الحكمُ حكمُ الجبر والاضطرار

الحكمُ حكمُ الجبر والاضطرار

ما ثَم حكم يقتضي الاختبارْ

ما ثَم حكم يقتضي الاختبارْ

The ruling is one of compulsion and necessity.

Judgment is but coercion and force

There is no ruling that calls for testing

No judgment calls for choice of course

إلا الذي يثعزى إلينا ففي

إلا الذي يثعزى إلينا ففي

ظاهرِه بأنه عن خيارْ

ظاهرِه بأنه عن خيارْ

Except what is attributed to us; for in

Except what we ascribe to ourselves so its

Its outward aspect, it proceeds from choice.

Surface shows it was by free choice

كمثلِ ما يُعزى إلى خالقي

كمثلِ ما يُعزى إلى خالقي

وعرشنا من عرشه في ازورار

وعرشنا من عرشه في ازورار

Just like what is attributed to my Creator,

Like what's ascribed to my Creator

And our throne is turned away from His throne.

And our throne tied to His in fine fetters

لو فكر الناظر فيه رأى

لو فكر الناظر فيه رأى

بأنه المختار عن اضطرار

بأنه المختار عن اضطرار

If the observer reflected on it, he would see

If the observer thought about it, he would see

That He is the chooser out of necessity.

That it was chosen without coercion

لكل هذا ثابتٌ لا تقل

لكل هذا ثابتٌ لا تقل

بأنه خاص بنا مُستعار

بأنه خاص بنا مُستعار

For everyone this holds true; do not say

All this is fixed, do not say

That it is a borrowed quality peculiar to us.

It is specific to us, merely borrowed

فالعلمُ ما يتبع معلومه

فالعلمُ ما يتبع معلومه

فالحكمُ للساكنِ مثل الديار

فالحكمُ للساكنِ مثل الديار

For knowledge is that which follows its object;

So knowledge follows what is known

So the ruling for the dweller is like that for the dwellings.

And judgment belongs to residence like homes

لا تعتبِ العالم في كلِّ ما

لا تعتبِ العالم في كلِّ ما

يكون فيه من غنى وافتقار

يكون فيه من غنى وافتقار

Do not reproach the world for all that

Do not blame the Knower for all

Exists within it of sufficiency and need;

That occurs in Him of richness and need

ولا الذي أوجده إنه

ولا الذي أوجده إنه

يحكم بالعلمِ فأين الفرار

يحكم بالعلمِ فأين الفرار

Nor the One who brought it into being, for He

And the One who originated him, He

Judges by knowledge—where, then, is escape?

Judges with knowledge, so where to flee?

حِرتُ وحار الأمر في حيرتي

حِرتُ وحار الأمر في حيرتي

فليلزمِ العالمُ دارَ القرار

فليلزمِ العالمُ دارَ القرار

I was bewildered, and the matter was bewildered in my bewilderment.

I was confused and the matter bewildered me

So let the world keep to the abode of permanence.

So let the Knower settle in the abode of settlement

وليرتضي بما له لا يزد

وليرتضي بما له لا يزد

على رضاه إنه في تَبار

على رضاه إنه في تَبار

And let it be content with what it has; let it not go

And be content with what he has, let him not

Beyond its contentment, for it is in ruin.

Exceed his contentment, he is in check

لا يعلم الحقَّ سوى واحد

لا يعلم الحقَّ سوى واحد

يقضي على الحكام بالاضطرار

يقضي على الحكام بالاضطرار

None knows the Real except one

None knows the truth but the One

Who decrees necessity upon the judges.

Who judges the rulers by compulsion

ألا ترى القاضي في حكمه

ألا ترى القاضي في حكمه

بمقتضى الشِّرعِ فأين الخيار

بمقتضى الشِّرعِ فأين الخيار

Do you not see the judge in his ruling,

Do you not see the judge in his ruling

As sacred law requires—where, then, is choice?

By law, so where is the choice?

ما أقلق العالم إلا الذي

ما أقلق العالم إلا الذي

قام به من حكمة الانتظار

قام به من حكمة الانتظار

Nothing has troubled the world except what

Nothing troubled the Knower except what

Dwells within it of the wisdom of waiting.

He did of the wisdom of waiting

هذا هو الفصلُ الذي بينه

هذا هو الفصلُ الذي بينه

وبين من يفعل بالاقتدار

وبين من يفعل بالاقتدار

This is the distinction that lies between it

This is the distinction between Him

And the one who acts through power.

And one who acts by might and power