إذا أنا بالقرعِ الشديدِ لبابه

إذا أنا بالقرعِ الشديدِ لبابه

وقد راضني إذ كنتُ حشواها به

وقد راضني إذ كنتُ حشواها به

When I am knocking fiercely at his door,

When I knock loudly at his door,

And he had disciplined me through it, when I was its filling,

Though it pleases me as I fill it with him,

فلا تك ممن لا يقوم لقرعه

فلا تك ممن لا يقوم لقرعه

فإن الذي تبغيه من خلفِ بابه

فإن الذي تبغيه من خلفِ بابه

Do not be among those who do not rise at his knock.

Do not be like those who do not stand for its knocking,

For the one you seek is behind his door.

For what you want is behind his door.

وهذا خلاف العرف في كل قارعٍ

وهذا خلاف العرف في كل قارعٍ

وما كان هذا الأمر إلا لما به

وما كان هذا الأمر إلا لما به

And this is contrary to the custom of everyone who knocks.

This is unlike the custom with every knocker,

This affair arose only because of what was in him

And this matter was only for what was in it,

من الشوق للمطلوب إذ جاء خارجاً

من الشوق للمطلوب إذ جاء خارجاً

وسرَّ وجودُ الابِ عين حجابه

وسرَّ وجودُ الابِ عين حجابه

Of longing for the sought-for one, when he came outside.

Of longing for the wanted when he went out,

And the father's presence gladdened the very essence of his veil.

And the presence of the father gladdened the eye of his veil.

فأرسل إرسالاً إلى كلِّ شارد

فأرسل إرسالاً إلى كلِّ شارد

يردُّونه عن وجهه وذهابه

يردُّونه عن وجهه وذهابه

So he sent forth a dispatch to every wanderer.

So he sent him back to every distracted one,

They turn him back from his course and his departure,

They sent him back from his face and his going,

إليه على كره وإنْ كان عالماً

إليه على كره وإنْ كان عالماً

بخير يراه منه عند إيابه

بخير يراه منه عند إيابه

To him against his will, although he knows

To him unwillingly though he knew,

Of the good he sees from him upon his return.

The good he sees from him upon his return.

ووقع في توقيعهم كلَّ ما لهم

ووقع في توقيعهم كلَّ ما لهم

من الخير إن عادَ وابيض كتابه

من الخير إن عادَ وابيض كتابه

And he recorded in their writ all that was theirs

And whatever good they have,

Of good, if he returns and his book turns white.

Fell into their signing if he returns whitening his book.

وهم طالبوا ما قد دعاهم لنيله

وهم طالبوا ما قد دعاهم لنيله

وأين اقترابُ العبدِ من اغترابه

وأين اقترابُ العبدِ من اغترابه

And they demanded what he had called them to attain.

And they wanted what he called them to attain,

What is the servant's nearness compared with his estrangement?

And how close is the servant's withdrawal from his estrangement?

لقد أخطأوا نهجَ السلامةِ لو بقوا

لقد أخطأوا نهجَ السلامةِ لو بقوا

على سيرهم لولا رجيمُ شِهابه

على سيرهم لولا رجيمُ شِهابه

They would indeed have missed the path of safety had they remained

They have missed the path of safety if they stayed,

On their course, but for the missile of his shooting star.

On their way were it not for the shooting star's projectiles.

فأفزعهم رجمُ النجومِ أمامَهم

فأفزعهم رجمُ النجومِ أمامَهم

فحادوا إلى ما قاله في خطابه

فحادوا إلى ما قاله في خطابه

The stars' pelting before them frightened them,

So the shooting of the stars frightened them ahead of them,

So they veered toward what he said in his address.

And they swerved to what he said in his letter.

وقد علموا أن السلامةَ في الذي

وقد علموا أن السلامةَ في الذي

دعاهم إليه من أليم عُقابه

دعاهم إليه من أليم عُقابه

And they knew that safety lay in what

And they knew that safety was in what,

He called them to, away from his painful punishment.

He called them to from his painful punishment.

فيأخذ سَفلاً لا يريد فريةَ

فيأخذ سَفلاً لا يريد فريةَ

ويذهل عن مطلوبه وصَحابه

ويذهل عن مطلوبه وصَحابه

So he takes a downward course, intending no falsehood,

So he takes the lowly not wanting escape,

And becomes oblivious to what he seeks and to his companions.

