فمِن شرفِ النبيّ على الوجودِ

فمِن شرفِ النبيّ على الوجودِ

ختامُ الأولياءِ من العقود

ختامُ الأولياءِ من العقود

So among the Prophet's honors over all existence

The seal of saints, from the Prophet's glory of existence,

is the seal of the saints among the necklaces,

The conclusion of the chosen ones, from covenants of old.

من البيت الرفيع وساكنيه

من البيت الرفيع وساكنيه

من الجنسِ المعظم في الوجودِ

من الجنسِ المعظم في الوجودِ

from the lofty house and its inhabitants,

From the noble house and its dwellers,

from the kind held in reverence throughout existence;

From the esteemed race, supreme in existence.

وتبينُ الحقائقِ في ذراها

وتبينُ الحقائقِ في ذراها

وفضلُ الله فيه من الشهودِ

وفضلُ الله فيه من الشهودِ

and the discernment of realities at their summits,

Realities become clear in their atoms,

and God's grace in him through witnessing.

And God's grace in him, from testimonies.

لو أنّ البيت يبقى دون ختمٍ

لو أنّ البيت يبقى دون ختمٍ

لجاء اللصُّ يفتكُ بالوليد

لجاء اللصُّ يفتكُ بالوليد

If the house were to remain without a seal,

If the house remained without a seal,

the thief would come and murder the newborn.

The thief would come to steal the newborn.

فحقِّق يا أخي نظراً إلى من

فحقِّق يا أخي نظراً إلى من

حمى بيتَ الولايةِ من بعيدِ

حمى بيتَ الولايةِ من بعيدِ

So direct a discerning gaze, my brother, toward the one

So realize, my brother, look to the one

who guarded the house of sainthood from afar.

Who protected the house of sainthood from afar.

فلولا ما تكوّنَ من أبينا

فلولا ما تكوّنَ من أبينا

لما أمرت ملائكة السجودِ

لما أمرت ملائكة السجودِ

So, were it not for what came into being from our father,

For if not for the one formed by our father,

the angels would not have been commanded to prostrate.

The angels would not have been ordered to bow.

فذاك الأقدسيّ أمام نفسي

فذاك الأقدسيّ أمام نفسي

يُسمى وهو حيٌ بالشهيد

يُسمى وهو حيٌ بالشهيد

So that supremely holy one stands before my soul,

That holy one, before my soul,

and is called the Witness while he is alive.

Is called the martyr while still alive.

وحيدُ الوقتِ ليس له نظيرٌ

وحيدُ الوقتِ ليس له نظيرٌ

فريدُ الذاتِ من بيتٍ فريد

فريدُ الذاتِ من بيتٍ فريد

Unique in his time, he has no equal,

Unique in time, he has no peer,

unique in essence, from a unique house.

Singular in essence, from a singular house.

لقد أبصرته حتماً كريماً

لقد أبصرته حتماً كريماً

بمشهدِه على رغمِ الحسودِ

بمشهدِه على رغمِ الحسودِ

Indeed, I beheld him, assuredly noble,

I saw him as surely generous,

in his presence, despite the envious one,

Despite the envious, with his vision.

كما أبصرت شمس البيتِ منه

كما أبصرت شمس البيتِ منه

مكانَ الحلقِ من حبلِ الوريد

مكانَ الحلقِ من حبلِ الوريد

just as I saw the sun of the house in relation to him,

As I saw the sun of the house from him

in the throat's position relative to the jugular vein.

Where the throat is, from the jugular vein.

لو أنّ النورَ يشرقُ من سناه

لو أنّ النورَ يشرقُ من سناه

على الجسمِ المغيبِ في اللحودِ

على الجسمِ المغيبِ في اللحودِ

If the light were to shine from his radiance

If light shone from his brilliance,

upon the body hidden in the graves,

Upon the hidden body, in the burial shrouds.

لأصبح عالماً حياً كليماً

لأصبح عالماً حياً كليماً

طليقَ الوجه يرفلُ في البرود

طليقَ الوجه يرفلُ في البرود

it would become knowing, alive, and able to converse,

He would become a living, speaking, intimate friend,

cheerful-faced, striding proudly in striped cloaks.

His face radiant, luxuriant in the cold.

فمن فهم الإشارة فليصنها

فمن فهم الإشارة فليصنها

وإلا سوف يلحقُ بالصَّعيد

وإلا سوف يلحقُ بالصَّعيد

So let whoever understands the allusion safeguard it;

So let those who understand the hint preserve it,

otherwise, he will join the dust.

Else they will join the dead in the grave.

فنورُ الحقِّ ليس به خفاءٌ

فنورُ الحقِّ ليس به خفاءٌ

على الأفلاكِ من سَعد السُّعودِ

على الأفلاكِ من سَعد السُّعودِ

For the light of the Real has no obscurity

For the light of truth has no concealment,

over the celestial spheres, from Saʿd al-Suʿūd.

Above the spheres, from the good fortune of bliss.

رأيتُ الأمر ليس به توانٍ

رأيتُ الأمر ليس به توانٍ

سواءٌ في هبوطٍ أو صعودِ

سواءٌ في هبوطٍ أو صعودِ

I saw no slackening in the matter,

I saw the matter had no hesitation,

alike in descent or ascent.

