1. الإِلَه العَظيم وَالحَق أَكبر

    بَرأ الخَلق مِن تُراب وَقَدَر

    The great God—and Truth is greater—

    created all beings from dust and ordained.

  2. رب نَفس مِن عُنصر الفكر سِوا

    ها وَنَفس مِن حَمأة الطِين صور

    Many a soul He fashioned from the substance of thought,

    and a soul He shaped from the dark mire of clay.

  3. وَدِماء مِن الحَقيقة أَجرا

    ها وَمِن صَخرة المَواهب فجر

    And blood of Truth He set flowing,

    and made it gush from the rock of gifts.

  4. شَكها في هُدى الحَقيقة إِيما

    ن وَفي ضوئِها يَقين مجوهر

    Its doubt, under Truth's guidance, is faith,

    and in its light, a jeweled certainty.

  5. ما بِها إِن تَسام في الأَرض خَسفاً

    أَو تعادي في رَأيها أَو تكفر

    What harm if it is subjected to humiliation on earth,

    or opposed for its views, or branded an unbeliever?

  6. كَم قَبيل مِن الفلاسِفَة الأَو

    لى وَكَم أَشعَث هُناكَ وَأَغبَر

    How many a company of the early philosophers,

    and how many a disheveled, dust-covered man there!

  7. كَتب الحَق في صُدورِهم رَم

    زين مِن آية الخُلود وَسَطر

    Truth inscribed in their breasts two symbols

    from the sign of immortality, and set them down.

  8. أَنبياء مِن الحَقيقة في أَيد

    يهم مِن مَشاعل اللَهِ مجهر

    Prophets of Truth, bearing in their hands

    a microscope, one of God's torches.

  9. في سَبيلي يُجاهِدون وَمِن أَجـ

    ـلي يَمُوتون في الزَمان وَأَنشر

    In My cause they strive, and for My sake

    they die in time, and I resurrect them.

  10. رب هِبني رضاك مِن أَين صاغَت

    كَفَك الطَلسم الخَفي المستر

    Lord, grant me Your favor. From where did

    Your hand fashion the hidden, veiled talisman,

  11. المُسمّى بِالعَقل عِندَك في الآ

    زال مِن سَير الحَياة وَسَيطر

    called Reason, with You through the eternities—

    the one that steered life and held sway?

  12. ملك مِن بَني الضِياء وَجَنى

    سَليل الظَلام مِن أَرض عَبقر

    An angel of the children of light, and a jinn,

    a scion of darkness from the land of Abqar.

  13. رَب هِبني رضاك وَالعَقل مِن ذا

    عاقَهُ أَن يَبين فينا وَيَظهَر

    Lord, grant me Your favor. And Reason—who is it

    that hindered it from becoming clear among us and appearing?

  14. خَفيت ذاتَهُ عَلَيهِ أَأَضحى

    عَرضاً في الزَمان أَم ظَلَ جَوهَراً

    Its essence is hidden from itself: has it become

    an accident in time, or remained a substance?

  15. يُدهش الفكر نَفسَهُ وَيحار

    العَقل في كنهه إِذا ما تَحرر

    Thought astonishes itself, and

    Reason is bewildered at its essence whenever it breaks free.

  16. صُغتَهُ مِن قِوى بنيت الجِبال

    الشم مِنها وَكُنت بِالعَقل أَخبر

    You fashioned it from powers with which You built the mountains,

    the lofty ones; and You knew Reason best.

  17. فَتَخيَرته عَناصر أَدنا

    ها اِنفِجار عَلى العَوالم أَكبَر

    So You chose for it elements, the least

    of which is the greatest explosion upon the worlds.

  18. ثثم أَعميته وَأَرهَفت أذنيه

    وَأَطلَقتُه يَقوم وَيَعثر

    Then You blinded it and made its ears keen,

    and I set it loose to rise and stumble.

  19. أَيُّها العَقل أَنتَ يا جيرة العَقـ

    ـل وَلما تَكُن بِنَفسك أَجدَر

    O Reason, you—O neighbors of Reason—

    are not yet more worthy of yourself.

  20. يا قوى تَهدم الحَياة وَتَبني

    ها وَتَذرو الوَرى هَباء وَعَثير

    O powers that demolish life and build

    it, and scatter humankind as motes and rising dust!

  21. كَم خَبيء مِن دُون فَجرك أَضحى

    وَخَفي تِلقاء ضوئك أَسفَر

    How many a thing hidden before your dawn has come to daylight,

    and a concealed thing has shone forth before your light!

  22. أَإِله في الأَرض أَنتَ أَم الشَي

    طان ينهى في العالَمين وَيَأمر

    Are you a god on earth, or Satan,

    forbidding and commanding throughout the worlds?

  23. وَجُنون أَم أَنتَ عَقل وَمَوجو

    د حَقيق أَم أَنت وَهُم مُصور

    And are you madness or reason, and a being

    truly real—or are you an illusion given form?