And is distracted from his want and friends.

ويأخذ الفكرُ الصحيحُ منبها

ويأخذ الفكرُ الصحيحُ منبها

على منزلٍ لا أمنَ فيمن ثوى به

على منزلٍ لا أمنَ فيمن ثوى به

And sound thought takes hold, giving warning

And sound thinking takes alert,

Of a dwelling where no one who stays is safe.

About a house no safety in whoever took shelter in it.

لا تعجلنّ فإنَّ الأمر حاصله

لا تعجلنّ فإنَّ الأمر حاصله

إليك مرجعه فانهض على قدرِ

إليك مرجعه فانهض على قدرِ

Do not hurry, for the matter's outcome

Do not hurry, the matter's outcome,

Returns to you; so rise in due measure.

Returns to you so rise to the extent,

واسلك سبيلَ إمامٍ جَلَّ مقصدُه

واسلك سبيلَ إمامٍ جَلَّ مقصدُه

مصدِّق في الذي قد جاء من خبر

مصدِّق في الذي قد جاء من خبر

And follow the path of an imam whose purpose is exalted,

And take the path of an imam whose purpose is glorious,

Affirming the truth of what has come as tidings.

Truthful in the news that has come.

وخذ به خلفه في الحال مقتدياً

وخذ به خلفه في الحال مقتدياً

واركن إليه ولا تركن إلى النظر

واركن إليه ولا تركن إلى النظر

And take him as your guide, following behind him at once.

And take him as a successor in the case emulating him,

And rely on him; do not rely on speculation.

And lean on him and do not lean on thinking.

واعلم بأنَّ ذوي الأفكار في عمه

واعلم بأنَّ ذوي الأفكار في عمه

فكن من الفكر يا هذا على حَذر

فكن من الفكر يا هذا على حَذر

And know that those given to thought are in bewilderment.

And know that those with ideas are blind in it,

So be on your guard against thought, you there.

So beware of thinking O you.

والعقلُ ليس له تقبيحُ ما قبحتْ

والعقلُ ليس له تقبيحُ ما قبحتْ

صفاتُه وله التحكيم في العِبَرِ

صفاتُه وله التحكيم في العِبَرِ

And reason may not deem ugly what is ugly

And the mind has no vilification of what,

In its attributes; yet it may judge instructive examples.

Its attributes have vilified and it has the arbitration in lessons.

وما له ذلك التحكيم في عِبَرِ

وما له ذلك التحكيم في عِبَرِ

إلا إذا كان في التحكيم ذا بصر

إلا إذا كان في التحكيم ذا بصر

Nor does it possess that authority to judge examples

And it has that arbitration in lessons,

Unless, in judgment, it is endowed with insight.

Only if it has insight in arbitration.

وليس يعرف سرَّ الله في القدر

وليس يعرف سرَّ الله في القدر

إلا الذي علم الأعيانَ بالأثرِ

إلا الذي علم الأعيانَ بالأثرِ

And no one knows God's secret in destiny

And it does not know the secret of God in fate,

Except one who knows the entities through their traces.

Except the one who knew realities through traces.

وما رأى أثر الأسماءِ في أحد

وما رأى أثر الأسماءِ في أحد

فقال في قبتيها هم على خطر

فقال في قبتيها هم على خطر

And he did not see the imprint of the Names in anyone,

And he did not see the trace of names in anyone,

So he said in its two domes, 'They are in danger.'

So he said in its domes they are in danger.

لا نعتَ اشرفُ من علمٍ يفوزُبه

لا نعتَ اشرفُ من علمٍ يفوزُبه

يقولُ مَن فاته يا خيبةَ العمر

يقولُ مَن فاته يا خيبةَ العمر

No attribute is nobler than knowledge one attains.

No purer attribute than knowledge in which he succeeds,

Whoever misses it says, 'Alas, a lifetime wasted!'

He who misses it says oh disappointment of a lifetime.

يمشي به آمناً فالعلمُ محفظةٌ

يمشي به آمناً فالعلمُ محفظةٌ

لمن يحصله من وقعةِ الغرر

لمن يحصله من وقعةِ الغرر

He walks with it in safety, for knowledge is a safeguard

It walks with him safely for knowledge is a repository,

For whoever acquires it, against falling into deception.

For whoever obtains it from the occurrence of pitfalls.