لنا الحجرُ المرموزُ في الكتب سرُّهُ

لنا الحجرُ المرموزُ في الكتب سرُّهُ

وقد صار بالتدبير طفلاً وبالغا

وقد صار بالتدبير طفلاً وبالغا

Ours is the stone whose secret is encoded in the books;

The stone encrypted in books, its secret is ours

through dispensation he became a child and an adult.

By providence it became a child and an adult

رأيناه بين الخلق في الطُرْق مُطْرَحاً

رأيناه بين الخلق في الطُرْق مُطْرَحاً

ولكنه فوق السماكين نابغا

ولكنه فوق السماكين نابغا

We saw him among creation, cast aside on the roads,

We saw it tossed on roads among the people

yet he stood eminent above the two Simāk stars.

But above the heavens it was brilliant

فمذ حل روحُ القدس إكسيرَ نفسنا

فمذ حل روحُ القدس إكسيرَ نفسنا

رأينا ضياء السر بالسر زالغا

رأينا ضياء السر بالسر زالغا

So when the Holy Spirit descended as our soul's elixir,

So when the holy spirit became elixir of our soul

we saw the mystery's radiance blazing through the mystery:

We saw the light of the secret manifest through the secret

غلاماً ربيباً يخجل الشمسَ حسنُه

غلاماً ربيباً يخجل الشمسَ حسنُه

رصيناً حكيماً للمهمات دامغا

رصيناً حكيماً للمهمات دامغا

a fostered youth whose beauty puts the sun to shame,

A beautiful boy, his beauty puts the sun to shame

steadfast and wise, crushing weighty difficulties.

Wise and resolute in important affairs

أبوه كريمٌ والبكارة أمه

أبوه كريمٌ والبكارة أمه

قديماً حديثاً مُشغَلاً متفارغا

قديماً حديثاً مُشغَلاً متفارغا

His father is noble, and virginity his mother;

His father is generous and his mother is chaste

ancient and new, occupied and at leisure.

Ancient yet modern, busy yet at leisure

لنا علَّةٌ لكنه كان قبلها

لنا علَّةٌ لكنه كان قبلها

بأقنومه المعلول إبناً وبازغا

بأقنومه المعلول إبناً وبازغا

He is our cause, yet before it he was

We have a cause, yet before it he was

in his caused hypostasis, a son and one rising forth.

In his hypostasis, the caused, a son rising

حوى جوهراً في الذات والطبع واحداً

حوى جوهراً في الذات والطبع واحداً

تثلَّثَ جَوهرْهُ وما كان زائغا

تثلَّثَ جَوهرْهُ وما كان زائغا

He held a single substance in essence and nature;

He contained one essence in essence and nature

his substance became threefold, yet he did not stray.

His essence triumphed but did not err

وقد كان شيخاً قبلَ أن صار يافعاً

وقد كان شيخاً قبلَ أن صار يافعاً

وأصبح في سن الرضاعة رابغا

وأصبح في سن الرضاعة رابغا

He had been an old man before becoming a youth,

He was an elder before becoming a youth

and flourished while still of nursing age.

And became a suckling babe

ومذ مات مذبوحاً فأحيا بذبحه

ومذ مات مذبوحاً فأحيا بذبحه

وأحيا رميماً كان في النار واتغا

وأحيا رميماً كان في النار واتغا

And when he died, slaughtered, he gave life through his slaughter,

Since he died slaughtered, by his slaughter he revived

and revived a decayed corpse that was perishing in the fire.

And revived a ruin that was consumed in the blaze

فيا لك مقتولاً قتلتَ قَتولَنا

فيا لك مقتولاً قتلتَ قَتولَنا

وفيك قتيل القوم أصبح نابغا

وفيك قتيل القوم أصبح نابغا

O slain one—you slew our slayer!

What a wondrous slain you are, you slew our slayer

And in you the people's slain one rose to eminence.

In you, the tribe’s slain became brilliant

وإذ مات عبداً مُبدَعاً متألماً

وإذ مات عبداً مُبدَعاً متألماً

فقام إلهاً مبدِعَ الكون صائغا

فقام إلهاً مبدِعَ الكون صائغا

And when he died as a created, suffering servant,

When he died, a sacrificed servant, anguished

he arose as God, creator and fashioner of the universe.

He rose as God, the creator of the universe

بناموسه الروحي يصلح فاسداً

بناموسه الروحي يصلح فاسداً

ويفتح فيه مقفلاً كان بالغا

ويفتح فيه مقفلاً كان بالغا

With his spiritual law he repairs what is corrupt,

With his spiritual law he reforms the corrupt

and opens within it a locked thing that had reached fullness.

