نادانيcalled me الحقُّthe Real منfrom عقليmy intellect ومنand from ذاتيmy essence
ناداني الحقُّ من عقلي ومن ذاتي
فالسلبُthus negation للعقلfor the intellect والإثباتُand affirmation للذاتِfor the essence
فالسلبُ للعقل والإثباتُ للذاتِ
The Real called to me from my intellect and from my essence.
Thus negation belongs to the intellect, and affirmation to the essence.
كآيةlike the verse of الشورىal-Shūrā سلبnegation وهيwhile it مثبتةaffirming
كآية الشورى سلب وهي مثبتة
ماwhat قدalready نفتهit denied it منof إدراكperception بآلاتthrough instruments
ما قد نفته من إدراك بآلات
Like the verse of al-Shūrā: negation, though it affirms
what it has denied of perception through instruments.
إنيindeed I عميتwas blind علىto تحصيلattaining شاهدهHis evidence
إني عميت على تحصيل شاهده
حتىuntil شهدتI bore witness لماto what أضمرتconcealed آياتيmy signs
حتى شهدت لما أضمرت آياتي
Indeed, I was blind to discerning His evidence,
until I bore witness to what my signs concealed.
فلمso I did not أعرِّجturn aside علىtoward أهلٍfamily ولاnor ولدa child
فلم أعرِّج على أهلٍ ولا ولد
ولاnor علىtoward أحدanyone منamong البرياتِcreated beings
ولا على أحد من البرياتِ
So I turned aside to neither family nor child,
nor to any of the created beings,
إلاexcept بهthrough Him فرأيتthen I saw الكلall صورتهHis form
إلا به فرأيت الكل صورته
فكنتso I was حيّاalive بهthrough Him ماemphatic particle بينamong أمواتِthe dead
فكنت حيّا به ما بين أمواتِ
except through Him; then I saw all as His form,
and through Him I was alive among the dead.
وعندماand when شهدتbeheld عينيmy eye منائحهHis gifts
وعندما شهدت عيني منائحه
ذوقاthrough tasting علمتI knew بهthrough Him علمknowledge of الخفياتhidden things
ذوقا علمت به علم الخفيات
And when my eye beheld His gifts,
through tasting, I gained through Him knowledge of hidden things.
فكنتso I would أشهدهbehold Him فيin كلِّevery حادثةoccurrence
فكنت أشهده في كلِّ حادثة
شهودthe witnessing of منone who قدalready رآهhas seen Him فيin الحمياتfevers
شهود من قد رآه في الحميات
So I would behold Him in every occurrence,
with the witnessing of one who has seen Him in fevers.
فسلمso remained sound الأمرthe matter فيin بعدdistance وفيand in كثبnearness
فسلم الأمر في بعد وفي كثب
وجادand He gave جُوداًgenerously بإيجادٍby bestowing existence علىupon آلاتinstruments
وجاد جُوداً بإيجادٍ على آلات
Thus the matter remained sound, in distance and in nearness,
and He lavished bounty by bestowing existence upon instruments.
بقابat a span of قوسينtwo bows أوor أدنىnearer علمتI knew بهof Him
بقاب قوسين أو أدنى علمت به
علميmy knowledge بهof Him فيin الثرىthe dust والسمهرياتand the slender Samharī spears
علمي به في الثرى والسمهريات
At two bow-lengths or nearer, I knew Him
as I know Him in the dust and the Samharī spears.
إنَّindeed الخلافَdifference وفاقconcord ليسdoes not يعلمهknow it
إنَّ الخلافَ وفاق ليس يعلمه
إلاexcept الذيthe one who ذاقهtasted it عندduring الزياراتthe visitations
إلا الذي ذاقه عند الزيارات
Indeed, difference is concord; none knows it
except one who has tasted it during visitations.
كمثلlike أسمائهHis names الحسنىmost beautiful لمعتبرfor one who reflects
كمثل أسمائه الحسنى لمعتبر
والعينُand the reality واحدةone والكلand all للذاتbelong to the Essence
والعينُ واحدة والكل للذات
As with His most beautiful names, for one who reflects:
the reality is one, and all belong to the Essence,
معwith الخلافِthe difference الذيwhich فيهاis within them لناظرهاto one who beholds them
مع الخلافِ الذي فيها لناظرها
عندat التقابلopposition منamong أقوىthe strongest الدلالاتindications
عند التقابل من أقوى الدلالات
while their difference, to one who beholds them,
when they stand opposed, is among the strongest indications
علىof الذيwhat قلتهI said it إنif كنتَyou are ذاpossessed of نظرinsight
على الذي قلته إن كنتَ ذا نظر
وكنتand you are فيهin this منamong أربابthose endowed with الكراماتmiraculous gifts
وكنت فيه من أرباب الكرامات
of what I have said, if you possess insight
and in this are among those endowed with miraculous gifts.
الحقُّthe Real يعلمknows ماwhat وهمwas imagined بصوّرهin His forms (reading uncertain)
الحقُّ يعلم ما وهم بصوّره
فإنهfor He is indeed الحقُّthe Real فيin دركapprehension النبوّاتprophethoods
فإنه الحقُّ في درك النبوّات
The Real knows what is imagined in His forms,
for He is the Real in prophetic apprehension.
منwhoever قالsays إنَّthat وجودَthe existence of الحقّthe Real فيin صورforms
من قال إنَّ وجودَ الحقّ في صور
ورآهاand sees them فهوthen that is جهلignorance بالمقاماتof the spiritual stations
ورآها فهو جهل بالمقامات
Whoever says, 'The Real's existence is in forms,'
and sees them—that is ignorance of the spiritual stations.
لوif قالhe said معwith قالhe would speak علماknowledge لاno خفاءَobscurity بهin it
لو قال مع قال علما لا خفاءَ به
والنقضُand refutation يصحبهaccompanies it معalong with العلاماتthe signs
والنقضُ يصحبه مع العلامات
Had he said 'with,' he would have spoken knowledge with no obscurity,
though refutation accompanies it, along with the signs.
لوif قالhe said معكان'with,' it would be أولىmore fitting وهوyet it is مجهلةa source of ignorance
لو قال معكان أولى وهو مجهلة
أيضاًalso ولوand if قالhe said إنَّthat العينthe reality فيin اللاتيthose which [forms]
أيضاً ولو قال إنَّ العين في اللاتي
Had he said 'with,' it would have been better, though it breeds ignorance
as well; and had he said, 'The reality is in those [forms],'
أصابhe would be right فيin كلِّevery وجهٍaspect منof مقالتهhis statement
أصاب في كلِّ وجهٍ من مقالته
شرعاby sacred law وعقلاًand by reason وفيهand in it نفيُnegation of آفاتِimperfections
شرعا وعقلاً وفيه نفيُ آفاتِ
he would have been right in every aspect of his statement,
by sacred law and reason, with imperfections negated therein.
Sol 6.1