إِذَا كُنْت بَعْد المَحْوِ في الصَّحْوِ سَيِّداً

إِذَا كُنْت بَعْد المَحْوِ في الصَّحْوِ سَيِّداً

إِمَاماً مُثَنَّى النَّعْتِ بِالذَاتِ مُفْرَدا

إِمَاماً مُثَنَّى النَّعْتِ بِالذَاتِ مُفْرَدا

If, after effacement, you are a master in sobriety,

If after erasure, you're still the master in waking

An imam, twofold in attribute, singular in essence,

A leader, uniquely described in essence, singular

فَمَا الرَّسْمُ إِلاَّ مَانِعٌ غَيْرُ حَاجِزٍ

فَمَا الرَّسْمُ إِلاَّ مَانِعٌ غَيْرُ حَاجِزٍ

حَصِينٌ بِه الإِطْلاَقُ لَنْ يَتَقَيَّدا

حَصِينٌ بِه الإِطْلاَقُ لَنْ يَتَقَيَّدا

Then form is only a hindrance, not a barrier;

Then depiction's just a hamper, no real barrier

Strong though it is, the unbounded will never be bound by it.

Confinement makes utter freedom never hinder

وَذَاكَ لأَنَّ الفَرْقَ صَارَ تَوَهُّما

وَذَاكَ لأَنَّ الفَرْقَ صَارَ تَوَهُّما

بِهَيْئَتِهِ والجَمْعُ فَرْداً كَمَا بَدا

بِهَيْئَتِهِ والجَمْعُ فَرْداً كَمَا بَدا

And that is because distinction has become an illusion

That's because the difference is imagined

In its form, while union is one, as it appeared.

In its form, and the whole seemed single, as it appeared

وَمِنْ قَوْلِهِمْ مَا قَامَ إِلاَّ مُحَمَّدٌ

وَمِنْ قَوْلِهِمْ مَا قَامَ إِلاَّ مُحَمَّدٌ

دَلِيلٌ بهِ حُكْمُ الصَوَابِ تأَيَّدا

دَلِيلٌ بهِ حُكْمُ الصَوَابِ تأَيَّدا

And from their saying, 'None stood but Muhammad,'

And from their words, none stood but Muhammad

Comes a proof by which sound judgment is confirmed.

Evidence, by it, truth’s judgment was made clear

رَفَعْنَا عن الإِعْرَابِ رَفْعَ مُحَمِّدٍ

رَفَعْنَا عن الإِعْرَابِ رَفْعَ مُحَمِّدٍ

لِقَامَ وإِلاَّ عَنْهُ تَنْفِي مُحَمَّدَ

لِقَامَ وإِلاَّ عَنْهُ تَنْفِي مُحَمَّدَ

Drawing on grammar, we ascribed Muhammad's nominative

We lifted, from declension, the lifting of Muhammad

To 'stood'; while 'except' excludes Muhammad from the negation.

For "stood," else from it deny Muhammad

وَإِذْ لَمْ يَكُنْ مَا قَامَ يَطْلُبُ فَاعِلا

وَإِذْ لَمْ يَكُنْ مَا قَامَ يَطْلُبُ فَاعِلا

سِوَاهُ رَفَعْنَاهُ بِهِ فَتَأَكَّدا

سِوَاهُ رَفَعْنَاهُ بِهِ فَتَأَكَّدا

And since 'none stood' required no subject

And when what stood sought no doer

Other than him, we made him nominative through it, confirming the point.

Other than it, we lifted it with certainty

فإِلاَّ وَإِنْ دَلَّتْ عَلى الفَرْقِ ظَاهِراً

فإِلاَّ وَإِنْ دَلَّتْ عَلى الفَرْقِ ظَاهِراً

فَتَحْقِيقُ حُكْمِ الرَّفْعِ يَجْعَلَهَا سُدَى

فَتَحْقِيقُ حُكْمِ الرَّفْعِ يَجْعَلَهَا سُدَى

Thus 'except,' though outwardly indicating distinction,

Unless, though difference was indicated outwardly

Is rendered ineffectual by establishing the rule of the nominative.

Verifying the lifting’s rule makes them barren

فَلاَ تُطِعِ الإِيجَابَ إِلاَّ تَقِيَّةَ

فَلاَ تُطِعِ الإِيجَابَ إِلاَّ تَقِيَّةَ

بِهَا واعْتَمِدْ في سَلْبِ إِيجَابِهَا الهُدَى

بِهَا واعْتَمِدْ في سَلْبِ إِيجَابِهَا الهُدَى

So do not heed affirmation except as protective dissimulation

So obey not imperative, but as precaution

Through it; and rely on guidance in negating its affirmation.

Thereby, and in negating its imperative, seek guidance

كَذَلِكَ والسَّلْبُ الَّذِي اْبتَدَأَتْ بِهِ

كَذَلِكَ والسَّلْبُ الَّذِي اْبتَدَأَتْ بِهِ

شَهَادَتُنَا مَا كَانَ شَيءٌ فَيُجْحَدا

شَهَادَتُنَا مَا كَانَ شَيءٌ فَيُجْحَدا

So too with the negation that began

Thus, and the negation which our testimony began with

Our profession of faith: there was nothing to be denied.

Was nothing, so it's denied

فَتَحْقِيقُ ذاكَ النَّفْيِّ إِثْبَاتُ وَاحِدٍ

فَتَحْقِيقُ ذاكَ النَّفْيِّ إِثْبَاتُ وَاحِدٍ

وَمَنْ وجذ الإِثْبَاتَ فِي نَفْيِهِ اهْتَدَى

وَمَنْ وجذ الإِثْبَاتَ فِي نَفْيِهِ اهْتَدَى

So truly realizing that negation is affirming the One,

So realizing that denial is affirming one thing

And whoever finds affirmation in his negation has found guidance.

And whoever grasps affirmation in its denial finds guidance