هذا الوجودُ ومن به يتجمل

هذا الوجودُ ومن به يتجمل

إن الحديث منا يقول الأوّلُ

إن الحديث منا يقول الأوّلُ

This existence, and whoever adorns himself through it—

This existence and he who adorns himself in it

The First says: “Indeed, the newly arisen is from Us.”

Our talk surely says the first

دلَّ الدليلُ على حدوثِ واقع

دلَّ الدليلُ على حدوثِ واقع

عن محدث هو بالدلالة أكمل

عن محدث هو بالدلالة أكمل

The proof pointed to an origination proceeding

The evidence has pointed to the occurrence of reality

from an originator who, by the evidence, is more perfect.

From a Causer who is most complete in indication

إذ كان والأشياء لم يك عينها

إذ كان والأشياء لم يك عينها

فحدوثُها فرق جليُّ فيصل

فحدوثُها فرق جليُّ فيصل

For He existed while things had no actual being.

For He existed while things had not yet been

So their origination is a clear, decisive distinction

So their occurrence clearly separates and distinguishes

عند الذي سبر الدليل بفكره

عند الذي سبر الدليل بفكره

لكن متى في مثلِ ذا لا يعقل

لكن متى في مثلِ ذا لا يعقل

for one who probed the proof with his thought.

For one who probed the evidence with his mind

Yet “when?” makes no sense in a case like this.

But when does one like this not reason?

إنَّ الزمانَ من الحوادثِ عينه

إنَّ الزمانَ من الحوادثِ عينه

ومتى محال في الزمان فأجملوا

ومتى محال في الزمان فأجملوا

Time itself is among originated things.

Time is comprised of events

And “when?” is impossible concerning time, so speak in general terms.

And how can the impossible occur in time, so understand

لو يعلمون كما علمت مكانة

لو يعلمون كما علمت مكانة

ما كنت عنه بمثل هذا تسأل

ما كنت عنه بمثل هذا تسأل

If they knew the station as I have known it,

If they knew my stature as you have known

you would not ask about Him in this way.

You would not have asked me this

لحدوثنا إذا لم نكن وظهورنا

لحدوثنا إذا لم نكن وظهورنا

في عيننا وكذا المكان ففصلوا

في عيننا وكذا المكان ففصلوا

Because of our origination, when we were not, and our manifestation

Our coming into existence, if we were not, and our appearance

in our own being—and likewise space—so make distinctions.

Is proof in and of itself, so differentiate

لو أنَّ رسطاليس يسمع قولنا

لو أنَّ رسطاليس يسمع قولنا

ورجاله نظراً عليه عوَّلوا

ورجاله نظراً عليه عوَّلوا

If Aristotle heard our words,

If Aristotle could hear our words

and his men, who relied on him in reasoning—

And his men, arguments upon which they relied

أنصفت في التحقيق مذ بينت ما

أنصفت في التحقيق مذ بينت ما

دلُّوا عليه بالدليل وأصّلوا

دلُّوا عليه بالدليل وأصّلوا

I have been fair in verification, since I clarified what

I would be equitable in investigation, since I explained what

they proved by demonstration and established as principles.

They demonstrated with evidence and substantiated

والأشعريُّ يقول مثلَ مقالتي

والأشعريُّ يقول مثلَ مقالتي

وإنْ أنصفوا وكذا الرجالُ الأوّلُ

وإنْ أنصفوا وكذا الرجالُ الأوّلُ

And al-Ashʿari says the same as I do,

Al-Ash'ari says the like of my speech

and, if they are fair, so do the men of old.

Even if they were equitable, as were the early men

والله ما زلت بهم أقدامُهم

والله ما زلت بهم أقدامُهم

لكن لفهم السامعين تزلزلوا

لكن لفهم السامعين تزلزلوا

By God, their feet did not slip beneath them;

By Allah, their feet did not slip from them

but they wavered because of their listeners’ understanding.

But they stumbled for the understanding of listeners

قد فرَّقوا بين الوجوبِ لذاته

قد فرَّقوا بين الوجوبِ لذاته

ولغيره فافهم لعلك تعقل

ولغيره فافهم لعلك تعقل

They distinguished between necessity in itself

They differentiated between necessity of His essence

and necessity through another; understand, that you may comprehend.

And that of others, so understand, perhaps you will reason

هذا هو الإمكان عند جميعهم

هذا هو الإمكان عند جميعهم

فعن الحقيقة عندنا لم يعدِلوا

فعن الحقيقة عندنا لم يعدِلوا

This is contingency according to them all;

This is possibility in the view of all of them

so, in our view, they have not strayed from the truth.

But they did not equate it to the reality in our view

لكنهم ما أنصفوا إذ نوظروا

لكنهم ما أنصفوا إذ نوظروا

في البحث بالسرِّ الذي لا يجهلُ

في البحث بالسرِّ الذي لا يجهلُ

But they were not fair when challenged in debate

But they were not fair when they considered

in inquiry concerning the mystery that is not unknown.

