خُذْ شُهوداً عن شُهودِ الكائِناتْ

خُذْ شُهوداً عن شُهودِ الكائِناتْ

وأَمِطْ عنك صُنوفَ الحُجُبِ

وأَمِطْ عنك صُنوفَ الحُجُبِ

Draw a vision from beholding created things,

Take witnesses of the witnesses of existence

And remove from yourself the various veils.

And uncover for yourself the veils of forms

والتَفِتْ للبارِقاتِ البارِزاتْ

والتَفِتْ للبارِقاتِ البارِزاتْ

من خِيامِ الغيبِ ذاتِ الطَّنبِ

من خِيامِ الغيبِ ذاتِ الطَّنبِ

And turn toward the flashes that emerge

And turn to the dazzling flashes

From the tents of the unseen, with their guy ropes.

From the tents of the unseen with incense

هذه الآياتُ آياتُ الجَمالْ

هذه الآياتُ آياتُ الجَمالْ

أَبرزَتْ سُلطانَ عنوانٍ بديعْ

أَبرزَتْ سُلطانَ عنوانٍ بديعْ

These signs are the signs of beauty;

These are the signs of beauty

They have displayed the power of a wondrous title,

That have revealed the authority of the title of the Beautiful

وجلَتْ فينا أَفانينَ الجَلالْ

وجلَتْ فينا أَفانينَ الجَلالْ

فطوَتْ في وسْطِ الصَّيفِ الرَّبيعْ

فطوَتْ في وسْطِ الصَّيفِ الرَّبيعْ

And unveiled within us the varied forms of majesty.

And manifested for us the ephemerality of majesty

So they folded spring away in the midst of summer,

So spring blew in the midst of summer

ومحَتْ بالذَّاتِ أَلواحَ المِثالْ

ومحَتْ بالذَّاتِ أَلواحَ المِثالْ

لبصيرٍ ذي اعْتِبارٍ وسَميعْ

لبصيرٍ ذي اعْتِبارٍ وسَميعْ

And erased, through the Essence, the tablets of likeness,

And with essence erased the tablets of ideals

For one who sees, reflects, and hears.

For an observant and hearing perceiver

تلكَ آياتُ الشُّهودِ البيِّناتْ

تلكَ آياتُ الشُّهودِ البيِّناتْ

مُحْكَماتٌ ضمن خيرِ الكُتُبِ

مُحْكَماتٌ ضمن خيرِ الكُتُبِ

Those are the clear signs of witnessing,

Those are the clear witnesses

Firmly established within the best of books.

Decisive among the best of books

إِقرإِ اللَّوحَ البَيانِيَّ الأَتَمْ

إِقرإِ اللَّوحَ البَيانِيَّ الأَتَمْ

وافهَمِ المنشورَ في طيِّ الصِّحافْ

وافهَمِ المنشورَ في طيِّ الصِّحافْ

Read the most complete tablet of exposition,

Read the perspicuous explanatory tablet

And understand what is unfolded in the folds of the pages.

And understand what is circulated on the sheets

وعن العُرْبِ تخلَّى والعَجَمْ

وعن العُرْبِ تخلَّى والعَجَمْ

وأَجِدْ في كعبَةِ الحُسْنِ المَطافْ

وأَجِدْ في كعبَةِ الحُسْنِ المَطافْ

And detach yourself from Arabs and non-Arabs,

And leave aside the Arabs and the non-Arabs

And perfect your circling in the Kaaba of beauty.

And find in the Kaaba of beauty the place of circumambulation

وإِذا قمتَ على بابِ الكَرَمْ

وإِذا قمتَ على بابِ الكَرَمْ

فامْتَثِلْ وامحَقْ صُدوداتَ الخِلافْ

فامْتَثِلْ وامحَقْ صُدوداتَ الخِلافْ

And when you stand at the gate of generosity,

And when you stand at the door of generosity

Then obey, and obliterate the aversions of discord.

Comply and erase the differences of discord

وعلى طَوْرِ المَعاني الوارِداتْ

وعلى طَوْرِ المَعاني الوارِداتْ

قمْ لأَرْبابِ النُّهى بالعَجَبِ

قمْ لأَرْبابِ النُّهى بالعَجَبِ

And upon the mount of incoming meanings,

And at the meaning of things that come

Stand in wonder before the masters of understanding.

Stand astonished at the people of restraint

هذه أَنوارُ مَحْبوبي رَوَتْ

هذه أَنوارُ مَحْبوبي رَوَتْ

خَبَرَ الذَّاتِ على مَجْلى العِيانْ

خَبَرَ الذَّاتِ على مَجْلى العِيانْ

These lights of my beloved have recounted

These are the lights of my beloved that narrated

The account of the Essence upon the scene of direct vision.

The story of the essence at the sitting of witnessing

وتجَلَّتْ مذْ تدَلَّتْ وزَوَتْ

وتجَلَّتْ مذْ تدَلَّتْ وزَوَتْ

عن أُولي الأَلبابِ أَوهامَ الكَيانْ

عن أُولي الأَلبابِ أَوهامَ الكَيانْ

And shone forth from the moment they descended, and swept away

And manifested when they draped down and inclined

From those endowed with intellect the illusions of being.

