1. العلمُ أولى ما اتبع

    والعبد عبدُ ما اتبعْ

    Knowledge is the worthiest thing to follow,

    and the servant is a servant of what he follows.

  2. هذا هو الحقُّ بدا

    فخذ بقولي أو فَدَعْ

    This is the truth made manifest;

    so heed my words, or leave them.

  3. من وسع الحق فما

    يعجز عن شي يسع

    Whoever encompasses the Real is not

    unable to encompass anything.

  4. ما أشرف العبد الذي

    لكل شيء قد وضع

    How noble is the servant who

    has placed, for everything,

  5. من نازلٍ وصاعدٍ

    وخافضٍ ومرتفع

    whether descending or ascending,

    lowering or rising,

  6. ميزانه في يده

    كالحقِّ يُعلي ويضع

    his balance in his hand;

    like the Real, he raises and lowers.

  7. إنْ قالَ قولاً هائلاً

    فما يقول من جَزع

    If he utters a terrifying saying,

    he does not speak out of panic,

  8. لأنه يعلم أنّ

    القولَ بالحقِّ صَدَع

    for he knows that

    speaking the truth has shattered

  9. عبادَه فاعتبروا

    في هولِ يومِ المطلع

    His servants; so take heed

    amid the terror of the Day of Unveiling.

  10. إذا أتى العبدُ به

    إلى الجحيم فاطّلع

    When the servant comes with it

    to Hell and looks in,

  11. لكي يرى صاحبَهُ

    عنه الأمان قد نُزع

    to see his companion,

    from whom safety has been stripped,

  12. فقال تالله لقد

    كِدت لتردينْ ومعْ

    he says, ‘By God, indeed,

    you nearly brought me to ruin; yet despite

  13. هذا فإني شافعٌ

    فيكَ إن الله شفع

    this, I shall intercede

    for you, if God accepts my intercession.’

  14. فالحمدُ لله الذي

    خلصني مما وقع

    Praise, then, to God, who

    delivered me from that into which fell

  15. فه الجهول إذ أتا

    ه رادعٌ فما ارتدع

    the ignorant man, when there came to

    him a restrainer, yet he did not desist.

  16. في سورةِ الصفّ أتتْ

    آيته لو اطّلعْ

    In Surah al-Ṣaff came

    His verse—if only he had looked

  17. على المعاني نلتُها

    نيلَ الذي بها انتفع

    into the meanings! I attained them

    with the attainment of one who benefited from them,

  18. في منزلِ الدنيا الذي

    لكلُّ خيرِ قد جَمَع

    in the abode of this world, which

    has gathered every good.

  19. والشكر لله الذي

    منَّ عليَّ ودفع

    And thanks to God, who

    favored me and warded off

  20. عني ما احذره

    يومَ النشور والفَزَع

    from me what I dread

    on the Day of Resurrection and Terror.

  21. وجاء في توقيعه

    هذا جزاء من تبع

    And in His written decree came:

    ‘This is the recompense of whoever followed,

  22. بعقده وفعله

    رسولُنا فيما شرع

    in his belief and his deeds,

    Our Messenger in what he prescribed.

  23. وكلُّ ما جاء به

    إليه من شرعٍ نزع

    And all that he brought

    of law—he inclined toward it;

  24. وما توانى ساعةً

    وما افترى وما ابتدع

    and he did not slacken for an hour,

    nor fabricate, nor innovate.

  25. فوجهه النور إذا

    ما النور في الحشر سطع

    So his face is light whenever

    light shines at the Gathering.’

  26. فالحمدُ لله الذي

    يُحمد أعطى أو منع

    Praise, then, to God, who

    is praised whether He gives or withholds.

  27. بذا أتانا وحيُه

    فألسنُ الخلقِ تبع

    His revelation came to us with this;

    so the tongues of creation follow,

  28. بأنه قال على

    لسانِه ما قد شَرَع

    for He spoke upon

    his tongue what He had prescribed

  29. له بمما يقوله

    على مُصلٍّ متبع

    for him, through what is spoken

    over a worshipper who follows,

  30. إمام قولٍ مقيّد

    ليس بشخصٍ مبتدع

    by an imam whose speech is prescribed,

    not an innovating individual.

  31. وأيّ مجد مثل ذا

    وأيّ فخر قد سمع

    And what glory is like this?

    And what pride has ever been heard of?

  32. أصبح عبداً تائباً

    عني إذا قال سمع

    He became a repentant servant,

    on my behalf, when he said, ‘Heard by

  33. الله والله لمن

    حمدُه كذا وقع

    God—by God!—is whoever

    praises Him’: thus it came to pass.