وآياتِ ألْواحٍ رُقِمْنَ مع العَما

وآياتِ ألْواحٍ رُقِمْنَ مع العَما

وأُحْكِمْنَ في ألْبابِ أهلِ اللَّطائِفِ

وأُحْكِمْنَ في ألْبابِ أهلِ اللَّطائِفِ

And by the verses of tablets inscribed with the Cloud,

The signs on the tablets were inscribed with the pen,

And made firm in the minds of those versed in subtleties:

And were sealed in the hearts of the people of grace.

غَرامُكَ مَمْزوجٌ بروحي وسِرُّهُ

غَرامُكَ مَمْزوجٌ بروحي وسِرُّهُ

تَرَقْرَقَ في كُلِّي بِكلِّ الرَّفارِفِ

تَرَقْرَقَ في كُلِّي بِكلِّ الرَّفارِفِ

Love for you is mingled with my spirit, and its secret

Your love is mingled with my soul, its secret

Has rippled through my whole being with all the fluttering draperies.

Trembled through me with all gentleness.

أحِنُّ اصْطِلاماً من فُؤادٍ مُقَرَّحِ

أحِنُّ اصْطِلاماً من فُؤادٍ مُقَرَّحِ

وأجْذبُ منِّي الآهَ جَذْبَةَ خائِفِ

وأجْذبُ منِّي الآهَ جَذْبَةَ خائِفِ

I yearn, utterly consumed, from a wounded heart,

I sigh with a heart that is wounded,

And wrench a sigh from myself with the tug of one afraid.

And draw the sighs from myself timidly.

وأبكي إذا هَبَّ النَّسيمُ مُنَكَّراً

وأبكي إذا هَبَّ النَّسيمُ مُنَكَّراً

وقد جَهِلَتْني بينَ قَومي مَعارِفي

وقد جَهِلَتْني بينَ قَومي مَعارِفي

And I weep when the breeze blows in unfamiliar guise,

I weep when the breeze blows in denial,

And my acquaintances among my people have failed to recognize me.

While among my people my loved ones ignored me.

وخالَفَني من عُظْمِ أنِّي مُوافِقي

وخالَفَني من عُظْمِ أنِّي مُوافِقي

ووافَقَني من جُهْدِ طَوْقي مُخالفي

ووافَقَني من جُهْدِ طَوْقي مُخالفي

And my ally opposed me because my groaning was so great,

Those close to me opposed me greatly,

And my opponent sided with me because of the strain upon my strength.

While my enemies concurred with my difficulty.

وأبْكَيتُ عُذَّالي عَليَّ تَرَحُّماً

وأبْكَيتُ عُذَّالي عَليَّ تَرَحُّماً

ورُحْتُ قَطيعاً من حِبالِ المُؤالِفِ

ورُحْتُ قَطيعاً من حِبالِ المُؤالِفِ

And I made my reproachers weep for me out of pity,

And I cried over those who blamed me with mercy,

And went forth, cut off from the cords of the companion.

And departed from the ropes of accord.

فَيا حَيْرَةً يا دَهْشَةً يا بَلِيَّةً

فَيا حَيْرَةً يا دَهْشَةً يا بَلِيَّةً

ويا لَوعَةً أبْلَتْ جَميعَ طَرائفي

ويا لَوعَةً أبْلَتْ جَميعَ طَرائفي

So, O bewilderment, O amazement, O affliction!

What confusion, shock and calamity!

And O burning anguish that has worn out all my rare treasures!

What agony that ruined all my joys!

يَقولونَ لا تَنْدُبْ وكنْ رَيِّضَ الحِمى

يَقولونَ لا تَنْدُبْ وكنْ رَيِّضَ الحِمى

فَكَتْمُ الهَوَى من طَورِ أهلِ المَعارفِ

فَكَتْمُ الهَوَى من طَورِ أهلِ المَعارفِ

They say: Do not lament; be disciplined within the sanctuary,

They say, "Do not grieve, and be stoic,"

For concealing love is the way of those with spiritual knowledge.

For concealing passion is the way of the gnostics.

فَقُلْتُ لهمْ شَبَّ الزَّفيرُ بِمُهْجَتي

فَقُلْتُ لهمْ شَبَّ الزَّفيرُ بِمُهْجَتي

وأظْهَرَ أسراري ولستُ بِعارفِ

وأظْهَرَ أسراري ولستُ بِعارفِ

So I said to them: Sighing has blazed in my lifeblood,

I said, "My sighing against my will exposed my secrets,

And revealed my secrets without my knowing.

And I am no gnostic."

ونَمَّ عليَّ الدَّمعُ من صوتِ مَوْجِهِ

ونَمَّ عليَّ الدَّمعُ من صوتِ مَوْجِهِ

وعَرَّفَني بالعِشقِ وارِدُ خاطفي

وعَرَّفَني بالعِشقِ وارِدُ خاطفي

And tears informed against me through the sound of their waves,

Tears flowed down my cheeks from the sound of its surge,

And the visitation of my ravisher made me known as a lover.

And the rushing tide acquainted me with passion.

فَيا فِتْنَةَ العُشَّاقِ ارْحَمْ ضَليعَهُمْ

فَيا فِتْنَةَ العُشَّاقِ ارْحَمْ ضَليعَهُمْ

كَئيباً يُنادي آمِلاً بالعَوارفِ

كَئيباً يُنادي آمِلاً بالعَوارفِ

So, O enchantment of lovers, have mercy on their adept,

O temptation of lovers, have mercy on the heartsick

Sorrowful, he calls out, hoping for favors.

Who call out longingly for intimacy.

