إنَّ التكاليفَ مجراها إللا أمد

إنَّ التكاليفَ مجراها إللا أمد

والعلمُ بالله لا يجري إلى الأمد

والعلمُ بالله لا يجري إلى الأمد

Indeed, religious obligations run their course to a term,

The obligations have a course only for a period,

but knowledge of God runs to no end.

And knowledge of God does not run to an end.

في كلِّ حينٍ يزيد المرء معرفةً

في كلِّ حينٍ يزيد المرء معرفةً

بربه وبأحوالٍ إلى الأبدِ

بربه وبأحوالٍ إلى الأبدِ

At every moment a person grows in knowledge

At every moment, man's knowledge

of his Lord and of states, forever.

Of his Lord and states increases endlessly.

فما يمرّ عليه اليومَ من نفسٍ

فما يمرّ عليه اليومَ من نفسٍ

إلا ويأتي بعلم لم يزل يردِ

إلا ويأتي بعلم لم يزل يردِ

So no breath passes him today

No day passes him by,

without bringing knowledge that never ceases to arrive.

Without bringing knowledge that keeps coming.

فإذْ ولا بد من علمٍ فأحسنُه

فإذْ ولا بد من علمٍ فأحسنُه

العلمُ بالله لا بالكونِ فاستزد

العلمُ بالله لا بالكونِ فاستزد

So, since knowledge is unavoidable, the best of it

So since knowledge is indispensable, make it best-

is knowledge of God, not of the cosmos; seek more.

Knowledge of God, not of creation, so ask for more.

كما أتاك به أمر المهيمن في

كما أتاك به أمر المهيمن في

طه وفي خبرٍ فاعمل به تزد

طه وفي خبرٍ فاعمل به تزد

As the Guardian's command came to you in

As He brought it to you by the order of the Guardian in

Ta-Ha and in a tradition: act upon it, and you will gain more.

Surat Taha and the news, so act upon it, you will gain more.

العلمُ بالله في علمي بأنفسنا

العلمُ بالله في علمي بأنفسنا

ذا أحال عليه المصطفى وقد

ذا أحال عليه المصطفى وقد

Knowledge of God, as I understand it, lies in knowing ourselves.

Knowledge of God lies in my knowledge of ourselves,

To this the Chosen One referred; and indeed—

To which Al-Mustafa referred and has already-

والله ليس بمعلومٍ فليس لنا

والله ليس بمعلومٍ فليس لنا

علم بنا فاعتبر ما قلته تجد

علم بنا فاعتبر ما قلته تجد

God is not known, so we have no

And God is not known, so we have no

knowledge of ourselves; consider what I have said, and you will find

Knowledge of ourselves, consider what I said, you will find-

العجز غايتنا فيه فحاصله

العجز غايتنا فيه فحاصله

لا علم بي وبه يدور في خَلَدي

لا علم بي وبه يدور في خَلَدي

that incapacity is our utmost reach concerning Him; its outcome is:

Incapacity is our limit in Him, so the summary is-

'No knowledge of myself or Him' revolves in my mind.

No knowledge of me and Him revolves in my mind.

فراقب الله يا هذا على حذرٍ

فراقب الله يا هذا على حذرٍ

والعلمُ بالله عينُ العلمِ بالرصَد

والعلمُ بالله عينُ العلمِ بالرصَد

So be mindful of God, you there, with caution;

So watch over God, O you, carefully-

and knowledge of God is the very knowledge of watchfulness.

And knowledge of God is the essence of knowledge in vigilance.

في سورةِ الفجرِ قال الله يعلمنا

في سورةِ الفجرِ قال الله يعلمنا

بأنَّ ربَّك بالمرصاد فاعتمد

بأنَّ ربَّك بالمرصاد فاعتمد

In the surah of Dawn, God said, teaching us,

In Surat Al-Fajr, Allah tells us

'Your Lord lies in wait'; so rely

That your Lord is on the watch, so rely

عليه إنَّ له علما يجدِّده

عليه إنَّ له علما يجدِّده

فإنه لكثيرُ الخيرِ والرفد

فإنه لكثيرُ الخيرِ والرفد

on Him: He has knowledge that He renews,

Upon Him, He has knowledge that He renews,

for He abounds in goodness and bounty.

For He is most generous and bountiful.

يعطي العطاء وما يعطيه عن كرمٍ

يعطي العطاء وما يعطيه عن كرمٍ

لأنه الكرمُ المعلومُ فانتقد

لأنه الكرمُ المعلومُ فانتقد

He gives gifts, yet does not give them out of generosity,

He gives gifts and what He gives is out of generosity,

for He is the known generosity itself; so scrutinize.

For He is known generosity, so examine closely.

لو كان ذا كرمِ لكان علته

لو كان ذا كرمِ لكان علته

وليس ذا علة تهدي إلى الرشد

وليس ذا علة تهدي إلى الرشد

If He possessed generosity, it would be His cause,

If He were of generosity, its cause would be His essence,

yet He possesses no cause that guides to right understanding.