And in him opens what was closed and mature

ويشفي ويُحيي ميِّتاً صار رِمَّةً

ويشفي ويُحيي ميِّتاً صار رِمَّةً

وقد كان ناب الموت للميْت ماضغا

وقد كان ناب الموت للميْت ماضغا

He heals and revives a dead one turned to decayed remains,

He heals and revives the dead who became crumbs

while death's fang had been chewing the dead one.

And death's fang was piercing the dead

وقد مَصَّ منه سمَّ تنِّينِه الذي

وقد مَصَّ منه سمَّ تنِّينِه الذي

نكى جسمَه والنفس قد كان لادغا

نكى جسمَه والنفس قد كان لادغا

And he had sucked from him the venom of his dragon, which

He sucked from it the poison of its dragon

had wounded his body and had been stinging his soul.

That marred his body while his soul it continued to bite

أقام عليه حارساً كلبَ شرعه

أقام عليه حارساً كلبَ شرعه

فيحميه من ذئبٍ أتاه مراوغا

فيحميه من ذئبٍ أتاه مراوغا

He stationed over him as a guard the dog of his law,

He appointed over it the hound of his law

so it protects him from a wolf that came to him slyly.

To protect him from a prowling wolf

فأعجب به حيّاً وميْتاً ومُنشَراً

فأعجب به حيّاً وميْتاً ومُنشَراً

وتكوينه من آدمٍ كان رائغا

وتكوينه من آدمٍ كان رائغا

So marvel at him, alive, dead, and resurrected!

So he marveled at him alive, dead, and resurrected

And his formation from Adam took an indirect course.

And his creation from Adam who erred

تردَّى به جسماً ونفساً عريقةً

تردَّى به جسماً ونفساً عريقةً

ولكنه عن نسله كان زائغا

ولكنه عن نسله كان زائغا

He clothed himself in him—a body and a soul of ancient stock—

He attacked him in body and dignified soul

yet he had turned aside from his seed.

But from his progeny he always strayed

وأصلح عقلاً كان من قبل ناقصاً

وأصلح عقلاً كان من قبل ناقصاً

وأفصح نطقاً كان من بعد لاثغا

وأفصح نطقاً كان من بعد لاثغا

And he perfected a mind that had previously been deficient,

And he perfected a mind that was once lacking

and made eloquent speech that had afterward been lisping.

And articulated a speech that was once muted

بدا الحق فيه يصدع الحقَّ مرشداً

بدا الحق فيه يصدع الحقَّ مرشداً

وما كل حق كان للحق فادغا

وما كل حق كان للحق فادغا

Truth appeared in him, openly proclaiming truth as a guide;

The truth in him split the rock as a guide

yet not every truth dealt truth a crushing blow.

Though not every truth could split the true rock

فهذا هو الإكسير إكسير نفسنا

فهذا هو الإكسير إكسير نفسنا

أتانا وذيل الشك للشك سابغا

أتانا وذيل الشك للشك سابغا

This, then, is the elixir, the elixir of our soul.

This is the elixir, elixir of our soul

He came to us, with doubt's train amply draped over doubt.

That came to us while doubts' tails clung to doubts

ومذ حل حَوَّلَ اَسْرُباً ثم آنُكاً

ومذ حل حَوَّلَ اَسْرُباً ثم آنُكاً

إلى الذهب الإبريز إن كنت صائغا

إلى الذهب الإبريز إن كنت صائغا

And when he came, he transmuted lead, then tin,

Since he arrived, he transformed shavings then lead

into pure gold, if you are a goldsmith.

Into pure gold, if you are an artisan

فلله مأكولٌ به كان مُمرياً

فلله مأكولٌ به كان مُمرياً

وللَه مشروبٌ به كان سائغا

وللَه مشروبٌ به كان سائغا

By God, what food was made digestible through him!

God has gained a meal that once deprived

And by God, what drink was made palatable through him!

And a drink that once quenched thirst

فما شئت من إحكام أمرٍ فأبرِمَنْ

فما شئت من إحكام أمرٍ فأبرِمَنْ

وما شئت من إنفاذ حكمٍ فبالغا

وما شئت من إنفاذ حكمٍ فبالغا

So whatever matter you wish to secure, make it firm;

Whatever firm order you desire, conclude it

and whatever decree you wish to execute, carry it through.

