أوجه باسم اللّه وجه شهودي

أوجه باسم اللّه وجه شهودي

لعز جلال اللّه رب وجودي

لعز جلال اللّه رب وجودي

In God’s name I turn the face of my witnessing

In God's name, I turn the face of my witnessing

toward the majestic might of God, Lord of my being—

Toward the might of God's majesty, the Lord of my being.

تسابيح اخلاصي له وصمودي

تسابيح اخلاصي له وصمودي

سموط ثناء في سموط فريد

سموط ثناء في سموط فريد

the praises of my sincerity to Him and my steadfast devotion,

Glorifications of my sincere devotion to Him and my turning toward Him:

necklaces of praise upon peerless strands,

Strands of praise among strands of precious pearls,

بكل لسان قد بثثن وجيد

بكل لسان قد بثثن وجيد

وحب له في لب قلبي وقشره

وحب له في لب قلبي وقشره

strewn abroad by every tongue and throat;

Spread upon every tongue and neck.

and love for Him in my heart’s core and rind,

And love for Him in my heart's kernel and its husk,

وخوف يوازيه رجاء لبره

وخوف يوازيه رجاء لبره

وشكر ومن لي أن أقوم بشكره

وشكر ومن لي أن أقوم بشكره

and fear matched by hope in His goodness,

And fear matched by hope for His goodness,

and gratitude—yet who am I to render Him due thanks?—

And gratitude—but how can I render Him His due thanks?

وحمد تغص الكائنات بنشره

وحمد تغص الكائنات بنشره

إذا نشرت منه أجل برود

إذا نشرت منه أجل برود

and praise whose proclamation overwhelms all beings

And praise whose spreading fills all beings to overflowing,

when from it the noblest robes are unfurled;

When its most splendid mantles are unfurled.

وشوق يذيب النفس لا عج حره

وشوق يذيب النفس لا عج حره

ووقفة مضطر أسير بفقره

ووقفة مضطر أسير بفقره

and yearning whose scorching heat melts the soul,

And longing whose searing heat melts the soul,

and the stance of a desperate captive, bound by his poverty before Him;

And the stance of one in distress, captive to his poverty,

واخلاص سر نوره حشو سره

واخلاص سر نوره حشو سره

وذكر له تحيا النفوس بذكره

وذكر له تحيا النفوس بذكره

and secret sincerity, whose light fills its innermost heart;

And inward sincerity, its light filling the heart's hidden depths,

and remembrance of Him, by which souls come alive

And remembrance of Him—souls live through remembering Him,

ويبعث قبل البعث من هو مودي

ويبعث قبل البعث من هو مودي

صرفت مرادي فيه طوعاً لصرفه

صرفت مرادي فيه طوعاً لصرفه

and which, before the Resurrection, revives whoever is perishing.

And before the Resurrection, it revives whoever has perished.

I have turned my desire toward Him, willingly yielding to His direction.

I turned my desire toward Him, willingly submitting to His direction.

حقيقة ذكري أنني عين ظرفه

حقيقة ذكري أنني عين ظرفه

حباني به طيباً عرفت بعرفه

حباني به طيباً عرفت بعرفه

The truth of my remembrance is that I am its very vessel.

The truth of my remembrance is that I am its very vessel.

Through it He bestowed on me a fragrance by whose scent I was known;

He graced me with it as a perfume, by whose fragrance I was known.

تعطرت الآفاق من طيب عرفه

تعطرت الآفاق من طيب عرفه

فما مسك دارين يشاب بعود

فما مسك دارين يشاب بعود

the horizons were perfumed by the sweetness of its aroma.

The horizons were perfumed by the sweetness of its scent.

Not even the musk of Dārīn blended with aloeswood can match it.

What, then, is Darin's musk, blended with aloeswood, beside it?

