إني رأيت وجوداً لا يقيده

إني رأيت وجوداً لا يقيده

نعتٌ ولا هو محدود فينحصرُ

نعتٌ ولا هو محدود فينحصرُ

Indeed, I have seen being that is not confined

I saw an existence, not bounded by any description,

By any attribute, nor is it bounded so as to be circumscribed

Nor is it limited to be confined and measured.

في الحدِّ وهو الذي في الحدِّ يعرفه

في الحدِّ وهو الذي في الحدِّ يعرفه

وما له في الذي يدري به خبرُ

وما له في الذي يدري به خبرُ

Within a limit; yet it is what one knows within a limit,

It is the one who knows what's within the limit,

Though one has no knowledge of what one knows.

Yet nothing knows about the one who has no equal.

تنزهتْ ذاتُ من قد حار طالبها

تنزهتْ ذاتُ من قد حار طالبها

سبحانه جل أنْ تحظى به الفكر

سبحانه جل أنْ تحظى به الفكر

Transcendent is the essence of Him whose seeker has been bewildered.

The essence is too pure for its seeker to comprehend,

Glory be to Him! He is too exalted for thoughts to attain Him.

Glory be to Him, exalted above what any mind can conceive.

أقامني مثلا مثلا ونزهني

أقامني مثلا مثلا ونزهني

عن كلِّ شيء فلم يظفر بيَ النظر

عن كلِّ شيء فلم يظفر بيَ النظر

He established me as a likeness, a likeness, and set me apart

He made me an example and elevated me,

From everything; thus sight did not apprehend me.

Above everything, so no sight could reach me.

هو الوجودُ الذي في كونه سندٌ

هو الوجودُ الذي في كونه سندٌ

لخلقه وله سمع هو البصر

لخلقه وله سمع هو البصر

He is Being, in whose existence there is support

He is the existence, that in His being, is the pillar

For His creation; and His hearing is sight.

Of His creation, and He is the hearing and seeing.

إني لعبد لمن كانت هويته

إني لعبد لمن كانت هويته

عيني وما أنا عينُ الحقِّ فاعتبروا

عيني وما أنا عينُ الحقِّ فاعتبروا

Indeed, I am a servant of Him whose identity was

I'm a servant of the one whose identity,

My very essence; yet I am not the essence of the Real—so take heed.

Is my eyes, and I'm not the eye of the Truth, ponder over this.

لو كنته لم أكن بالعجز متَّصفاً

لو كنته لم أكن بالعجز متَّصفاً

عن كونِ ما تظهر الأسباب والقدر

عن كونِ ما تظهر الأسباب والقدر

If I were He, I would not be marked by powerlessness

If I were Him, I wouldn't have been characterized by incapacity,

Regarding the coming-to-be of what causes and destiny manifest.

To bring into being what secondary causes and fate show.

ولم يكن حاكماً على تصرّفنا

ولم يكن حاكماً على تصرّفنا

سرٌّ يقال له في علمنا القدر

سرٌّ يقال له في علمنا القدر

Nor would there be, governing our actions,

And the unseen called fate wouldn't have power,

A mystery called destiny in our knowledge.

Over our actions, this is a hidden secret I tell.

إني عُبيدٌ فقيرٌ في تقلبه

إني عُبيدٌ فقيرٌ في تقلبه

هذي نعوتي وأما اسمي هو البشر

هذي نعوتي وأما اسمي هو البشر

Indeed, I am a humble servant, needy in his changing states.

I'm a poor, needy slave at His disposal,

These are my attributes; as for my name, it is 'human.'

These are my attributes, and my name is humankind.

ووالدي آدمُ والكلُّ متَّصِفٌ

ووالدي آدمُ والكلُّ متَّصِفٌ

بعجزه للذي إليه يفتقر

بعجزه للذي إليه يفتقر

And my father is Adam; each is marked

My father is Adam, and all are described,

By his powerlessness before the One on whom he depends.

By their incapacity, for the one they need.

فغايتي الفقر والتنزيه غايته

فغايتي الفقر والتنزيه غايته

عن غايتي والغنى عني هو الوزر

عن غايتي والغنى عني هو الوزر

So my ultimate end is poverty, and His is transcendence

My ultimate goal is poverty and transcendence, His goal,

Beyond my end; and freedom from need of me is the refuge.

Is beyond my goal, and He is independent of me, this is the load.

أعطيته الوصفَ من ذاتي فلي شرفٌ

أعطيته الوصفَ من ذاتي فلي شرفٌ

به تنزلتِ الآياتِ والسور

به تنزلتِ الآياتِ والسور

I gave Him the attribute from my essence; thus I have honor.

I was given the attribute from His essence, so I have honor,

Through it, the verses and surahs were sent down.

Through which the verses and chapters were revealed.

لولاي ما ظهرت في الصور نفخته

لولاي ما ظهرت في الصور نفخته

فالروحُ من نفس الرحمنِ فادّكروا

فالروحُ من نفس الرحمنِ فادّكروا

Were it not for me, His breath would not have appeared in forms.

Without my allegiance, His spirit wouldn't have manifested,

So the spirit is from the breath of the All-Merciful—so remember.

In forms, so the soul is from the Most Merciful, take heed.

هذا الذي قلته ألوحي يعضدني

هذا الذي قلته ألوحي يعضدني

فيه فقد جاءكم ما فيه معتبر

فيه فقد جاءكم ما فيه معتبر

This is what I said; revelation supports me

This which I have said, divine inspiration supports me,

In this, for what has come to you contains a lesson.

In it, for there has come to you what can be pondered over.

لو كنتُ ذا بصر لكنتُ معتبراً

لو كنتُ ذا بصر لكنتُ معتبراً

كذا يقول الإله الحقُّ فافتكروا

كذا يقول الإله الحقُّ فافتكروا

If I possessed sight, I would surely take heed.

If I had vision, I would have pondered,

Thus says God, the Real—so reflect.

Thus says the True God, so think and reflect.