And whatever just rule you want, see it through

فقد قسمت فيه الحظوظ موارثاً

فقد قسمت فيه الحظوظ موارثاً

كما قسم الأرْضون في عهدِ فالغا

كما قسم الأرْضون في عهدِ فالغا

For the shares in him were apportioned as inheritances,

In him lots were divided like inheritance

as the lands were divided in Peleg's time.

As lands in the era of peacetime were divided

فلا تخش في تقسيمه الحظَّ مارداً

فلا تخش في تقسيمه الحظَّ مارداً

ولو كان بين الناس بالشر نازغا

ولو كان بين الناس بالشر نازغا

So in dividing it, do not fear rebellious fortune,

So fear no usurper in dividing the lot

even if he was stirring up evil among people.

Even if he quarreled with people through evil

على أن تلك الصخرة الحق رّضَّضت

على أن تلك الصخرة الحق رّضَّضت

أمانيه حتى ارتد عنّا مراوغا

أمانيه حتى ارتد عنّا مراوغا

Yet that true rock crushed

For that rock, the truth, crushed

his wishes, until he recoiled from us, dodging.

His hopes until he evaded us

فأصبح مرجوماً وقد كان راجماً

فأصبح مرجوماً وقد كان راجماً

لجبهته في هَبوة التُرب مارغا

لجبهته في هَبوة التُرب مارغا

So he became the one stoned, though he had been the stone-thrower,

And he who once stoned became stoned

rubbing his forehead in a cloud of earth-dust.

With a face masked in soil during tumult's attack

فأسفر عن وجهٍ تدبَّغ بالثرى

فأسفر عن وجهٍ تدبَّغ بالثرى

لحى اللَه وجهاً جاء بالمكر دابغا

لحى اللَه وجهاً جاء بالمكر دابغا

Then he unveiled a face tanned with soil;

He fell while his soul rose as a ray

may God curse a face that came tanning with deceit!

Victorious or exaggerating as it rose

هوى واستطارت نفسُه عندما هوى

هوى واستطارت نفسُه عندما هوى

شعاعاً وشدَّ غالباً أو مبالغا

شعاعاً وشدَّ غالباً أو مبالغا

He fell, and his soul scattered when he fell,

Until we muzzled him with our symbol’s pearl

in fragments; he charged, prevailing or overreaching,

Wisdom about her child left him

إلى أن لَجمناه بدُرَّةِ رَمزنا

إلى أن لَجمناه بدُرَّةِ رَمزنا

له حكمةٌ عن طفلها عاد لاثغا

له حكمةٌ عن طفلها عاد لاثغا

until we bridled him with the pearl of our symbol.

And I dressed him in it and through it our features

It has wisdom; from her child he returned lisping.

As I was dressed in its flowing robes

وألبستُه منها وفيها شكائماً

وألبستُه منها وفيها شكائماً

كما أنني أُلبستُ فيها السوابغا

كما أنني أُلبستُ فيها السوابغا

And from her, and in her, I fitted him with bridle bits,

It appeared to us as a full moon then a sun matching us

just as in her I was clothed in full coats of mail.

The law since it wandered in it preoccupied

تبدَّت لنا بدراً وشمساً تقارنا

تبدَّت لنا بدراً وشمساً تقارنا

هما شَرَعٌ مذ هام فيها مُناشغا

هما شَرَعٌ مذ هام فيها مُناشغا

She appeared to us as a full moon and a sun in conjunction;

It seemed a full moon so when its mansion emerged

the two were equal, since he doted on her, playfully coaxing.

An eagle appeared as a sun not yet rising

تراءت لنا بدراً فمذ حل بُرجَها

تراءت لنا بدراً فمذ حل بُرجَها

عُقابٌ بدت شمساً وما كان بازغا

عُقابٌ بدت شمساً وما كان بازغا

She appeared to us as a full moon; then, when her zodiacal sign was entered

But he crafted through it for himself in it

by an eagle, she appeared as a sun, though he had not risen.

Jewelry with wisdom from the symbol of unfading dye

ولكنه قد صاغ منها له بها

ولكنه قد صاغ منها له بها

حُلِيّاً له من عَندَم الرمز صابغا

حُلِيّاً له من عَندَم الرمز صابغا

Yet from her, for himself and through her, he fashioned

Thirty years he wandered in it, managing

jewelry for himself, coloring it with the symbol's crimson dye.

And after the thirty they called him artisan

ثلاثين حولاً جال فيها مدبِّراً

ثلاثين حولاً جال فيها مدبِّراً

وسَمَّوه من بعد الثلاثين صائغا

وسَمَّوه من بعد الثلاثين صائغا

For thirty years he ranged within her, directing the work,

and after the thirty they called him a goldsmith.