From those of understanding the imaginations of existence

نشرَتْ كلَّ المَعاني وطَوَتْ

نشرَتْ كلَّ المَعاني وطَوَتْ

مع سِرِّ النَّشرِ عِلْمَ الدَّوَرانْ

مع سِرِّ النَّشرِ عِلْمَ الدَّوَرانْ

They unfolded all meanings, and folded away

They spread all meanings and inclined

Along with the secret of unfolding, the knowledge of rotation.

Along with the secret of spreading the knowledge of cycles

وبقرآنِ المَثاني المُحْكَماتْ

وبقرآنِ المَثاني المُحْكَماتْ

مزجَتْ شرقَ الهُدى بالمغْرِبِ

مزجَتْ شرقَ الهُدى بالمغْرِبِ

And through the Qur'an of the firm, oft-repeated verses,

And with the decisive Quran of meanings

They mingled the east of guidance with the west.

They mixed the east of guidance with the west

خلِّ عنك هذا الكونَ يا هذا اللَّبيبْ

خلِّ عنك هذا الكونَ يا هذا اللَّبيبْ

وتبتَّلْ شاخِصاً نحو القمرْ

وتبتَّلْ شاخِصاً نحو القمرْ

Leave this universe behind, O you discerning one,

Rid yourself O intelligent one of this universe

And devote yourself wholly, gazing toward the moon.

And set out gazing at the moon

وافْهَمِ المَضْمونَ بالرَّمزِ العَجيبْ

وافْهَمِ المَضْمونَ بالرَّمزِ العَجيبْ

وانتَفِعْ من نظمِ ما زاغَ البصَرْ

وانتَفِعْ من نظمِ ما زاغَ البصَرْ

And grasp the meaning through the wondrous symbol,

And understand the content through the wondrous symbol

And draw benefit from the wording, 'The sight did not swerve.'

And benefit from the prose of that which perception erred

فإِذا أُتحِفْتَ من وجهِ الحَبيبْ

فإِذا أُتحِفْتَ من وجهِ الحَبيبْ

بعِيانِ الحسنِ في عينِ النَّظَرْ

بعِيانِ الحسنِ في عينِ النَّظَرْ

Then if you are graced, from the beloved's face,

For when you are granted from the face of the Beloved

With a vision of beauty in the very eye of sight,

The witnessing of beauty in the eye of sight

فابتَهِجْ بالباقِياتِ الصَّالِحاتْ

فابتَهِجْ بالباقِياتِ الصَّالِحاتْ

واكْرَعِ الفتحَ جُزافاً وطِبِ

واكْرَعِ الفتحَ جُزافاً وطِبِ

Then rejoice in the abiding righteous deeds,

Then rejoice in the righteous lasting deeds

And drink deep of the opening without measure, and be glad.

And hasten triumphantly to attain the bounty

أَنا والحمدُ لوهَّابِ الجَميلْ

أَنا والحمدُ لوهَّابِ الجَميلْ

قد أَقرَّ اللهُ عيني بالشُّهودْ

قد أَقرَّ اللهُ عيني بالشُّهودْ

As for me—and praise be to the Bestower of goodness—

I and praise be to the Bestower of Beauty

God has indeed gladdened my eye with witnessing.

God has pleased my eye with the witnessing

وانْجَلى لي مظهَرُ الأُنْسِ الجَليلْ

وانْجَلى لي مظهَرُ الأُنْسِ الجَليلْ

فزَوَى عنِّي عَلاقاتِ الوُجودْ

فزَوَى عنِّي عَلاقاتِ الوُجودْ

And the majestic manifestation of intimacy became clear to me,

And the appearance of the majestic intimacy manifested for me

And so swept away from me the attachments of existence.

So the relations of existence became remote from me

وبَدا المَدْلولُ في عينِ الدَّليلْ

وبَدا المَدْلولُ في عينِ الدَّليلْ

وسرَتْ أَنوارُ أَقمارِ السُّعودْ

وسرَتْ أَنوارُ أَقمارِ السُّعودْ

And the signified appeared in the very essence of the sign,

And the signified appeared in the eye of the evidence

And the lights of the moons of good fortune streamed forth.

And the lights of the full moons of good fortune radiated

وبأُفقِ البادِياتِ الخافِياتْ

وبأُفقِ البادِياتِ الخافِياتْ

شمسُ عِزِّي أَبداً لم تَغِبِ

شمسُ عِزِّي أَبداً لم تَغِبِ

And on the horizon of things manifest yet hidden,

And on the horizon of the hidden obvious

The sun of my glory has never set.

My sun of glory never disappeared

دُقَّ طبلُ السَّعْدِ لي في الحضرَتَيْنْ

دُقَّ طبلُ السَّعْدِ لي في الحضرَتَيْنْ

ثانِيَ اثنينِ التَّدلِّي ثالِثي

ثانِيَ اثنينِ التَّدلِّي ثالِثي

The drum of good fortune was beaten for me in the two presences,

The drum of joy was beaten for me in the two presences

Second of two, with descent as my third.

