للهِ أن يختارَ من أَحبابِهِ

للهِ أن يختارَ من أَحبابِهِ

عبداً له التَّصريفُ كيفَ يَشاءُ

عبداً له التَّصريفُ كيفَ يَشاءُ

It is for God to choose from His beloved ones

It is for God to choose from among His loved ones

A servant with power to direct affairs however he wills.

A servant over whom He has control, as He wills

هذي يمينُ اللهِ في الحَرَمِ انْجَلَتْ

هذي يمينُ اللهِ في الحَرَمِ انْجَلَتْ

ولدى البَعيدُ حِجارَةٌ صَمَّاءُ

ولدى البَعيدُ حِجارَةٌ صَمَّاءُ

This is God's right hand, revealed in the Sanctuary,

This is God's authority in the Sacred Territory made clear

Yet to one far removed, only deaf stones.

While the distant one has deaf stones

أَسرارُ أَحكامٍ طَواها رَبُّها

أَسرارُ أَحكامٍ طَواها رَبُّها

في طيِّ أَشياءٍ وما الأَشياءُ

في طيِّ أَشياءٍ وما الأَشياءُ

Secrets of decrees their Lord has folded away

Secrets of rulings He has veiled

In the folds of things—and what are things?

In the folds of things - and what things they are!

حكمُ التَّجلِّي قد أعزَّ مَقامَها

حكمُ التَّجلِّي قد أعزَّ مَقامَها

ولرَبِّكَ الإِطْماسُ والإِبْداءُ

ولرَبِّكَ الإِطْماسُ والإِبْداءُ

The rule of manifestation has indeed exalted their station,

The rule of manifestation has been made inviolable in its station

And to your Lord belong effacement and disclosure.

While to your Lord belong concealment and disclosure

دعْ عنكَ من نَزَغَتْ بغيٍّ نفسُهُ

دعْ عنكَ من نَزَغَتْ بغيٍّ نفسُهُ

وعليه من شُقَقِ البِعادِ غِطاءُ

وعليه من شُقَقِ البِعادِ غِطاءُ

Leave aside the one whose soul has incited him to error,

Leave off from you the one whose soul inclines to wrong

And over him lies a covering of swathes of estrangement.

And over him is the covering of distant discord

واصْحَبْ أُناساً همُّهُمْ خَلاَّقُهُمْ

واصْحَبْ أُناساً همُّهُمْ خَلاَّقُهُمْ

ولهم إليه بروحِهِمْ إِسْراءُ

ولهم إليه بروحِهِمْ إِسْراءُ

And keep company with people whose concern is their Creator,

And keep company with people whose main concern is their character

And theirs is a journey by night to Him in spirit.

And for them to Him in their spirits is the night journey

واحْذَرْ مُفاتَلَةَ الشُؤُنِ فلم يَفُزْ

واحْذَرْ مُفاتَلَةَ الشُؤُنِ فلم يَفُزْ

من أسكَرَتْهُ بخمرِها الآلاءُ

من أسكَرَتْهُ بخمرِها الآلاءُ

And beware of wrestling with affairs, for none has prospered

And beware engaging with difficult affairs, for none has succeeded

Whom blessings have intoxicated with their wine.

Who has been intoxicated by their glories

لا تنسَ طرفاً حالَ موتِكَ إنَّه

لا تنسَ طرفاً حالَ موتِكَ إنَّه

حالٌ تُسْتَصْغَرُ العُظَماءُ

حالٌ تُسْتَصْغَرُ العُظَماءُ

Do not forget your state at death for an instant; it is

Do not neglect at the moment of your death, surely it

A state in which the mighty are deemed small.

Is a state belittled by the mighty

مزِّقْ جميعَ الكائِناتِ بسيفِهِ

مزِّقْ جميعَ الكائِناتِ بسيفِهِ

واحْضَرْ فكُلُّ العارِضاتِ فَناءُ

واحْضَرْ فكُلُّ العارِضاتِ فَناءُ

Rend all created things with its sword,

Tear apart all creatures with His sword

And be present, for all passing appearances perish.

And attend, for all contingent matters are vanishing

مُتْ قبلَ موتِكَ بالتَّفكُّرِ ذاكِراً

مُتْ قبلَ موتِكَ بالتَّفكُّرِ ذاكِراً

مولاكَ هذا الموتُ فيه بَقاءُ

مولاكَ هذا الموتُ فيه بَقاءُ

Die before your death, through reflection, remembering

Die before your death through contemplation, remembering

Your Master; in this death lies enduring life.