يبشر بالزلفى كريم مقامه

يبشر بالزلفى كريم مقامه

ويستغرق الأسرار سكر مدامه

ويستغرق الأسرار سكر مدامه

The nobility of its station heralds nearness to God,

Its noble station heralds nearness to Him,

and the intoxication of its wine engulfs the inner mysteries.

And its wine's intoxication engulfs the inmost hearts.

يصب حيا الأنوار صوب غمامه

يصب حيا الأنوار صوب غمامه

ويزري بنور الشمس نور ابتسامه

ويزري بنور الشمس نور ابتسامه

The downpour of its cloud pours forth the life-giving rain of lights,

Its clouds' downpour pours forth life-giving rain of light,

and the radiance of its smile outshines the sunlight

And its smile's light puts the sunlight to shame,

إذا ما تجلى في صحائف سود

إذا ما تجلى في صحائف سود

تجردت من نفسي فلم يبقَ لي أنا

تجردت من نفسي فلم يبقَ لي أنا

whenever it reveals itself upon black pages.

Whenever it shines forth upon black pages.

I was stripped of self, until no “I” remained to me,

I cast off my self, and no 'I' remained to me,

وطارت هوى روحي بأجنحة الفنا

وطارت هوى روحي بأجنحة الفنا

لمن هو أهل المجد والعز والغنى

لمن هو أهل المجد والعز والغنى

and my spirit flew in longing on the wings of annihilation

And my spirit flew in love on the wings of annihilation,

to Him who is worthy of glory, might, and perfect richness;

To Him who is worthy of glory, might, and self-sufficiency,

لمن هو أهل الحمد والمدح والثنا

لمن هو أهل الحمد والمدح والثنا

لذي الفضل والألاء خير مفيد

لذي الفضل والألاء خير مفيد

to Him who is worthy of praise, acclaim, and adoration;

To Him who is worthy of praise, laudation, and acclaim,

to the Possessor of bounty and benefactions, the best Bestower;

To the Possessor of bounty and blessings, the best of benefactors.

لمن وحدته المبدعات سواجدا

لمن وحدته المبدعات سواجدا

لمن عرفته الموجدات حوامدا

لمن عرفته الموجدات حوامدا

to Him whom the wondrous creations proclaim One as they prostrate;

To Him whom created things have proclaimed One, prostrating themselves,

to Him whom all existing beings know as they praise;

To Him whom beings brought into existence have known, offering praise,

لمن مجدته الممكنات صوامدا

لمن مجدته الممكنات صوامدا

لمن سبحته الكائنات شواهدا

لمن سبحته الكائنات شواهدا

to Him whom all possible beings glorify, turning to Him alone;

To Him whom contingent beings have extolled, turning toward Him,

to Him whom all creatures extol, bearing witness

To Him whom all beings have glorified, bearing witness

بتوحيده واللّه خير شهيد

بتوحيده واللّه خير شهيد

لمن سخر الأشياء في الأرض والسما

لمن سخر الأشياء في الأرض والسما

to His oneness—and God is the best of witnesses;

To His oneness—and God is the best witness.

to Him who subjected all things in earth and heaven;

To Him who made all things in earth and heaven subservient,

لمن كان بالمخلوق أحفى وأرحما

لمن كان بالمخلوق أحفى وأرحما

لمن بسط النعماء منا وتمما

لمن بسط النعماء منا وتمما

to Him who has ever been most solicitous and merciful toward creation;

To Him who has been most attentive toward creation and most merciful,

to Him who spread blessings as a gracious favor and perfected them;

To Him who spread out blessings as a gracious gift and made them complete.

أعاد وأيدى من أياديه أنعما

أعاد وأيدى من أياديه أنعما

فيا أنعم المولى بدأت فعودي

فيا أنعم المولى بدأت فعودي

He renewed and bestowed—favors from His hands.

He renewed blessings and bestowed them from His bounties.

O favors of the Lord, you came at first—so return!

So, O blessings of the Lord, you have begun—return!