه سابق واقداره تج

علمه سابق واقداره تج

ري وألطافه بهن سواري

ري وألطافه بهن سواري

His knowledge precedes; His decrees run their course,

His knowledge goes before, and His decrees

and His subtle graces flow within them.

run their course, and His gentle favors flow through them.

فإلى أين نزوة لاعتراض

فإلى أين نزوة لاعتراض

وإلى أين وجهة لفرار

وإلى أين وجهة لفرار

So where can an impulse to object possibly go,

Where, then, can an impulse to protest lead?

and in what direction can one flee?

And in what direction could one flee?