الله يعلمُ نفسي

الله يعلمُ نفسي

وما عليه أجنَّت

وما عليه أجنَّت

God knows my soul

and what it has kept concealed.

فحكمة الله لما

فحكمة الله لما

طلبتُها ما تجنب

طلبتُها ما تجنب

For God's wisdom, when

I sought it, did not turn away.

فكم تمنيت نفوسٌ

فكم تمنيت نفوسٌ

إدراكها واطمأنت

إدراكها واطمأنت

How many souls have longed

to grasp it, and felt at ease!

ولو دّرتْ أن هذا

ولو دّرتْ أن هذا

يضرّها ما استكنت

يضرّها ما استكنت

And had they known that this

would harm them, they would not have rested.

لذاك خابت فذابت

لذاك خابت فذابت

ولم تنلْ ما تمنَّت

ولم تنلْ ما تمنَّت

Thus they were disappointed and melted away,

and did not attain what they wished.

ولو تمتْ عقولٌ

ولو تمتْ عقولٌ

إليه بالشوق حنت

إليه بالشوق حنت

And had minds been perfected

that yearned toward Him with longing,

نالته عِلماً ولكن

نالته عِلماً ولكن

ضلّت به حين ظنت

ضلّت به حين ظنت

they would have attained Him in knowledge; but

they went astray concerning Him when they conjectured.

لقد منحت مقاماً

لقد منحت مقاماً

له الخلائق أنّت

له الخلائق أنّت

I have indeed been granted a station

for which all creatures groaned,

كما خصصت بأمرٍ

كما خصصت بأمرٍ

عنه الملائك جنّت

عنه الملائك جنّت

just as I was singled out for a matter

which drove the angels mad.