And He is without cause leading to the right path.

لما انفردت مع المعلومِ في خلدي

لما انفردت مع المعلومِ في خلدي

سألتُ من ذا فقالوا بيضةُ البلدِ

سألتُ من ذا فقالوا بيضةُ البلدِ

When I was alone with the known in my mind,

When I was alone with the Known in my mind,

I asked, 'Who is this?' They said, 'The egg of the land.'

I asked who is this? They said: the egg of existence.

فقلت لما رأيت الأمر فيّ كما

فقلت لما رأيت الأمر فيّ كما

ذكرت بالحكم في الأدنى وفي البعد

ذكرت بالحكم في الأدنى وفي البعد

Then I said, when I saw the matter in myself as

So when I saw the matter in me as

I have described, judging what is nearest and what is remote,

Mentioned in the lower and farther judgement,

وقال لي خاطري ما أنت واحده

وقال لي خاطري ما أنت واحده

الكلُّ مثلك فاسمع هدى منتقد

الكلُّ مثلك فاسمع هدى منتقد

and my inner thought said to me, 'You are not alone in it;

And my mind said to me: What are you, only One?

all are like you; so hear a discerning critic's guidance':

All are like you, so listen to guided discernment.

إني حكمت له فيما نطقتُ به

إني حكمت له فيما نطقتُ به

من المعارفِ فيه حكمُ مجتهد

من المعارفِ فيه حكمُ مجتهد

Indeed, I judged concerning Him through what I uttered

I judged Him regarding what I spoke

of insights into Him, with a diligent inquirer's judgment.

Of gnosis, a judgement of one who strives.

فإن أصبتُ فذاك الظنُّ بي وبه

فإن أصبتُ فذاك الظنُّ بي وبه

أو لم أصب فهو مني لا من الأحد

أو لم أصب فهو مني لا من الأحد

If I am right, that is what I expect of myself and Him;

If I am right, that's my assumption of me and Him,

or, if I miss the mark, it is from me, not from the One.

Or if I am wrong, it is from me, not from anyone.

ولم أقل ذاك عن سوءٍ يخالجني

ولم أقل ذاك عن سوءٍ يخالجني

بل قلته أدبا مع سيِّدٍ صمد

بل قلته أدبا مع سيِّدٍ صمد

I did not say that from any ill thought stirring within me,

I did not say this out of any misgiving in me,

but said it out of courtesy toward a self-sufficient Master.

But said it as etiquette with the Eternal Lord.

ظننت بالله خيراً إذا حكمتُ به

ظننت بالله خيراً إذا حكمتُ به

من ظنَّ بالله سوءاً كان في حيد

من ظنَّ بالله سوءاً كان في حيد

I thought well of God whenever I made that judgment;

I assumed good of Allah when I judged Him,

whoever thinks ill of God is in deviation

Who assumes evil of Allah is astray.

عن الصوابِ الذي ما زال يطلبه

عن الصوابِ الذي ما زال يطلبه

مني فإن لم يكن أصبحت ذا فند

مني فإن لم يكن أصبحت ذا فند

from the right understanding continually sought

From the truth he constantly seeks

from me; if it were absent, I would become a man of folly.

From me, so if it were not so, I would be refuted.

أخذت عن واحد جلَّت عوارفه

أخذت عن واحد جلَّت عوارفه

هذي المعارفُ لم آخذ عن العدد

هذي المعارفُ لم آخذ عن العدد

I received from One whose favors are great

I learned from the One whose mysteries are majestic,

these insights; I did not receive them from the many.

This gnosis, I did not learn from the multitude.

حصلتُ عنه علوماً في مشاهدة

حصلتُ عنه علوماً في مشاهدة

ما لا يحصله النظار في مدد

ما لا يحصله النظار في مدد

From Him, in direct witnessing, I obtained forms of knowledge

From Him I gained knowledge in witnessing

that speculative thinkers cannot attain over spans of time.

What the beholders cannot gain in time.

بل لا تحصله النظار عن مدد

بل لا تحصله النظار عن مدد

أخرى الليالي ولا من قال بالسند

أخرى الليالي ولا من قال بالسند

Indeed, speculative thinkers cannot attain it through spans of time

Rather, beholders cannot gain in times,

extending to the last of nights, nor can one who speaks by a chain of transmission.

Nights, or from one who cites authorities.

العلمُ ذوقٌ ضروريّ لذائقه

العلمُ ذوقٌ ضروريّ لذائقه

فاعمل عليه فما في الربع من أحدِ

فاعمل عليه فما في الربع من أحدِ

Knowledge is a tasting, immediately certain to its taster;

Knowledge is an essential taste for its taster,

so act upon it: there is no one in the encampment.

So work upon it, for none in existence can—