إنَّ سري هو روح كلِّ شي

إنَّ سري هو روح كلِّ شي

وهو الظاهر في ميتٍ وحي

وهو الظاهر في ميتٍ وحي

Indeed, my secret is the spirit of everything,

My secret is the spirit of all things

And it is manifest in the dead and the living.

It appears in the dead and the living

فإذا قام بحيٍّ فأب

فإذا قام بحيٍّ فأب

وإذا قام بميتٍ فبنى

وإذا قام بميتٍ فبنى

So when it subsists in a living being, it is a father;

If it rises in the living, it gives life

And when it subsists in a dead being, it is a little son.

And if it rises in the dead, it builds

إنه جَلَّ عن إدراك الذي

إنه جَلَّ عن إدراك الذي

قال فيه إنه في كلِّ شي

قال فيه إنه في كلِّ شي

It is exalted beyond the grasp of the one who

It is far above the comprehension of those

Said of it that it is in everything.

Who say it is in all things

إنما هو عينه فاعتبروا

إنما هو عينه فاعتبروا

تجدوا ما قلت في نشر وطي

تجدوا ما قلت في نشر وطي

Rather, it is the thing's very essence; so reflect,

It is but its essence, so consider

You will find what I said in unfolding and folding.

You will find what I say openly and hidden

ما تغالي كونه عن حالة

ما تغالي كونه عن حالة

ظهرتْ في مدِّ ظلِّ ثم في

ظهرتْ في مدِّ ظلِّ ثم في

Its being does not go beyond a state

It is not apart from any state

Manifest in a shadow's stretching, then its returning shade.

That appears under the shade of extension and folding

إنما الأمر الذي يسعدكم

إنما الأمر الذي يسعدكم

أو نقيض السعد في رشد وغي

أو نقيض السعد في رشد وغي

It is only the matter that brings you happiness,

What makes you happy or the opposite

Or happiness's opposite, in guidance and error,

Is but guidance or misguidance

إنما خص بقوم للذي

إنما خص بقوم للذي

كان فيهم من ذُكاء ثم عيّ

كان فيهم من ذُكاء ثم عيّ

That is reserved only for certain people because of what

It was meant for a people

Was in them of intelligence, and then ineptitude.

Who had insight among them and awareness

قد أكلناه طبيخاً ولقد

قد أكلناه طبيخاً ولقد

جاءني لحماً طرياً وهوني

جاءني لحماً طرياً وهوني

We have indeed eaten it cooked, and indeed

We have eaten it cooked and it has come

It came to me as tender meat, and it was raw.

To me as fresh meat and sustained me

فأبينا أكله حين بدتْ

فأبينا أكله حين بدتْ

صورةُ الإيمان فيه من قصي

صورةُ الإيمان فيه من قصي

So we refused to eat it when there appeared

But we refused to eat it when

The form of faith within it, from afar.

The form of faith in it appeared, from cutting

يا أخي فاعلم الأمر الذي

يا أخي فاعلم الأمر الذي

قلته فيه بحقٍّ يا أخي

قلته فيه بحقٍّ يا أخي

O my brother, know the matter that

O my brother, know what

I stated truly concerning it, O my brother.

I have said about it in truth, O my brother

فخذوه أسَداً أو حَمَلا

فخذوه أسَداً أو حَمَلا

واتركوا السنبلَ يرعاه الجدي

واتركوا السنبلَ يرعاه الجدي

So take it as a lion or a lamb,

Take it as a lion or lamb

And leave the ears of grain for the kid to graze on.

And leave the wheat for the harvester

إنما الأمر عظيمٌ قدرُه

إنما الأمر عظيمٌ قدرُه

جلَّ عندي حين جلاه إلي

جلَّ عندي حين جلاه إلي

The matter's worth is indeed great;

The matter is indeed great in my estimation

It grew exalted in my eyes when he unveiled it to me.

Sublime to me when He inspired it to me

قلت ضمني ذاتي وأنا

قلت ضمني ذاتي وأنا

أوصل المقدار مني وعلى

أوصل المقدار مني وعلى

I said: 'My essence has enfolded me, and I

I spoke subtly of my essence though I

Convey the measure from me and upon [me].'

Communicate the measure from me and through me

قال لا يمكن إلا هكذا

قال لا يمكن إلا هكذا

هو فعل الشيخِ لا فعلُ صبي

هو فعل الشيخِ لا فعلُ صبي

He said: 'It can only be thus;

He said it can only be thus

It is the elder's act, not a child's.'

This is the act of the Shaykh, not the act of a boy

لو أراد الأمر أن يخرجه

لو أراد الأمر أن يخرجه

لم يكن يمكن هذا من يدي

لم يكن يمكن هذا من يدي

Had the matter willed to bring it forth,

If the matter had wanted to manifest through him

This could not have been possible by my hand.

It would not have been possible from my hand

لي منه الشرب مادام وما

لي منه الشرب مادام وما

دمتُ ما عندي لشربي منه ري

دمتُ ما عندي لشربي منه ري

My drink comes from it as long as it lasts; and as long as

I have from it a drink, as long as

I last, my drinking from it never quenches my thirst.

I live, as much as I have of it to quench my thirst

لستُ أدري إنني عبد هوى

لستُ أدري إنني عبد هوى

إذ تجلى لي في شكلٍ رشي

إذ تجلى لي في شكلٍ رشي

I do not know; I am indeed a slave to passion,

I do not know, I am a slave of passion

When it revealed itself to me in a young gazelle's form.

When it appeared to me in a comely form

فتغزلت وما أضمره

فتغزلت وما أضمره

وبدا يغشى سناه ناظري

وبدا يغشى سناه ناظري

So I sang of love, and I do not conceal it,

So I fell in love, though I concealed it

And it appeared, its radiance veiling my gaze.

And its brightness began to cover my eyes