Second of the two declarations, my third

وعلى العهدِ إِمامَ الأَحمدَيْنْ

وعلى العهدِ إِمامَ الأَحمدَيْنْ

ثابِتٌ ما خِلْتُني بالنَّاكِثِ

ثابِتٌ ما خِلْتُني بالنَّاكِثِ

And to the covenant, O imam of the two Ahmads,

And by the covenant the Imam of the two Ahmads

I hold fast; I have not deemed myself a covenant-breaker.

Fixed what I was not unfaithful with the violator

وبمجْلى طَوْرِ ربِّ العلَمَيْنْ

وبمجْلى طَوْرِ ربِّ العلَمَيْنْ

قمتُ للهادي بثوبِ الوارِثِ

قمتُ للهادي بثوبِ الوارِثِ

And where the mount of the Lord of the two worlds is revealed,

And on the sitting place of the Lord of the two worlds

I stood for the Guide in the heir's robe.

I stood for the Guide in the garb of the heir

فتدلَّى في آثارُ الصِّفاتْ

فتدلَّى في آثارُ الصِّفاتْ

من طريقِ الذَّاتِ يومَ الموكِبِ

من طريقِ الذَّاتِ يومَ الموكِبِ

Then the traces of the attributes descended within me

So the tracks of the attributes draped

By way of the Essence on the day of the procession.

From the path of the essence on the day of procession

يا مُريدي سِرْ على هذا القَدَمْ

يا مُريدي سِرْ على هذا القَدَمْ

فهو واللهِ أَمينُ العاقِبهْ

فهو واللهِ أَمينُ العاقِبهْ

O my disciple, follow this footstep,

O my disciple, walk in this footstep

For, by God, it has a secure outcome.

For it is, by God, the trustee of the outcome

ودعِ الأَعلاقَ واهْجُرْ من ظَلَمْ

ودعِ الأَعلاقَ واهْجُرْ من ظَلَمْ

والتَمِسْ نورَ النُّجومِ الثَّاقِبهْ

والتَمِسْ نورَ النُّجومِ الثَّاقِبهْ

And forsake prized possessions, and shun whoever has done wrong,

And leave fantasies and abandon the unjust

And seek the light of the piercing stars.

And seek the light of penetrating stars

وخُذِ المعنى الجلِيَّ المُكْتَتَمْ

وخُذِ المعنى الجلِيَّ المُكْتَتَمْ

في بُطونِ الغيبِ واحفظْ صاحِبَهْ

في بُطونِ الغيبِ واحفظْ صاحِبَهْ

And grasp the clear meaning kept hidden

And take the hidden open meaning

In the depths of the unseen, and guard its bearer.

In the bellies of the unseen, and preserve its companion

فهو مِضْمارُ الشُؤُنِ القائِماتْ

فهو مِضْمارُ الشُؤُنِ القائِماتْ

عن أَبي الزَّهراءِ فخرِ العَرَبِ

عن أَبي الزَّهراءِ فخرِ العَرَبِ

For he is the racecourse of the abiding affairs

For it is the racecourse of the enduring affairs

From Abu al-Zahra, the pride of the Arabs.

From Abi Al-Zahra, the pride of Arabs

رَبِّ أَنعِمْ بصلاةٍ لم تزَلْ

رَبِّ أَنعِمْ بصلاةٍ لم تزَلْ

تكشِفُ البُرْدَةَ للمُتَّبِعِ

تكشِفُ البُرْدَةَ للمُتَّبِعِ

My Lord, bestow a blessing that never ceases

My Lord, bestow prayers that never ceased

To lift the mantle for the follower,

To uncover the coldness for the follower

وسَلامٍ طارَ من بَرِّ الأَزَلْ

وسَلامٍ طارَ من بَرِّ الأَزَلْ

وافِدٍ بالرُّوحِ للمُسْتَمِعِ

وافِدٍ بالرُّوحِ للمُسْتَمِعِ

And peace flown from the land of beginningless eternity,

And greetings that rose from the righteousness of eternity

Arriving with the spirit for the listener,

Coming with the spirit for the listener

وتحيَّاتٍ وبُرْهانٍ أَجلْ

وتحيَّاتٍ وبُرْهانٍ أَجلْ

وعِناياتٍ وفضلٍ أَوسَعِ

وعِناياتٍ وفضلٍ أَوسَعِ

And salutations, and a more sublime proof,

And the most precious congratulations

And acts of care, and more abundant bounty,

And care and greater grace

لإِمامِ الرُّسْلِ رَبِّ المُعْجِزاتْ

لإِمامِ الرُّسْلِ رَبِّ المُعْجِزاتْ

واضِحِ الفضلِ على كلِّ نَبي

واضِحِ الفضلِ على كلِّ نَبي

For the imam of the messengers, the master of miracles,

For the Imam of messengers, the Lord of miracles

Whose superiority over every prophet is clear.

Manifest in grace over every prophet