مَرَّ بي بِالآبِ وَالإِبنِ

مَرَّ بي بِالآبِ وَالإِبنِ

وَروحِ القُدسِ يَشدو

وَروحِ القُدسِ يَشدو

He passed by me, singing of the Father and the Son,

There passed by me, of the Father and the Son

and of the Holy Spirit—

and the Holy Spirit singing,

راهِبٌ كِالبَدرِ في البِر

راهِبٌ كِالبَدرِ في البِر

نُسِ مِنهُ الوَجهُ يَبدو

نُسِ مِنهُ الوَجهُ يَبدو

a monk like the full moon within a cowl,

a monk, like the full moon, in his

his face shining forth from it.

cowl, his face shining forth from it,

فَوقَ غُصنٍ تَحتَهُ رَد

فَوقَ غُصنٍ تَحتَهُ رَد

فٌ لَهُ الزَنّارُ حَدُّ

فٌ لَهُ الزَنّارُ حَدُّ

Above him, a bough; beneath him, a rump,

above a branch, beneath it a

the girdle marking its boundary.

rump, with the girdle as its boundary.

فَغَدَت لي رَغبَةٌ في

فَغَدَت لي رَغبَةٌ في

هِ وَفيما قالَ زُهدُ

هِ وَفيما قالَ زُهدُ

Desire for him then arose in me,

So there arose in me a longing for

and aversion to what he said.

him, and indifference to what he said.

فَتَعَرَّضتُ لَهُ قَص

فَتَعَرَّضتُ لَهُ قَص

داً وَلي في القَصدِ قَصدُ

داً وَلي في القَصدِ قَصدُ

So I deliberately accosted him,

So I approached him with

with a purpose nested within my purpose.

intent; within my intent lay an intent.

قُلتُ تَوحيدَكَ في التَثل

قُلتُ تَوحيدَكَ في التَثل

يثُ لِلتَوحيدُ ضِدُّ

يثُ لِلتَوحيدُ ضِدُّ

I said, “Your oneness within the Three

I said, 'Your profession of oneness in the

is the very opposite of oneness.”

Trinity is contrary to oneness.'

قالَ بُرهاني عَلى التَوحي

قالَ بُرهاني عَلى التَوحي

دِ فيهِ لا يُرَدُّ

دِ فيهِ لا يُرَدُّ

He said, “My proof for oneness

He said, 'My proof of

lies in this and cannot be refuted:

oneness within it cannot be refuted.

خُذهُ مِن فِيَّ بَريقٍ

خُذهُ مِن فِيَّ بَريقٍ

طَعمُهُ خَمرٌ وَشَهدُ

طَعمُهُ خَمرٌ وَشَهدُ

Take it from my mouth, in saliva:

Take it from my mouth through saliva,

its taste is wine and honey.

whose taste is wine and honey.

وَهوَ في الأَكبادِ حُرٌّ

وَهوَ في الأَكبادِ حُرٌّ

وَهوَ في الأَفواهِ بَردُ

وَهوَ في الأَفواهِ بَردُ

It carries heat within the innards,

And it is heat within the livers,

and coldness within mouths;

and it is coolness within the mouths.

إِذ بِهِ لَم يَروِ مِنهُ

إِذ بِهِ لَم يَروِ مِنهُ

ظَمَأَ الأَكبادَ وِردُ

ظَمَأَ الأَكبادَ وِردُ

yet no draught of it can quench

For no draught of it has quenched

the thirst of the innards.

the thirst of the livers.

وَهوَ مِن نَفسي وَردٌ

وَهوَ مِن نَفسي وَردٌ

صَحَّ مِنهُ العَرفُ وِردُ

صَحَّ مِنهُ العَرفُ وِردُ

And from my breath it is a rose;

And it is a rose from my breath;

its fragrance proves it a rose.

its fragrance is truly a draught.

وَبِخَدّي فيهِ نارٌ

وَبِخَدّي فيهِ نارٌ

رَوضُها آسٌ وَوَردُ

رَوضُها آسٌ وَوَردُ

And by the fire within my cheek,

And by my cheek, in which is fire,

whose garden is myrtle and roses;

whose garden is myrtle and roses;

وَبِزِنّاري بِخَصري

وَبِزِنّاري بِخَصري

إِذا لَهُ حَلٌّ وَعَقدُ

إِذا لَهُ حَلٌّ وَعَقدُ

and by my girdle at my waist,

and by my girdle about my waist,

which holds both loosening and binding;

when it is untied and tied;

وَبِثغري عَنهُ يَبدو

وَبِثغري عَنهُ يَبدو

نَثرُ دُرٍّ وَهوَ عِقدُ

نَثرُ دُرٍّ وَهوَ عِقدُ

and by my mouth, from which appears

and by my mouth, from which appears

a scattering of pearls that is yet a necklace;

a scattering of pearls, though it is a necklace;

وَبِحالي في زَماني

وَبِحالي في زَماني

وَهوَ لي قَبلٌ وَبَعدُ

وَهوَ لي قَبلٌ وَبَعدُ

and by my state within my time,

and by my state within my time,

which is mine both before and after;

which for me is before and after;

وَبِطولي وَبِعَرضي

وَبِطولي وَبِعَرضي

وَبِعُمقي وَهوَ بُعدُ

وَبِعُمقي وَهوَ بُعدُ

and by my length and my breadth,

and by my length and by my breadth,

and by my depth—which is distance;

and by my depth—yet it is a dimension;

وَبِفَرقي بَينَ لَيل

وَبِفَرقي بَينَ لَيل

ينِ بِهِ لِلغَيِّ رُشدُ

ينِ بِهِ لِلغَيِّ رُشدُ

and by the parting of my hair between two nights,

and by my hair's parting between two

whereby error finds right guidance;

nights, through which error finds guidance;

وَبِصِدغي بَينَ صُب

وَبِصِدغي بَينَ صُب

حَينِ بِهِ لِلرُشدِ فَقدُ

حَينِ بِهِ لِلرُشدِ فَقدُ

and by my temple-lock between two dawns,

and by my temple-lock between two

whereby right guidance is lost.”

dawns, through which guidance is lost.'