الأمر أعظمُ أن يُدرَى فيعتقدا

الأمر أعظمُ أن يُدرَى فيعتقدا

على الحقيقة إجمالاً وتفصيلا

على الحقيقة إجمالاً وتفصيلا

The matter is too great to be known and thus believed in,

It is greatest to know Him, so believe

as it truly is, in broad outline and in detail.

In His reality in general and detail

عنه العبارة في الألفاظ قاصرةٌ

عنه العبارة في الألفاظ قاصرةٌ

يدريه من رتَّل القرآن ترتيلا

يدريه من رتَّل القرآن ترتيلا

Expression in words falls short of it;

Words fall short in describing Him

whoever recites the Qur'an in measured tones knows it.

Known by those who recite the Quran with devotion

ولا التصوُّر في الألقاب يضبطه

ولا التصوُّر في الألقاب يضبطه

ولا يقيده عقلا ًوتنزيلا

ولا يقيده عقلا ًوتنزيلا

Nor does conception through names encompass it,

Neither can the attributes encompass Him

nor confine it by reason or revelation.

Nor can the intellect confine Him, in revelation or reason

فحدُّه كل محدود بصورته

فحدُّه كل محدود بصورته

وما تناهتْ فيبقى الأمر مجهولا

وما تناهتْ فيبقى الأمر مجهولا

Thus its definition is every bounded thing in its form;

For each limited thing is defined by its form

and they have no end, so the matter remains unknown.

And what cannot be grasped remains unknown

فلست أعرفه إلا مشاهدة

فلست أعرفه إلا مشاهدة

ولستُ أشهده حسّاً ومعقولا

ولستُ أشهده حسّاً ومعقولا

So I know it only through direct witnessing,

I know Him only through inner vision

and I do not witness it as something sensed or rationally grasped.

Not through senses or rational thought

قد جل مظهرُه إذ جلَّ ظاهرُه

قد جل مظهرُه إذ جلَّ ظاهرُه

وحلَّ مظهرُه نصّاً وتأويلا

وحلَّ مظهرُه نصّاً وتأويلا

Its locus of manifestation is exalted, since what manifests in it is exalted;

His appearance is too lofty, as His outer form is most High

and its locus of manifestation dwells in explicit text and interpretation.

His manifestation was clear in the Text and its interpretation

إنَّ البصائر والأفكار ما اجتمعت

إنَّ البصائر والأفكار ما اجتمعت

فيه وقد عجرت قطعاً وتفصيلا

فيه وقد عجرت قطعاً وتفصيلا

Indeed, inner perceptions and thoughts have not agreed

The insights and thoughts cannot combine

concerning it; they have failed, utterly and in detail.

To fathom Him, decisively or in detail

إن قلتَ بالحسِّ لم تظفر بطلعته

إن قلتَ بالحسِّ لم تظفر بطلعته

أو قلتَ بالعقلِ تبديلا وتحويلا

أو قلتَ بالعقلِ تبديلا وتحويلا

If you appeal to the senses, you will not behold its countenance;

If you say through the senses you will not attain His rising

or appeal to reason, with alteration and transformation.

Or through the intellect, analyzing and deducing

فالوهم يحكم والأوهامُ يعرفها

فالوهم يحكم والأوهامُ يعرفها

والوهم لم أر فيه قط محصولا

والوهم لم أر فيه قط محصولا

So imagination rules, and it knows the imaginings;

Imagination judges while imaginations recognize Him

and I have never seen any fruit in imagination.

Yet never have I seen imagination yield results regarding Him

وليس يدرك ُذو عقلٍ وذو بصرٍ

وليس يدرك ُذو عقلٍ وذو بصرٍ

ما ليس يدرك موصولاً ومفصولا

ما ليس يدرك موصولاً ومفصولا

Neither one endowed with reason nor one endowed with sight perceives

Neither the rational being nor the keen observer

what is not perceived as joined or separated.

Can grasp what cannot be connected or divided

حارت عقولُ ذوي الألباب فيه كما

حارت عقولُ ذوي الألباب فيه كما

حارتْ خواطر مَنْ يبغيه تضليلا

حارتْ خواطر مَنْ يبغيه تضليلا

The intellects of those with understanding are bewildered by it, just as

The minds of the wise have been perplexed by Him

the thoughts of one who seeks it to mislead are bewildered.

As have the thoughts of those who wish to misguide about Him