شؤون ربي من تغيير أنفاسي

شؤون ربي من تغيير أنفاسي

كالجودِ منه لما عندي من إفلاسِ

كالجودِ منه لما عندي من إفلاسِ

My Lord’s affairs arise through the changing of my breaths,

My Lord’s affairs arise from the changing of my breaths,

as existence comes from Him, since all I possess is utter poverty.

Like the bounty from Him for the destitution I bear.

فراغه لي مني بالزمان مما

فراغه لي مني بالزمان مما

في الكون إلا جود الجنِّ والناس

في الكون إلا جود الجنِّ والناس

His turning His attention to me, from me, through time, is among what

His attending to me, from me, in time, from what

is in the cosmos, save the generosity of jinn and humankind,

Is in the cosmos, except the bounty of jinn and humankind.

لما ينافي وجود النشىء من ثقلٍ

لما ينافي وجود النشىء من ثقلٍ

فلو يخف لكنا التاجَ في الراس

فلو يخف لكنا التاجَ في الراس

because of whatever weight is incompatible with the nascent being’s existence.

For the weight that opposes the existence of created beings,

Were that weight light, we would be the crown upon the head;

So, were it to grow light, we would be the crown upon the head.

لكننا منه كالنعلين في قدمٍ

لكننا منه كالنعلين في قدمٍ

من التقلب أو كالشامخ الراسي

من التقلب أو كالشامخ الراسي

yet because of it we are like the two sandals at my feet,

But to Him we are like two sandals upon a foot,

in continual turning—or like the towering one, rooted fast.

Because of shifting about, or like the lofty, firmly rooted one.

في نشأة العجل برهانٌ لذي نظرٍ

في نشأة العجل برهانٌ لذي نظرٍ

في السامريِّ وما في الأمر من باس

في السامريِّ وما في الأمر من باس

In the calf’s creation lies a proof for one possessed of insight,

In the calf’s formation is a proof for one who reflects

concerning al-Sāmirī; and there is no harm in the matter.

On al-Samiri—and there is no harm in the matter.