ولما أتاني الحقُّ ليلاً مكلماً

ولما أتاني الحقُّ ليلاً مكلماً

كفاحاً وأبداه لعيني التواضعُ

كفاحاً وأبداه لعيني التواضعُ

And when the Real came to me by night, addressing me

When Truth came to me at night conversing,

Face to face, and humility revealed Him to my eye,

Showing me humility through struggle,

وأرضعني ثدي الوجودِ تحققاً

وأرضعني ثدي الوجودِ تحققاً

فما أنا مفطومٌ ولا أنا راضعُ

فما أنا مفطومٌ ولا أنا راضعُ

And I was suckled at the breast of existence in realization,

And suckled me on the breast of existence in realization,

So I am neither weaned nor suckling.

I was not weaned, nor was I suckling,

ولم أقتل القبطيّ لكنْ زجرتُه

ولم أقتل القبطيّ لكنْ زجرتُه

بعلمي فلم تعسر عليَّ المواضع

بعلمي فلم تعسر عليَّ المواضع

And I did not kill the Copt, but rebuked him

I did not kill the Copt, but warned him

With my knowledge; thus the places posed no difficulty for me.

With my knowledge, so places were not confined for me,

وما ذبح الأبناء من أجلِ سطوتي

وما ذبح الأبناء من أجلِ سطوتي

ولا جاء شرّير ببطشي رافع

ولا جاء شرّير ببطشي رافع

And the sons were not slaughtered on account of my might,

And I did not slaughter children out of tyranny,

Nor did an evildoer come reporting my assault.

Nor did a wicked one come with my severity, uplifted,

فكنت كموسى غير أني رحمة

فكنت كموسى غير أني رحمة

لقومي فلم تحرمُ عليَّ المراضع

لقومي فلم تحرمُ عليَّ المراضع

So I was like Moses, except that I am a mercy

I was as Moses, except I am a mercy,

To my people; thus the wet nurses were not forbidden to me.

To my people, so sucklings were not forbidden me,

لغزتُ أموراً إن تحققت أمرها

لغزتُ أموراً إن تحققت أمرها

بدا لك علمٌ عند رَبِّك نافع

بدا لك علمٌ عند رَبِّك نافع

I have expressed matters in riddles; if you ascertain their nature,

I hinted at matters - if their affair were realized,

Knowledge beneficial in your Lord’s sight will become apparent to you.

Useful knowledge with your Lord would appear to you.