In the search the secret which cannot be ignored

لو أنهم سبروا أدلة عقلهم

لو أنهم سبروا أدلة عقلهم

وتوغلوا في قولهم وتأمّلوا

وتوغلوا في قولهم وتأمّلوا

Had they probed the proofs of their reason

If only they had probed the proofs of their minds

and delved into their statements and reflected,

And delved deeply into their words and contemplated

رأوا اتساع الحقَّ من انصافهم

رأوا اتساع الحقَّ من انصافهم

وقبوله للقولِ فيه فاقبلوا

وقبوله للقولِ فيه فاقبلوا

they would have seen, through their fairness, the Real’s vastness

They would have seen the breadth of the truth in their fairness

and His acceptance of statements about Him; so accept

And acceptance of speech therein, so they would have acquiesced

إخوان صدقٍ لا عداوةَ بينهم

إخوان صدقٍ لا عداوةَ بينهم

فله العلوّ نزاهة والسفل

فله العلوّ نزاهة والسفل

true brothers, with no enmity among them.

Brothers in honesty, no enmity between them

So His are height in transcendent purity, and depth.

For He is most high in detachment and the lowest in familiarity

الله أوسع أن يقيده لنا

الله أوسع أن يقيده لنا

عقدٌ فكلُّ عقيدةٍ لا تبطل

عقدٌ فكلُّ عقيدةٍ لا تبطل

God is too vast to be confined for us by

Allah is too vast to restrict Him for us

a creed; thus no belief is invalidated.

With a doctrine—thus every creed does not invalidate

لكن لها وجه إليه محققٌ

لكن لها وجه إليه محققٌ

يدري به الحبرُ اللبيبُ الأكمل

يدري به الحبرُ اللبيبُ الأكمل

Yet each has a true face directed toward Him,

But it has an aspect leading to Him, realized

known to the discerning, most accomplished scholar.

By the most perfect scholar and keenest mind

جاء المحققُ في التجلي بالذي

جاء المحققُ في التجلي بالذي

وقع النكير به وما هو أنزل

وقع النكير به وما هو أنزل

The realized knower brought, concerning self-disclosure, that

The verifier came in theophany with that

which provoked denial, though it is no lower.

Which met with rejection and is not revealed

فله التجلي في العقائد كلها

فله التجلي في العقائد كلها

وأتى بذاك تبدُّلٌ وتحوُّل

وأتى بذاك تبدُّلٌ وتحوُّل

Thus His is self-disclosure in all beliefs,

For theophany pertains to all creeds

and with that came alteration and transformation.

And he came with that transformation and change

لو لم يكن هذا تقيد وانتفى

لو لم يكن هذا تقيد وانتفى

إطلاقه عنه لضاق المنزل

إطلاقه عنه لضاق المنزل

Were this not so, He would be confined, and

If this were not restricting and confining Him

His absoluteness would vanish from Him; the abode would be cramped.

And freeing Him from it, the abode would be straitened

تدري الخلائقُ في الشعور نزوله

تدري الخلائقُ في الشعور نزوله

يومَ القيامةِ وهو يوم أهول

يومَ القيامةِ وهو يوم أهول

Created beings perceive His descent in their awareness

The creatures know His descent on Judgement Day

on the Day of Resurrection, a most dreadful day.

And it is a most momentous day

عمت سعادته الخلائق كلهم

عمت سعادته الخلائق كلهم

جاء الرسولُ به ونص المرسل

جاء الرسولُ به ونص المرسل

His felicity has embraced all creatures, every one;

His happiness has encompassed all creatures

the Messenger brought this, and the Sender declared it plainly.

The Messenger came with it, and the words of the emissary

وسعَ المهيمنُ كلَّ شيءٍ رحمةً

وسعَ المهيمنُ كلَّ شيءٍ رحمةً

فاعلم فليس على المكان معوَّلُ

فاعلم فليس على المكان معوَّلُ

The Guardian has encompassed everything in mercy.

The All-Pervading made everything mercy

So know: no reliance is placed on location.

So know, thus the physical is not what is depended upon

إنَّ الإله حكى لنا ما قاله

إنَّ الإله حكى لنا ما قاله

أهلُ العدالةِ والصدورُ العدَّلُ

أهلُ العدالةِ والصدورُ العدَّلُ

Indeed, God related to us what was said by

Indeed, God related to us what the people of justice said

people of uprightness and just leaders.

And the most judicious hearts

وهو الدعاةُ لنا وقد نطقوا بما

وهو الدعاةُ لنا وقد نطقوا بما

جاء الكتابُ به إلينا المنزل

جاء الكتابُ به إلينا المنزل

And it is they who call to us, and they have uttered what

He who invites us, and they spoke what

the revealed Book brought to us

The Book was revealed with to us

فينا من التجريح وهو حقيقته

فينا من التجريح وهو حقيقته

من غيرة قامت بهم لا تجهل

من غيرة قامت بهم لا تجهل

of censure against us—and that is its true nature—

Among us is criticism, which is its reality

from a zeal that arose within them, not unknown.

Out of a zeal which arose in them, not ignored

لله قاموا غيرة لم يقصدوا

لله قاموا غيرة لم يقصدوا

ردّاً عليه لما رأوه فاوّلوا

ردّاً عليه لما رأوه فاوّلوا

For God’s sake they stood in zeal; they did not intend

They stood zealous for God, they did not intend

to reject Him when they saw Him, so they interpreted.

Refutation of Him for what they interpreted