يعرج العبد لاكتسابِ علومٍ

يعرج العبد لاكتسابِ علومٍ

ولتبليغها يرى في انتكاسِ

ولتبليغها يرى في انتكاسِ

The servant ascends to acquire kinds of knowledge.

The servant climbs to gain knowledge,

And to convey them, he is seen turning downward.

And to convey it, he sees a setback.

ثم عينُ النزولِ أيضاً عروجٌ

ثم عينُ النزولِ أيضاً عروجٌ

لشهودٍ ما فيه من التباس

لشهودٍ ما فيه من التباس

Then descent itself is also ascent,

Yet the eye of descent is also an ascent,

Through witnessing in which there is no confusion.

To witness what is free of illusion.

ثم نبغي بزهدنا ما زهدنا

ثم نبغي بزهدنا ما زهدنا

عينُ زهدي في ذاك عينُ التماسي

عينُ زهدي في ذاك عينُ التماسي

Then, through our renunciation, we seek what we renounced.

Then we desire with our asceticism what we renounced,

The essence of my renunciation in that is the essence of my seeking.

The eye of my asceticism is in that the eye of my longing.

هو لي بالنهار عين معاشي

هو لي بالنهار عين معاشي

وهو في الليلِ بالظلامِ لباسي

وهو في الليلِ بالظلامِ لباسي

By day, He is for me the very essence of my livelihood.

It is for me in the day the eye of my livelihood,

And at night, in the darkness, He is my garment.

And it is for me in the dark night my dress.

جعلَ النومُ لي سُباتا لأمرٍ

جعلَ النومُ لي سُباتا لأمرٍ

يجعل الحقَّ بالشهودِ نواسي

يجعل الحقَّ بالشهودِ نواسي

Sleep has given me repose for a purpose

Sleep has made me drowsy for a matter

That makes us console the Real through witnessing.

That makes the Real witness my companion.

فأراه في النومِ حقاً يقينا

فأراه في النومِ حقاً يقينا

رؤية في دارك الاحساس

رؤية في دارك الاحساس

So I see Him in sleep, truly and with certainty:

So I see Him in sleep as true certainty,

A vision within the faculty that apprehends sensation.

A vision in Your kingdom of senses,

مثل ما يشربُ النديمُ شربنا

مثل ما يشربُ النديمُ شربنا

بارك الله سيِّدي في نعاسي

بارك الله سيِّدي في نعاسي

We drank just as the boon companion drinks.

Like what the boon companion drinks of our drink.

May God, my Master, bless my drowsiness.

Bless, my Master, my sleep!

مذ بناني الإله قصراً مشيّداً

مذ بناني الإله قصراً مشيّداً

ذا سقوفٍ عليه وأساس

ذا سقوفٍ عليه وأساس

Since God built me as a lofty palace,

Since God built me a firm palace,

With roofs above it and a foundation,

With lofty ceilings and foundations,

علمتْ نفسي أنَّ سكناه ذاتي

علمتْ نفسي أنَّ سكناه ذاتي

ولريمِ الفلاةِ عينُ الكناسِ

ولريمِ الفلاةِ عينُ الكناسِ

My soul learned that His dwelling is my essence,

My soul learned that its dweller was my essence,

And the wilderness gazelle has the lair itself.

And to drifting sands the eye of coveting.