Your Master - in this death is subsistence

واجعلْ بطَوْرِ سماءِ رُوحِكَ أرضَها

واجعلْ بطَوْرِ سماءِ رُوحِكَ أرضَها

فالأرضُ في ذوْقِ اللَّبيبِ سَماءُ

فالأرضُ في ذوْقِ اللَّبيبِ سَماءُ

And set its earth at the level of your spirit's heaven,

And make Heaven the earth of your spirit's Sinai

For earth, to the discerning one's taste, is heaven.

For to the discernment of the sensible, earth is Heaven

واعلمْ بأنَّ الأمرَ يتبعُهُ على

واعلمْ بأنَّ الأمرَ يتبعُهُ على

شطِّ المَزارِ بقيَّةٌ عَصْماءُ

شطِّ المَزارِ بقيَّةٌ عَصْماءُ

And know that the affair is followed, on

And know that the command is followed, on

The shore of visitation, by an unassailable remnant.

The shore of death, by an inviolable remainder

هي غيبَةٌ ضمنَ الحِجابِ لغافِلٍ

هي غيبَةٌ ضمنَ الحِجابِ لغافِلٍ

ووراءها بعدَ المَماتِ لِقاءُ

ووراءها بعدَ المَماتِ لِقاءُ

It is absence within the veil for one who is heedless,

It is an absence, veiled by the veil, from the heedless

And beyond it, after death, lies a meeting.

And beyond it after death is the meeting

والمُؤْمِنونَ العارِفونَ بربِّهمْ

والمُؤْمِنونَ العارِفونَ بربِّهمْ

ماتوا ولكنْ عندَهُ أحْياءُ

ماتوا ولكنْ عندَهُ أحْياءُ

And the believers who know their Lord

And the believers who know their Lord

Have died, and yet with Him they are alive.

Died, but with Him they are alive

طابوا به عن غيرِهِ فتحَقَّقوا

طابوا به عن غيرِهِ فتحَقَّقوا

بشُهودِهِ وهُمُ الأُولى العُقَلاءُ

بشُهودِهِ وهُمُ الأُولى العُقَلاءُ

They found contentment in Him, apart from all else, and attained realization

They have done well by Him, beyond others, so they are realized

Through witnessing Him; they are the wise ones.

Through witnessing Him - and they are the foremost in intellect

تَبِعوا من الآثارِ مُبْرِزَها على

تَبِعوا من الآثارِ مُبْرِزَها على

أَحْكامِهِ وإليهِ ذُلاًّ باءوا

أَحْكامِهِ وإليهِ ذُلاًّ باءوا

They followed, through the traces, the One who brought them forth, according to

They followed the most prominent of the traces

His decrees, and returned to Him in humility.

According to His ordinances, humbly to Him going

قد أعظَموا من أعظَمَتْهُ بغيبِها

قد أعظَموا من أعظَمَتْهُ بغيبِها

أَسرارُهُ فهمُ بها عُلَماءُ

أَسرارُهُ فهمُ بها عُلَماءُ

They have indeed revered the one whom, through their hiddenness,

They have magnified what His unseen has magnified

His mysteries exalted; thus they are versed in them.

Of His secrets - so they are the learned

خضَعوا لمن أعلاهُ في مَلَكوتِهِ

خضَعوا لمن أعلاهُ في مَلَكوتِهِ

ولأَمرِهِ الإِسْفالُ والإِعْلاءُ

ولأَمرِهِ الإِسْفالُ والإِعْلاءُ

They bowed before the one He exalted in His dominion,

They have submitted to the One most lofty in His dominion

And at His command are abasement and exaltation.

And to His command belong abasement and exaltation

هي تلك نُكتَةُ حِكمةٍ رَجعتْ إِلى

هي تلك نُكتَةُ حِكمةٍ رَجعتْ إِلى

ما قرَّرَتْهُ مَقولَتي البَيْضاءُ

ما قرَّرَتْهُ مَقولَتي البَيْضاءُ

Such is the subtle point of wisdom that returns to

This is the crux of a wisdom that refers back

What my white utterance has affirmed.

To what my two white sayings have stated

السِّرُّ يُخشى والعِنايَةُ تُرْتَجى

السِّرُّ يُخشى والعِنايَةُ تُرْتَجى

وله تقدَّسَ شأْنُهُ الإِنْطاءُ

وله تقدَّسَ شأْنُهُ الإِنْطاءُ

The secret is feared, and providential care is hoped for,

The secret is to be feared, and providence hoped for

And His is bestowal—hallowed be His majesty.

And to Him, glorified be His affair, belongs supplication