تعالى المبدعُ القدُسُ

تعالى المبدعُ القدُسُ

مثالٌ عنه مقتبسُ

مثالٌ عنه مقتبسُ

Exalted is the holy Creator!

The blessed creator comes,

A likeness drawn from Him,

An example derived from him,

ومرآةٌ عليها نو

ومرآةٌ عليها نو

رُ وجهِ اللهِ ينعكسُ

رُ وجهِ اللهِ ينعكسُ

and a mirror upon which the light

And a mirror on which a light

of God's face is reflected.

Of God's face is reflected.

فما أَدري أَظلّ الل

فما أَدري أَظلّ الل

هِ أَمْ من نورِه قبسُ

هِ أَمْ من نورِه قبسُ

So I cannot tell: is it God's shadow,

So I don't know if it's God's shade

or a spark of His light?

Or a spark of his light,

بدا كالشمسِ لكنْ سرُّ

بدا كالشمسِ لكنْ سرُّ

ه عيَّت به النُطُسُ

ه عيَّت به النُطُسُ

It appeared like the sun, yet its secret

He appeared like the sun but the mystery

baffled the learned.

Of him is shrouded in obscurity.

ففي الأَبصارِ معروفٌ

ففي الأَبصارِ معروفٌ

عَلَى الأَفهام ملتبس

عَلَى الأَفهام ملتبس

Thus it is known to the eyes,

In visions he's well known,

but obscure to understanding.

To minds he's ambiguous,

فكمْ عَنَتِ الوجوهُ له

فكمْ عَنَتِ الوجوهُ له

وربضتْ أَنفسٌ شُمُسُ

وربضتْ أَنفسٌ شُمُسُ

How many faces have bowed to it,

So many faces looked to him

and unruly souls have crouched!

And souls bowed down.

وكم ذا طأْطأَتْ هامٌ

وكم ذا طأْطأَتْ هامٌ

وذَلَّتْ آنفٌ عطس

وذَلَّتْ آنفٌ عطس

And how many heads have bowed low,

And how many heads hung low

and haughty noses have been humbled!

And proud noses sneezed,

له من روحِنا جندٌ

له من روحِنا جندٌ

ومن أَنظارِنا حرس

ومن أَنظارِنا حرس

It has an army drawn from our spirit,

For him our souls are soldiers

and a guard drawn from our gazes.

And our eyes guards,

وقالوا: إِنه نسبٌ

وقالوا: إِنه نسبٌ

بها الأَلبابُ تختلس

بها الأَلبابُ تختلس

And they said: it is proportions

And they said he's a relative

by which minds are stolen away.

Whose wonders make minds steal.

شجاني أَنه عَرَضٌ

شجاني أَنه عَرَضٌ

معالمُهُ ستندرس

معالمُهُ ستندرس

It grieved me that it was a transient quality,

It saddened me that he's fleeting,

whose features would fade away;

His features will fade away,

ونبتٌ إِنْ يهج يوماً

ونبتٌ إِنْ يهج يوماً

فغايةُ أَمرِهِ البيس

فغايةُ أَمرِهِ البيس

and a plant that, if it withers one day,

A plant that if it blooms one day

will end in dryness [uncertain reading].

Its matter will end in misery,

ضلالٌ أَن يحدَّ بما

ضلالٌ أَن يحدَّ بما

رأَوه منه أَو لمسوا

رأَوه منه أَو لمسوا

It is error to confine it to what

An error to limit him by

they have seen of it or touched.

What they saw of him or touched,

وفوقَ حدودِهم روحٌ

وفوقَ حدودِهم روحٌ

طليقٌ ليس يحتبسُ

طليقٌ ليس يحتبسُ

And above their limits is a spirit,

Above their limits there's a spirit

free and unconfined;

Unrestrained, unconfined,

وسفرٌ فيه آياتٌ

وسفرٌ فيه آياتٌ

من الإِبداعِ تلتمس

من الإِبداعِ تلتمس

and a book in which signs

And a journey in which there are signs

of creativity are sought.

Of creativity to seek,

تصبّاني الجمال وفي الْ

تصبّاني الجمال وفي الْ

فؤادِ هواه منغرسُ

فؤادِ هواه منغرسُ

Beauty has beguiled me, and in the

Beauty pours into me and in my

heart its love has taken root.

Heart his love took root,

ولجَّ هواه بي حتى

ولجَّ هواه بي حتى

وهمتُ بأَنه هوس

وهمتُ بأَنه هوس

And love of it pressed upon me until

His love so grasped me that

I imagined it was madness.

I fancied he's obsession,

يطلُّ عليَّ من عينِ الْ

يطلُّ عليَّ من عينِ الْ

حبيبِ ولَحْظُهُ خُلَسُ

حبيبِ ولَحْظُهُ خُلَسُ

It looks out at me from the eye of the

He looks upon me from the eye of

beloved; its glances are furtive.

The beloved and his gaze is furtive,

فينفي النومَ عن عينيَّ

فينفي النومَ عن عينيَّ

وهو بعينها نعسُ

وهو بعينها نعسُ

So it banishes sleep from my eyes,

Banishing sleep from my eyes

while in her eye it is drowsiness.

While he's drowsy in hers,

ويجري ماؤه في وجْ

ويجري ماؤه في وجْ

هِها فيكادُ ينبجس

هِها فيكادُ ينبجس

And its water flows through her

His water flows in her cheeks

face, almost bursting forth.

Nearly gushing out,

ويذكو عرْفُهُ في ثغْ

ويذكو عرْفُهُ في ثغْ

رِها ما رُدّد والقعس

رِها ما رُدّد والقعس

And its fragrance intensifies in her

His fragrance wafts from her neck

mouth, whenever it is repeated—and backward arching [wording unclear].

However much she chided and snapped,

ويزهو بين عطفيها

ويزهو بين عطفيها

هناك النيهُ والقعس

هناك النيهُ والقعس

And it flourishes between her flanks:

He blooms between her shoulders

there are pride [uncertain reading] and backward arching.

Where the kiss and snap sound,

وأَلمحُهُ بومضِ البر

وأَلمحُهُ بومضِ البر

قِ إِمّا عَسْعَسَ الغَلَسُ

قِ إِمّا عَسْعَسَ الغَلَسُ

And I glimpse it in the flash of lightning

And I perceive him in the lightning of

whenever the predawn gloom gathers.

Dawn, did the darkness mutter?

وأَسمعه من الأَطيا

وأَسمعه من الأَطيا

رِ والأَنهار ترتجس

رِ والأَنهار ترتجس

And I hear it from the birds

And I hear him in the birds

and the rivers as they resound.

And rivers murmuring,

وأَدركه بنفسي وهْ

وأَدركه بنفسي وهْ

و معنى ما به لبس

و معنى ما به لبس

And I perceive it through my soul; it

And I grasp him with my soul though

is a meaning without ambiguity.

He's a meaning shrouded in ambiguity.