إني سألتك أسماء وحصرتها

إني سألتك أسماء وحصرتها

تسعٌ وتسعون لم تنقصْ ولم تزدْ

تسعٌ وتسعون لم تنقصْ ولم تزدْ

Indeed, I asked you for names and counted them—

I asked you for names, and confined them

ninety-nine, neither diminished nor increased.

To ninety-nine, neither less nor more

بأن يكون لنا في كلِّ حادثةٍ

بأن يكون لنا في كلِّ حادثةٍ

عينُ استناد وأنتم ير مستندي

عينُ استناد وأنتم ير مستندي

so that, in every occurrence, we might have

That we may find in every event

a source of reliance—and you are [unclear word] my support.

A source of reliance, while you are my pillar

جاء الجوابُ لنا من فوق أرقعة

جاء الجوابُ لنا من فوق أرقعة

سبعٌ من الدُّخ قامت لا على عمد

سبعٌ من الدُّخ قامت لا على عمد

The answer came to us from above the firmaments—

The answer came to us from above the domes

seven, of smoke, standing without pillars.

Seven of smoke that stood without columns

يرونها وأنا عينُ العمادِ لها

يرونها وأنا عينُ العمادِ لها

لذا تزول إذا زلنا من البلد

لذا تزول إذا زلنا من البلد

They see them, and I am their very pillar.

They see it while I am the pillar's eye for it

Thus they vanish when we depart from the land.

So it disappears when we depart from the land

فإنها لي ولولا عيني ما ببينت

فإنها لي ولولا عيني ما ببينت

والحقُّ يبعد عن مراتب العدد

والحقُّ يبعد عن مراتب العدد

For they are mine; without my essence they would not [unclear verb].

For it is mine, and without my eye it would not have become clear

And the Real is far removed from the ranks of number.

And the truth is far from the ranks of number

لذا يفكر بالتثليث قائله

لذا يفكر بالتثليث قائله

أين الثلاثُ من المنعوت بالأحد

أين الثلاثُ من المنعوت بالأحد

Thus he who professes trinity reflects upon it.

So its speaker ponders the trinity

Where are the three beside him who is described as the One?

Where is the three from the One attributed as the One?

الله أعظمُ أن يلقاه من أحد

الله أعظمُ أن يلقاه من أحد

في عينِ كثرته فاعمل به وقد

في عينِ كثرته فاعمل به وقد

Allah is too great to be encountered by anyone

God is too great to be grasped by anyone

in the very essence of his multiplicity; act upon this, and perhaps

So act through Him, and He has already

ينجو إذا صاحبُ الأعداد يهلك في

ينجو إذا صاحبُ الأعداد يهلك في

تعداده وهو الحيران في كبد

تعداده وهو الحيران في كبد

he escapes when the reckoner of numbers perishes in

One may be saved though the companion of numbers perishes in

his counting, while he is bewildered and in anguish.

His counting, bewildered and anguished

وكل عين من الأعداء تطلبُه

وكل عين من الأعداء تطلبُه

ولا سبيل إلى فوزٍ بلا سندِ

ولا سبيل إلى فوزٍ بلا سندِ

And every individual among the enemies seeks him.

And each eye of the enemies seeks Him

And there is no way to success without support.

Yet there is no way to win without a pillar

قل للذي رام أنْ يحظى بموجده

قل للذي رام أنْ يحظى بموجده

هيهاتِ هيهاتِ لا تعدلْ عن الرشدِ

هيهاتِ هيهاتِ لا تعدلْ عن الرشدِ

Tell the one who sought to attain his Creator:

Say to one who hoped to be with his Creator

Far from it! Far from it! Do not stray from right guidance.

Alas! Alas! Do not deviate from the right path

فليس يحظى به من ليس يشبهه

فليس يحظى به من ليس يشبهه

وليس يشبهه في العين من أحدِ

وليس يشبهه في العين من أحدِ

For no one attains him who does not resemble him,

For no one can attain Him who is not like Him

and no one resembles him in essence.

And no one is like Him in the eye of anyone

إذا تجلى لكم في عين وحدته

إذا تجلى لكم في عين وحدته

لن تدركوه لأنَّ الروح ذو جسد

لن تدركوه لأنَّ الروح ذو جسد

When he reveals himself to you in the very essence of his oneness,

When He manifests to you in the eye of oneness

you will not comprehend him, because the spirit has a body.

You cannot grasp Him for the soul has a body

والعينُ ذو جسد فأين وحدته

والعينُ ذو جسد فأين وحدته

فارجع وراك ولا تكرع ولا ترد

فارجع وراك ولا تكرع ولا ترد

And the individual being has a body—so where is his oneness?

While the eye has a body, so where is His oneness?

So retrace your steps; neither drink directly nor approach the water.

So turn back, do not rush or object

إنَّ المهيمنَ بالأسماءِ نعرفه

إنَّ المهيمنَ بالأسماءِ نعرفه

والاسم يظهره لصاحبِ الرصد

والاسم يظهره لصاحبِ الرصد

Indeed, we know the Guardian through the names,

We know the All-Pervading through the names

and the name reveals him to the watchful observer.

And the name reveals Him to the vigilant

لذاك قال لهم سموهمُ فإذا

لذاك قال لهم سموهمُ فإذا

سموهمُ بان من أسمائهم رَشَدي

سموهمُ بان من أسمائهم رَشَدي

For that reason he told them, 'Name them'; and when

Therefore He said to them: "Name them" so when

they named them, my right guidance became clear from their names.

They named them, guidance from their names emerged

فواحد العينِ مجهولٌ بلا صفةٍ

فواحد العينِ مجهولٌ بلا صفةٍ

فاعمل عليه فإنَّ الناسَ في حيد

فاعمل عليه فإنَّ الناسَ في حيد

For the one in essence is unknown without an attribute.

Thus the One of the eye is unknown without attributes

So act upon this, for people stray

So act through Him, for people are deviant

عن الذي رمتُ منه إن تحصله

عن الذي رمتُ منه إن تحصله

لو لم يكن فيه إلا الوصفُ بالجسد

لو لم يكن فيه إلا الوصفُ بالجسد

from what I sought from him—if you attain it—

Of the one I hinted at, if you attain Him

even if it had only the attribute of embodiment.

Even if only the attribute of having a body remained

لذاك يطلبه حتى يكون كهو

لذاك يطلبه حتى يكون كهو

ولا يكن فاقتصر عليك ولا تزد

ولا يكن فاقتصر عليك ولا تزد

That is why he seeks him, until he becomes like him;

That is why one seeks Him until he becomes like Him

and let him not be so; confine yourself to yourself, and go no further.

And does not exist, so be content with yourself and do not increase

لو أنَّ إبليسَ علامٌ بخالقه

لو أنَّ إبليسَ علامٌ بخالقه

كان الإله له من أعظم العدد

كان الإله له من أعظم العدد

Had Iblis been deeply knowledgeable about his Creator,

If Iblis had known his Creator

the Deity would have been, to him, among the greatest of numbers.

God would have been to him among the greatest numbers

لو أنَّ آدمَ لم يخذلْ طبيعته

لو أنَّ آدمَ لم يخذلْ طبيعته

ما كان في الملأ الذريّ من لدد

ما كان في الملأ الذريّ من لدد

Had Adam not forsaken his nature,

If Adam had not failed his nature

there would have been no obstinate contention in the assembly of particles.

There would not have been in mankind's progeny such strife