قد جاءنا في حكمة مكنونة

قد جاءنا في حكمة مكنونة

كتمانها لذوي النهى إفصاح

كتمانها لذوي النهى إفصاح

It has come to us in hidden wisdom,

Wisdom has come to us in a hidden decree,

whose concealment is disclosure to those endowed with understanding.

Concealing it is elucidation for those of restraint,

والشمس قائمة بأول بابها

والشمس قائمة بأول بابها

مكشوفة لشعاعها أوضاح

مكشوفة لشعاعها أوضاح

And the sun stands at the beginning of its gate,

And the sun is standing at the first of its doors,

unveiled; its radiance has bright gleams.

Its rays apparent for their illumination,

وشعاعها القلاّب لا ظل له

وشعاعها القلاّب لا ظل له

ملك الملوك ورأسها الجحجاح

ملك الملوك ورأسها الجحجاح

And its ever-turning radiance has no shadow—

And its overturning ray has no shade,

king of kings and their magnanimous chief.

The King of Kings and the top of its corona,

والبدر ذو القرنين يلمع نوره

والبدر ذو القرنين يلمع نوره

ملآن وهو الأزهر الوضاحُ

ملآن وهو الأزهر الوضاحُ

And the two-horned full moon, whose light gleams,

And the crescent moon shining its light,

is full, radiant, and resplendent.

Full and it is the brightest illuminator,

فطن احمرارا في البياض كأنه

فطن احمرارا في البياض كأنه

شفق يلوح وراءه إصباحُ

شفق يلوح وراءه إصباحُ

It discerned redness in the whiteness, as though it were

Look redness in the whiteness as if it is

a twilight glow behind which daybreak appears.

Afterglow appearing behind it is dawn,

ويليه هرمس وهو مصدوع الصدا

ويليه هرمس وهو مصدوع الصدا

المدفون فيه وبرقه اللماحُ

المدفون فيه وبرقه اللماحُ

And Hermes follows it, his rust split open,

And after it Mercury split of sound,

buried within him, and his lightning flashing.

Buried in it and its lightning flash,

والسدرة الخضراء أروى عرقها

والسدرة الخضراء أروى عرقها

مصى الندى وبه ارتوى الملتاح

مصى الندى وبه ارتوى الملتاح

And the green lote tree—its root was watered

And the green lote tree, its sweat is moist,

by drawing in dew; through it the parched one drank his fill.

Passed by the dew and the sleeper is watered by it,

والزهرة الزهراء خارج بابها

والزهرة الزهراء خارج بابها

ولها بأثناء الرموز صياحُ

ولها بأثناء الرموز صياحُ

And radiant Venus is outside its gate,

And the blossoming flower at its door,

and she has a cry amid the symbols,

And it has amidst symbols a scream,

في باطن الألوان وهي خفية

في باطن الألوان وهي خفية

وبها تتجسد الأرواح

وبها تتجسد الأرواح

within the depths of colors, though she is hidden;

In the essence of colors and it is hidden,

and through her, spirits take bodily form.

And through it souls embody,

عذراء يحبلها بنفخة روحه

عذراء يحبلها بنفخة روحه

ملك تقوم بنفخه الأشباح

ملك تقوم بنفخه الأشباح

A virgin, made pregnant with a breath of his spirit

A maiden impregnated by the breath of His spirit,

by an angel whose breath makes bodily forms arise.

An angel fulfilled by His breathing of phantoms,

وكذاك أخبل بالدخان إذا ارتقى

وكذاك أخبل بالدخان إذا ارتقى

فحل يتمّ بزرعه الإلقاح

فحل يتمّ بزرعه الإلقاح

And likewise I am maddened by smoke when it rises—

And likewise vine intoxicated when ascending,

a virile male whose seed completes fertilization.

So a stallion is completed by its pollination,

وإليَّ تحتاج الطبائع كلها

وإليَّ تحتاج الطبائع كلها

حتى يتمّ ومني الإصلاح

حتى يتمّ ومني الإصلاح

And all the natural qualities have need of me,

And all natures need me,

so that rectification is complete—and it comes from me.

Until fulfillment and from me reform,

طبعي البرودة واليبوسة ولّدت

طبعي البرودة واليبوسة ولّدت

مني الهموم ومني الأفراحُ

مني الهموم ومني الأفراحُ

My nature is coldness and dryness; brought forth

My nature coldness and aridity birthed,

from me are sorrows, and from me joys.

From me worries and from me joys,

أسقي وأكربُ ثم أزرعُ مثلما

أسقي وأكربُ ثم أزرعُ مثلما

يعني بأرض زروعه الفلاحُ

يعني بأرض زروعه الفلاحُ

I water and plough, then sow, just as

I water and fertilize then I sow,

the farmer tends the soil of his crops.

As the farmer means to his planted land,

وحصيد زرعي مثل بذري خارج

وحصيد زرعي مثل بذري خارج

عني وفيَّ أمانة وصلاحُ

عني وفيَّ أمانة وصلاحُ

And the harvest of my sowing, like my seed, lies outside

And the harvest of my planting like my seed outward,

me; within me are trustworthiness and goodness.

From me and in me honesty and righteousness,

وليَ الزجاجة وهي سر غامض

وليَ الزجاجة وهي سر غامض

والزيت والمشكاة والمصباح

والزيت والمشكاة والمصباح

And mine is the glass vessel, an obscure secret,

And for me is the bottle and it is an obscure secret,

and the oil, the lamp niche, and the lamp.

And oil and lamp and lantern.