أثِبْهُ حَناناً رَمشةَ الوَصْلِ بالرِّضا

أثِبْهُ حَناناً رَمشةَ الوَصْلِ بالرِّضا

ولو أنَّها بالنَّوْمِ طَرْفَةُ طارفِ

ولو أنَّها بالنَّوْمِ طَرْفَةُ طارفِ

Reward him tenderly with a blink of union, bestowed with approval,

Comfort him gently with a glance of union,

Even if it is, in sleep, but the blink of an eye.

Even if it is for a blinking of an eye.

فَذَيْلُكَ مَنْشورٌ على كلِّ عاشقٍ

فَذَيْلُكَ مَنْشورٌ على كلِّ عاشقٍ

وبِرُّكَ مَبْسوطٌ على كلِّ عارِفِ

وبِرُّكَ مَبْسوطٌ على كلِّ عارِفِ

For your robe's hem is spread over every lover,

Your train is unfurled over every lover,

And your kindness is spread over every knower.

And your righteousness extends to every gnostic.

وإنِّي بكَ اسْتَغْنَيْتُ عن كلِّ حادثٍ

وإنِّي بكَ اسْتَغْنَيْتُ عن كلِّ حادثٍ

وقُمْتُ إماماً في جَميعِ الطَّوائفِ

وقُمْتُ إماماً في جَميعِ الطَّوائفِ

And indeed, through you I have become independent of every created thing,

With You I am independent of all events,

And stood as a leader among all the communities.

And became the Imam of all denominations.

وأيَّدَني سِرٌّ من الله ناصرٌ

وأيَّدَني سِرٌّ من الله ناصرٌ

ووطَّدَ قلبي فيه بُشرى الهَواتِفِ

ووطَّدَ قلبي فيه بُشرى الهَواتِفِ

And a sustaining secret from God strengthened me,

A secret from God supported me as a victor,

And within it, glad tidings from unseen voices made my heart firm.

And strengthened my heart with the tidings it sends.

وأمَّلَ مِنِّي القومُ في كُلِّ مَشهدٍ

وأمَّلَ مِنِّي القومُ في كُلِّ مَشهدٍ

من الواردِ الهَطَّالِ غَرْفَةَ غارفِ

من الواردِ الهَطَّالِ غَرْفَةَ غارفِ

And at every gathering, the people hoped to receive from me

The people hoped from me in every occasion,

A scoopful, such as one draws, from the torrential influx.

Like the downpour, a handful of the abundant rain.

وصِرْتُ بحمدِ الله وارِثَكَ الَّذي

وصِرْتُ بحمدِ الله وارِثَكَ الَّذي

تَجَرَّدَ لُطفاً عن قَتامِ الكَثائفِ

تَجَرَّدَ لُطفاً عن قَتامِ الكَثائفِ

And, God be praised, I became your heir, who

By God’s praise I inherited you, having graciously

Has stripped himself, in subtlety, of the dust of dense forms.

Stripped off the darkness of veils.

ولي منكَ روحٌ ضمنَ روحي لِسرِّها

ولي منكَ روحٌ ضمنَ روحي لِسرِّها

شُؤُنٌ تُواليني بِطارقِ طائفِ

شُؤُنٌ تُواليني بِطارقِ طائفِ

And I have from you a spirit within my spirit; its secret

From you I have a spirit mingled with my spirit,

Has workings that continually attend me through a wandering night-visitor.

With mysteries that come to me like a dawning star.

وأشْهدُ من مَجْلاكَ في كلِّ بارزٍ

وأشْهدُ من مَجْلاكَ في كلِّ بارزٍ

جَمالاً ولو ضمنَ الصَّبا بالهَفاهفِ

جَمالاً ولو ضمنَ الصَّبا بالهَفاهفِ

And I witness, through your manifestation, in all that appears,

I witness your beauty in every challenger,

Beauty, even within the east wind, in its gentle wafts.

Even if it is veiled by the morning mists.

وأرْتَعُ في أمنٍ وعِزٍّ ومِنْعَةٍ

وأرْتَعُ في أمنٍ وعِزٍّ ومِنْعَةٍ

بِبابكَ في ظلٍّ من اللُّطْفِ وارفِ

بِبابكَ في ظلٍّ من اللُّطْفِ وارفِ

And I graze in safety, honor, and protection,

I repose in security, honor and protection,

At your door, in the spreading shade of kindness.

In your door’s shade, gentle and wide.

وما قُمْتُ إِلاَّ لاحَظَتْني عِنايةٌ

وما قُمْتُ إِلاَّ لاحَظَتْني عِنايةٌ

لِعَينكَ تَرْعاني فَتُمْحى مَخاوفي

لِعَينكَ تَرْعاني فَتُمْحى مَخاوفي

And never did I rise but care watched over me,

No sooner do I rise than providence watches me,

From your eye, tending me, so that my fears are erased.

Your eye that tends me, blotting out my fears.

يُشارِفُني مَعناكَ فَضلاً ورأْفَةً

يُشارِفُني مَعناكَ فَضلاً ورأْفَةً

فأُطْمَسُ عَنِّي لَذَّةً بالمُشارِفِ

فأُطْمَسُ عَنِّي لَذَّةً بالمُشارِفِ

Your inner reality draws near to me in grace and compassion,

Your nobility and kindness are ever close,

So I am effaced from myself in delight at the one drawing near.

Blotting my selfish pleasures from me.

سَجائِفُكَ البَيْضاءُ سِتْري عن الوَرى

سَجائِفُكَ البَيْضاءُ سِتْري عن الوَرى

فلا زِلْتُ مَسْتوراً بتلكَ السَّجائِفِ

فلا زِلْتُ مَسْتوراً بتلكَ السَّجائِفِ

Your white curtains are my veil from humankind,

Your white garments veil me from the world,

So may I ever remain veiled by those curtains.

So I remain shrouded in those garments.