يا من يحيرني في ذاته أبداً

يا من يحيرني في ذاته أبداً

تنزيهه والذي قد جاء في الشبه

تنزيهه والذي قد جاء في الشبه

O You, concerning whose essence I am forever bewildered

O you who perplex me with your essence forever

By Your transcendence and what has come concerning likeness.

Your transcendence and that which has come in the likeness

إنْ قلتُ ليس كذا قالت شريعته

إنْ قلتُ ليس كذا قالت شريعته

صدِّق بتنزيهه العالي وبالشّبهِ

صدِّق بتنزيهه العالي وبالشّبهِ

If I say, “It is not so,” His law replies:

If I say it is not so, His law has said

“Believe in His exalted transcendence and in likeness.”

Believe in His sublime transcendence and in the likeness

للحالتين معاً الذاتُ قابلةٌ

للحالتين معاً الذاتُ قابلةٌ

فأنت لا أنت إذ يدعوك بالشّبه

فأنت لا أنت إذ يدعوك بالشّبه

The Essence admits both states together.

For both states together the essence is receptive

So you are not you when He calls you by likeness.

So you are not you when He calls you by the likeness

وقد رأى كلُّ ذي فكر وذيبَصَرٍ

وقد رأى كلُّ ذي فكر وذيبَصَرٍ

الفرقَ بين وجودِ التبر والشبه

الفرقَ بين وجودِ التبر والشبه

And every thinker and person of insight has seen

And every person of intellect and insight has seen

The difference between the existence of raw gold and brass.

The difference between the existence of purity and likeness

إني وليتُ أمورَ الخَلق أجمعها

إني وليتُ أمورَ الخَلق أجمعها

شرقاً وغَرباً وإني بيضة البلَدِ

شرقاً وغَرباً وإني بيضة البلَدِ

I have taken charge of all the affairs of creation,

If I were in charge of all creation's affairs

East and west, and I am the land's egg—its peerless one.

East and west, though I am the egg of the country

وما أنفِّذُ أمراً في الوجودِ فما

وما أنفِّذُ أمراً في الوجودِ فما

يبدو مقامي فما يدريه من أحد

يبدو مقامي فما يدريه من أحد

Yet I execute no command in existence, and so

And I do not execute any command in existence, so

My station does not appear, and no one knows it.

My position does not appear, none knows it of anyone

وما أُغالط نفسي حين أسمع ما

وما أُغالط نفسي حين أسمع ما

أدعى به من إمامٍ سيِّد سَنَدِ

أدعى به من إمامٍ سيِّد سَنَدِ

Nor do I deceive myself when I hear what

And I do not fool myself when I hear what

I am called: an imam, a master, a mainstay.

Is claimed by the master, pillar of authority

أتابعُ الحقَّ فيما شاءه وقضى

أتابعُ الحقَّ فيما شاءه وقضى

قبلَ الوقوعِ عن اذن السيِّد الصمد

قبلَ الوقوعِ عن اذن السيِّد الصمد

I follow the Real in what He has willed and decreed,

I follow the truth in what He has willed and decreed

Before it occurs, by leave of the Master, the Self-Sufficient.

Before occurrence, by permission of the Eternal Lord

فينفذ الأمر بي كلّ آونةٍ

فينفذ الأمر بي كلّ آونةٍ

ولاترى الخَلَق إلا صورةَ الجسد

ولاترى الخَلَق إلا صورةَ الجسد

Thus the command takes effect through me at every moment,

So the command is executed through me every instant

And creation sees only the body's form.

And creation sees nothing but the form of the body

عجزاً وفقراً وكتماً لا يزايلني

عجزاً وفقراً وكتماً لا يزايلني

وإنني أحديّ الذات بالأحد

وإنني أحديّ الذات بالأحد

Helplessness, poverty, and concealment never leave me,

Incapacity, poverty, and concealment do not leave me

And indeed I am one in essence through the One.

Though I limit the essence with the One

وعين ذكر مقامي ستره ولذا

وعين ذكر مقامي ستره ولذا

صرَّحت إذ قبل الأقوامُ مستندي

صرَّحت إذ قبل الأقوامُ مستندي

And the very mention of my station is its concealment; therefore

And the eye of mentioning my station is its veil, and so

I spoke openly when the people accepted my grounds.

I have declared it since the people have accepted my authority

فقال قائلهم دعواه قد عريتْ

فقال قائلهم دعواه قد عريتْ

عن الدليل وهذا عين معتقدي

عن الدليل وهذا عين معتقدي

Then their speaker said, “His claim has been stripped

So one of them said, his claim has been stripped

Of proof”—and this is the very essence of my belief.

Of evidence, and this is the essence of my doctrine