كلُّ شيءٍ بقضاءٍ وقَدَر

كلُّ شيءٍ بقضاءٍ وقَدَر

هكذا المعلومُ

هكذا المعلومُ

Everything is by decree and destiny.

Everything is by predestination and fate

Thus is what is known.

Thus is the known

والذي يقضي به حكم النظر

والذي يقضي به حكم النظر

سرُّه مكتوم

سرُّه مكتوم

And what reflection's judgment decrees,

And He who decrees what the mind rules

its secret is concealed.

His secret is concealed

كلُّ من أشهده سرّ القدر

كلُّ من أشهده سرّ القدر

ربُّه يعلمُ

ربُّه يعلمُ

Whoever is shown the secret of destiny

All who I made witness the secret of fate

by his Lord knows

Their Lord knows

إنَّ بالحكم الذي منه ظهر

إنَّ بالحكم الذي منه ظهر

عينه يحكمُ

عينه يحكمُ

that, by the judgment that issues from him,

Indeed, in the decree from which appeared

his essence is judged.

His eye rules

عجباً قيمن له نعتُ البشر

عجباً قيمن له نعتُ البشر

وهو لا يفهمُ

وهو لا يفهمُ

How strange is one who bears humankind's attributes,

A wonder who has the attribute of mankind

yet he does not understand.

And he does not understand

والذي يشهدُه نورُ القمر

والذي يشهدُه نورُ القمر

فهو المرحومُ

فهو المرحومُ

And he whom the moon's light witnesses,

And those who witness the light of the moon

he, then, is the one shown mercy.

They are the blessed

والذي عُيِّب عنه واستسرَّ

والذي عُيِّب عنه واستسرَّ

ذلك المحرومُ

ذلك المحرومُ

And he from whom it was [hidden?] and remained concealed,

And those deprived of it and kept secret

that is the one deprived.

They are the deprived

شاهد النقل الذي حيرني

شاهد النقل الذي حيرني

وبه أحيى

وبه أحيى

The testimony of transmitted teaching, which bewildered me—

The witness of the transmitted that confused me

and through it I live.

And with it I was revived

ودليلُ العقلِ قد صيَّرني

ودليلُ العقلِ قد صيَّرني

مُنكِراً أشْيا

مُنكِراً أشْيا

And reason's proof has made me

And the proof of reason made me

a denier of things.

A denier of things

فتراني عندما خيّرني

فتراني عندما خيّرني

أكره المحيا

أكره المحيا

So you see me, when it gives me a choice,

So you see me when it gave me a choice

detesting life.

I dislike life

فأنا ما بين عقلٍ وخبر

فأنا ما بين عقلٍ وخبر

ظالمٌ وظلومْ

ظالمٌ وظلومْ

Thus, between reason and transmitted report, I am

So I am between a mind and news

unjust, and deeply unjust.

Oppressive and oppressed

فإذا سُرِّحتُ من سجنِ الفكر

فإذا سُرِّحتُ من سجنِ الفكر

قمتُ بالقيوم

قمتُ بالقيوم

Then, when I am released from thought's prison,

So if I am released from the prison of thought

I stand through the Self-Subsisting One.

I stand by the Eternal

بالتجلِّي في التدلِّي قلتُ به

بالتجلِّي في التدلِّي قلتُ به

فأبى عقلي

فأبى عقلي

I affirmed it: self-disclosure in descent,

By the manifestation in the evidence I said with it

but my reason refused.

But my mind refused

والتجلي في التجلِّي منه به

والتجلي في التجلِّي منه به

قال لي قل لي

قال لي قل لي

And self-disclosure within self-disclosure, from him, through him,

And the manifestation in the manifestation from it with it

said to me: Tell me,

It said to me, say to me

انت مني عينُ ظلِّي فانتبه

انت مني عينُ ظلِّي فانتبه

بالهوى من لي

بالهوى من لي

You are from me, my very shadow—so take heed.

You are from me the essence of my shadow so be conscious

In love, who is there for me?

With passion from me

إن جرى الأمرُ على حكمِ البَصَر

إن جرى الأمرُ على حكمِ البَصَر

قلت بالمفهومْ

قلت بالمفهومْ

If the matter follows the judgment of sight,

If the matter proceeded according to the rule of sight

I affirm the understood meaning.

I said with understanding

أو جرى الأمر على حكم العِبَره

أو جرى الأمر على حكم العِبَره

ينتفي المرسوم

ينتفي المرسوم

Or the matter follows the judgment of insight,

Or if the matter proceeded according to the rule of lesson

the delineated form vanishes.

The decree becomes invalid

لو أنَّ ما بي من شؤون العبادِ

لو أنَّ ما بي من شؤون العبادِ

وكلُّ ما يجري

وكلُّ ما يجري

If what lies in me of the servants' affairs,

If what is in me from the affairs of servants

and everything that happens,

And all that happens

يكون بالسبعِ الطباقِ الشدادِ

يكون بالسبعِ الطباقِ الشدادِ

يسكّن عن دورِ

يسكّن عن دورِ

were in the seven strong, layered heavens,

Were to be with the seven layers of the veil

it would halt their turning.

It would settle from going around

إنَّ الذي كانَ مسبيّ مراد

إنَّ الذي كانَ مسبيّ مراد

لصاحبِ الأمر

لصاحبِ الأمر

Indeed, the one who was captive is desired

Indeed, he who had what he intended captive

by the master of the command.

To the owner of the matter

الصبر أولى بي من أجل الظفر

الصبر أولى بي من أجل الظفر

وإنه موهومُ

وإنه موهومُ

Patience is more fitting for me, for victory's sake,

Patience is more suited to me in order to gain

and it is illusory.

And it is delusional

فاشرب رحيقاً عند وقتِ السَّحَر

فاشرب رحيقاً عند وقتِ السَّحَر

مِزاجُه تسنيم

مِزاجُه تسنيم

So drink pure wine at the hour before dawn,

So drink a draught at the time of dawn

its admixture is Tasnim.

Its mixture is breeze

بساحلِ البحر رأيتُ التي

بساحلِ البحر رأيتُ التي

ما زلتُ ألغيها

ما زلتُ ألغيها

On the seashore I saw her whom

On the seashore I saw she

I have never ceased dismissing.

Whom I still make disappear

فقلتُللنفسِ ترى قبلتي

فقلتُللنفسِ ترى قبلتي

بالله أبغيها

بالله أبغيها

So I said to the soul: Do you see my qibla?

So I said to myself, do you see before you

By God, I seek her.

By God I want her

فأنشدتْ تخبر عن جملتي

فأنشدتْ تخبر عن جملتي

وذاك يطيعها

وذاك يطيعها

So she chanted, telling of my whole being,

So it recited telling of my situation

and that one obeys her.

And that obeys it

ليتني رملٌ على شطِّ البحر

ليتني رملٌ على شطِّ البحر

يا ابني أو أطومْ

يا ابني أو أطومْ

If only I were sand upon the seashore,

I wish I was sand on the seashore

O my son—or a dugong.

Oh my son or I perish

وترى عيني مذ تطلعُ سِحر

وترى عيني مذ تطلعُ سِحر

لبلادِ الرُّوم

لبلادِ الرُّوم

And you see my eye, from the moment it rises, as enchantment

And you see since dawn appears

for the lands of the Rum.

To the lands of Rome