تبارك الله لا أبغي به بدلا

تبارك الله لا أبغي به بدلا

ولا أراه سوى في الأهلِ والولدِ

ولا أراه سوى في الأهلِ والولدِ

Blessed is God; I seek no substitute for Him,

Blessed is Allah, I do not want any substitute for Him

And I see Him only in family and offspring.

Nor do I see Him except in family and children

عجبتُ من غفلتي عنه به وأنا

عجبتُ من غفلتي عنه به وأنا

منه كما قد علمتم بيضة البلد

منه كما قد علمتم بيضة البلد

I marvel at my heedlessness of Him through Him, while I am

I am surprised at my heedlessness of Him through Him while I

From Him—as you already know—the land's solitary egg.

Am the white of His country, as you know

اعلم بأنَّ الذي بالعقل أطلبه

اعلم بأنَّ الذي بالعقل أطلبه

لو فات عن بصري ما فات عن خلدي

لو فات عن بصري ما فات عن خلدي

Know that He whom I seek through the intellect,

I know that what I seek with my intellect

Even if He eluded my sight, would not elude my mind.

If missed by my sight did not miss my heart

قد صحَّ بالنقل أنَّ العينَ واحدةٌ

قد صحَّ بالنقل أنَّ العينَ واحدةٌ

مني ومنه فلا يحجبك بالجسد

مني ومنه فلا يحجبك بالجسد

It has been established through transmission that the essence is one—

It is true in transmission that the eye is one

Mine and His—so let Him not veil you with the body.

Of me and of Him, so do not let the body veil you

فإنه عين كلي هكذا وردت

فإنه عين كلي هكذا وردت

ظهراً وبطناً وما بالربعِ من أحد

ظهراً وبطناً وما بالربعِ من أحد

For He is the very essence of my whole being; thus it has come down,

For He is my whole eye, thus it came

Outwardly and inwardly; there is no one in the dwelling

Back and front, and none in the quarter from anyone

غيري وصورته في الحس صورتنا

غيري وصورته في الحس صورتنا

بكلِّ وجه وانَّ المر في حيد

بكلِّ وجه وانَّ المر في حيد

But me, and His form to the senses is our form,

Other than me and His image in perception is our image

In every respect; and the matter turns aside [reading uncertain].

In every aspect, and the matter is in the spine

قد قال عني أموراً لست أعرفها

قد قال عني أموراً لست أعرفها

فيه فما جاء من غيِّ ومن رَشَد

فيه فما جاء من غيِّ ومن رَشَد

He has said things about me that I do not recognize

He has said things about me I do not know

In Him; so whatever has come of error and right guidance

In Him, so whatever came of deceit and of righteousness

وقتاً وقتا يميزني عنه ويجمعني

وقتاً وقتا يميزني عنه ويجمعني

وقتاً عليه به لا بدَّ من عدد

وقتاً عليه به لا بدَّ من عدد

At one time, at another, sets me apart from Him and gathers me

Sometimes and sometimes He distinguishes me from Him and combines me

At times unto Him, through Him; there must be multiplicity.

And sometimes against Him through Him, there must be a number

قد حرت فيه فلا أدري أيثبت لي

قد حرت فيه فلا أدري أيثبت لي

عين افتقاري أو استغناي في الأبد

عين افتقاري أو استغناي في الأبد

I am bewildered about Him, so I do not know whether there abides for me

I wavered about Him, so I do not know if I prove for myself

My very dependence or my self-sufficiency for eternity.

The eye of my need or self-sufficiency forever

من أعجب الأمر أني حادث وأنا

من أعجب الأمر أني حادث وأنا

عين القديم بما قد جاء بالسند

عين القديم بما قد جاء بالسند

Among the strangest things is that I am newly arisen, yet I am

Of the strangest thing is that I am temporal and I

The very Eternal, according to what came through the chain of transmission:

Am the eye of the Eternal with what came with the support

بأنه فيّ عين السمعِ والبصرِ

بأنه فيّ عين السمعِ والبصرِ

وأنه عينُ ما أسعى به ويدي

وأنه عينُ ما أسعى به ويدي

That in me He is the very hearing and sight,

That He is in me the eye of hearing and sight

And that He is the very means by which I strive, and my hand.