The same in descent or ascent.

نطقتُ به وعنه وليس إلا

نطقتُ به وعنه وليس إلا

وإنّ الأمر فيه على المزيد

وإنّ الأمر فيه على المزيد

I spoke through it and about it, and of nothing else;

I spoke of it and from it, and nothing less,

and indeed, in it, the matter is ever increasing.

Though the matter had more to offer.

وكوني في الوجودِ بلا مكانٍ

وكوني في الوجودِ بلا مكانٍ

دليلٌ أنني ثوبُ الشهيد

دليلٌ أنني ثوبُ الشهيد

And my being in existence without a place

My being in existence without a place,

is proof that I am the garment of the Witness.

Shows I am the martyr's raiment.

فما وسعَ الوجودُ جَلال ربِّي

فما وسعَ الوجودُ جَلال ربِّي

ولكنْ كان في قلبِ العميدِ

ولكنْ كان في قلبِ العميدِ

For existence did not contain my Lord's majesty,

For existence cannot contain my Lord's majesty,

yet it was within the chief's heart.

But He was in the heart of the pillar.

أردتُ تكتماً لما تجارى

أردتُ تكتماً لما تجارى

إليه النكر من بيضٍ وَسودِ

إليه النكر من بيضٍ وَسودِ

I wished for secrecy when there rushed

I wanted to keep secret what was conveyed

toward it rejection from white and black alike.

To it of white and black from mankind.

وهل يخشى الذئابَ عليه من قد

وهل يخشى الذئابَ عليه من قد

مشى في القفرِ من خفَر الأسُودِ

مشى في القفرِ من خفَر الأسُودِ

Would one fear wolves for him, having already

Can wolves frighten him who already

walked in the wilderness under the lions' protection?

Walked the wasteland with lion guards?

وخاطبتُ النفيسةَ من وجودي

وخاطبتُ النفيسةَ من وجودي

على الكشفِ المحققِّ والوجودِ

على الكشفِ المحققِّ والوجودِ

And I addressed the precious one within my being

I addressed my precious soul about my being,

concerning realized unveiling and existence:

With realized, witnessed existence.

أبعد الكشف عنه لكل عينٍ

أبعد الكشف عنه لكل عينٍ

جحدتْ وكيف ينفعني جُحودي

جحدتْ وكيف ينفعني جُحودي

After his unveiling to every eye

"Keep this unveiling from each denying eye,

that denied him—how could my denial help me?

How can my denial benefit me?"

فردَّتْ في الجوابِ عليَّ صِدقاً

فردَّتْ في الجوابِ عليَّ صِدقاً

تضرَّعَ للمهيمنِ والشهيد

تضرَّعَ للمهيمنِ والشهيد

So she answered me truthfully:

She answered me truthfully with plea,

Humble yourself before the Guardian and the Witness,

Beseeching the Overseer and the Witness.

وسَله الحفظَ ما دامَ التلقِّي

وسَله الحفظَ ما دامَ التلقِّي

وسَله العيشَ للزَّمنِ بالسعيد

وسَله العيشَ للزَّمنِ بالسعيد

and ask Him for protection while reception lasts,

"Ask Him for protection, for as long as receiving,

and ask Him for life, through time, with the fortunate one.

Ask Him for life, for the happy time."

سألتك يا عليم الر مني

سألتك يا عليم الر مني

عصا ما في المودة بالودودِ

عصا ما في المودة بالودودِ

I asked You, O All-Knowing—alif-lām-rā, from me [wording unclear]—

I asked You, Knower of secrets, to distance me

for a staff of some kind in love, through the Loving One.

From the familiarity of intimate friendship.

وأنْ تُبقي عليَّ رداء جسمي

وأنْ تُبقي عليَّ رداء جسمي

بكعبتِكم إلى يومِ الصُّعودِ

بكعبتِكم إلى يومِ الصُّعودِ

And that You preserve upon me the mantle of my body

And to maintain my bodily cloak

at your Kaaba until the day of ascent,

With Your Kaaba, until the day of ascent.

وأن تخفي مكاني في مكاني

وأن تخفي مكاني في مكاني

كما أخفيت بأسَكَ في الحديدِ

كما أخفيت بأسَكَ في الحديدِ

and that You hide my place within my place,

And to hide my place in my place,

as You hid Your might within iron,

As You hid Your might in iron.

وتستر ما بدا مني اضطراراً

وتستر ما بدا مني اضطراراً

كسترِكَ نورَ ذاتِك في العبيد

كسترِكَ نورَ ذاتِك في العبيد

and veil what appeared from me under compulsion,

And to veil what appeared of me by necessity,

as You veil the light of Your essence within the servants,

Like veiling Your essence's light from servants.

وأن تبدي عليَّ شهودَ عجزي

وأن تبدي عليَّ شهودَ عجزي

بتوفيتي مواثيقَ العهود

بتوفيتي مواثيقَ العهود

and that You reveal to me the witnessing of my helplessness

And to show me the witnessing of my incapacity,

through my fulfilling the pledges of the covenants.

By fulfilling the covenants to me.