And that He is the eye of what I strive with and my hand

إنْ تمت قام لما أبغيه من عمل

إنْ تمت قام لما أبغيه من عمل

به ويكسبه لي وهو ليس يدي

به ويكسبه لي وهو ليس يدي

If it dies, He undertakes the work I seek

If it is complete, He stands for what I want

Through Him, and earns it for me, though He is not my hand.

Of work through Him and earns it for me while He is not my hand

لأنه صح أنَّ العينَ حادثةٌ

لأنه صح أنَّ العينَ حادثةٌ

مني وكيف يكون الأمر يا سندي

مني وكيف يكون الأمر يا سندي

For it is established that the essence is newly arisen—

Because it is true that the eye is temporal

Mine; how can this be, O my support?

From me, so how can the matter be, O my support?

تقابل الأمر فينا والوجود لنا

تقابل الأمر فينا والوجود لنا

حقاً يقيناً بلا ريبٍ ولا فندِ

حقاً يقيناً بلا ريبٍ ولا فندِ

The matter is contradictory within us, yet existence is ours,

The matter confronts us and existence is for us

Truly and certainly, without doubt or falsehood.

Truly, with certainty, without doubt or rebuttal

إن كنته فلماذا قلت فيه بأن

إن كنته فلماذا قلت فيه بأن

الحق سبحانه ركني ومعتمدي

الحق سبحانه ركني ومعتمدي

If I am He, why then did I say of Him that

If I am His essence, then why did you say about Him that

The Real—glory be to Him—is my pillar and my reliance?

The Truth, glory to Him, is my pillar and reliance

لولا أنا لم بليس النفي تتبعه

لولا أنا لم بليس النفي تتبعه

ولا ينفي أب عنه ولا ولد

ولا ينفي أب عنه ولا ولد

Were it not for me, you would not pursue Him with the negating 'is not',

If it were not for me, negation would not follow denial

Nor would a father or child be denied of Him.

Nor would the Father deny Him or a son

والكاف عيني بلا شك وزائدة

والكاف عيني بلا شك وزائدة

في قول أكثرهم فاقرأ ولا تزد

في قول أكثرهم فاقرأ ولا تزد

And the kāf ('like') is my very self, without doubt, and is redundant

And the k is my eye without doubt and an extra

In most people's view; so read, and add nothing.

In the words of most of them, so read and do not add

في اللحن يثبت ما قلناه من شبه

في اللحن يثبت ما قلناه من شبه

ولم يكن كفء الله من أحد

ولم يكن كفء الله من أحد

In the words' implied sense, what we said of likeness is established:

In tone, it proves what we said of the resemblance

And none has been God's equal.

And no one was equal to God

لذا أتت سورةُ الإخلاص عن سبب

لذا أتت سورةُ الإخلاص عن سبب

من يهتدي فيه بالهدي الصحيح هدي

من يهتدي فيه بالهدي الصحيح هدي

Therefore Surah al-Ikhlas came for a reason;

Thus came the surah Al-Ikhlas about the reason

Whoever finds guidance in it through sound guidance is guided.

Whoever is guided in it with the correct guidance is guided

إني أنزهك عن تنزيه أكثرهم

إني أنزهك عن تنزيه أكثرهم

بما أتت فيه أرسالٌ لكم وقد

بما أتت فيه أرسالٌ لكم وقد

Indeed I declare You beyond most people's declarations of transcendence,

I absolve you from the transcendence of most of them

By what successive bands brought you concerning Him—and indeed...

With what came to you in revelations and

كما فديتك من تقديسِ عالمهم

كما فديتك من تقديسِ عالمهم

في زعمه وهو في التقديس ذو عند

في زعمه وهو في التقديس ذو عند

Just as I ransomed You from their scholar's sanctification,

As I ransom you from their world's sanctification

As he claims it, while in sanctification he is obstinate.

In his allegation while he is the sanctification authority

كيف الفداءُ وما شيء يعادله

كيف الفداءُ وما شيء يعادله

لو افتدى أحد بما فديت فدي

لو افتدى أحد بما فديت فدي

How can there be ransom, when nothing equals Him?

How is redemption, and what thing equals it

Were anyone to ransom himself with what I offered as ransom, he would be ransomed.

If someone ransomed with what I ransomed ransom