عَجَباً أَيْنَ الْعُقُولُ

عَجَباً أَيْنَ الْعُقُولُ

لَسْتُ أَدْرِي ما أَقُولُ

لَسْتُ أَدْرِي ما أَقُولُ

How astonishing—where are the minds?

How astonishing! Where are the intellects?

I do not know what I can say.

I do not know what to say.

مَا لَنا عَنْ مَنْهَجِ الْتَحْ

مَا لَنا عَنْ مَنْهَجِ الْتَحْ

قيقِ والْحَقِّ نَحُولُ

قيقِ والْحَقِّ نَحُولُ

What has come over us, that from Truth’s path

Why do we, from the path of verification

we stray—and, by the Truth, turn away?

and truth, turn away?

فَضَلاتٌ ذَهَبَتْ بالْ

فَضَلاتٌ ذَهَبَتْ بالْ

فَضْلِ مِنّا وفُضُولُ

فَضْلِ مِنّا وفُضُولُ

Trifles have carried off the

Scraps have carried away

virtue in us—and idle excesses have too.

our excellence—and so have superfluities.

نَدَّعِي الْعِلْمَ ولَكِنْ

نَدَّعِي الْعِلْمَ ولَكِنْ

ما إلَى الْعِلْمِ وُصُولُ

ما إلَى الْعِلْمِ وُصُولُ

We claim knowledge, yet

We claim knowledge, yet

knowledge lies beyond our reach.

there is no reaching knowledge.

إنَّما الْعِلْمَ خُروجٌ

إنَّما الْعِلْمَ خُروجٌ

عَنْ شُكُوكٍ لادُخُولُ

عَنْ شُكُوكٍ لادُخُولُ

Knowledge is nothing but emerging

Knowledge is nothing but a way out

from doubts—not entering into them—

of doubts, not a way into them;

وقِيامٌ في مَقَامٍ

وقِيامٌ في مَقَامٍ

فِيهِ قَدْ قَامَ الْفُحُولُ

فِيهِ قَدْ قَامَ الْفُحُولُ

and standing in a station

and standing in a station

where the great masters have stood:

where the masters have stood;

وانْجِماعٌ واتِّضَاعٌ

وانْجِماعٌ واتِّضَاعٌ

وانْقِطاعٌ ووُصُولُ

وانْقِطاعٌ ووُصُولُ

inward collectedness and humility,

and inward composure and humility;

severance and arrival,

and detachment and attainment;

وفِرارٌ عَنْ مَهاوٍ

وفِرارٌ عَنْ مَهاوٍ

قَدْ هَوَى فِيها الْجَهُولُ

قَدْ هَوَى فِيها الْجَهُولُ

and flight from the abysses

and flight from abysses

into which the profoundly ignorant one has fallen;

into which the ignorant one has fallen;

ووُقُوفٌ عِنْد قَالَ ال

ووُقُوفٌ عِنْد قَالَ ال

لهُ أو قَالَ الرَّسولُ

لهُ أو قَالَ الرَّسولُ

and holding fast to “God said,”

and stopping at 'God has said,'

or “the Messenger said.”

or 'the Messenger has said.'

لا تَقُلْ قَدْ قَالَ زَيْدٌ

لا تَقُلْ قَدْ قَالَ زَيْدٌ

وبذا عَمْروٌ يَقُولُ

وبذا عَمْروٌ يَقُولُ

Do not say, “Zayd has said,”

Do not say, 'Zayd has said,'

“and this is what ʿAmr says.”

'and ʿAmr says this.'

ما لَنا والرّأْي إنَّ ال

ما لَنا والرّأْي إنَّ ال

رَّأيَ في الدِّينِ فُضُولُ

رَّأيَ في الدِّينِ فُضُولُ

What have we to do with opinion? Indeed,

What have we to do with opinion? Indeed,

opinion in religion is idle presumption.

opinion in religion is idle excess.

حَكِّمِ الشَّرْعَ إذا ما

حَكِّمِ الشَّرْعَ إذا ما

خَالَفَ الشَّرْعُ الْعُقُولُ

خَالَفَ الشَّرْعُ الْعُقُولُ

Let sacred law be judge whenever

Make revealed law the judge whenever

human minds oppose sacred law.

revealed law conflicts with human reason.

عَدِّ عَنْ رَسْطا فَمَا رَسْ

عَدِّ عَنْ رَسْطا فَمَا رَسْ

طا بِذا السَّفْحِ يَجُولُ

طا بِذا السَّفْحِ يَجُولُ

Turn away from Aristotle—for Aristotle

Leave Aristotle aside; Aristotle does not

does not wander in folly such as this.

roam upon this slope.

والْمَقاييسُ إذا بَا

والْمَقاييسُ إذا بَا

يَنَتِ الشَّرْعَ نُفُولُ

يَنَتِ الشَّرْعَ نُفُولُ

And whenever syllogisms diverge

And analogies, when they diverge

from sacred law, we say:

from revealed law, are mere extras.

تَقْصُرُ الأَقْوالُ عِنْدَ ال

تَقْصُرُ الأَقْوالُ عِنْدَ ال

شَّرْعِ والشَّرعُ يَطولُ

شَّرْعِ والشَّرعُ يَطولُ

words fall short before sacred

Sayings fall short before

law, while sacred law reaches far.

revealed law, while revealed law stands tall.

خَابَ مَسْعَى مَنْ قُصارَى

خَابَ مَسْعَى مَنْ قُصارَى

عِلْمِهِ قال يَقُولُ

عِلْمِهِ قال يَقُولُ

Lost is the striving of one whose utmost

Vain is the striving of one whose whole

knowledge is “he said” and “he says.”

learning is 'he said' and 'he says.'

كُلَّما وَافَاهُ نَصٌّ

كُلَّما وَافَاهُ نَصٌّ

قَامَ بالرَّأْي يَصُولُ

قَامَ بالرَّأْي يَصُولُ

Whenever a revealed text confronts him,

Whenever a scriptural text reaches him,

he rises, wielding opinion, and assails it.

he rises, charging forth with opinion.

أَيُّها الْمَغْرورُ غَرَّتْ

أَيُّها الْمَغْرورُ غَرَّتْ

كَ فُرُوعٌ وأُصُولُ

كَ فُرُوعٌ وأُصُولُ

O deluded one, you have been deceived

O deluded one, you have been beguiled

by branches and principles,

by branches and roots,

وجِدَالٌ ونِضَالٌ

وجِدَالٌ ونِضَالٌ

أُشْرِعَتْ فيهِ النُّصُولُ

أُشْرِعَتْ فيهِ النُّصُولُ

by disputation and combat

and debate and contention,

in which blades were drawn,

in which spearheads have been leveled;

وقِيامٌ وقُعُودٌ

وقِيامٌ وقُعُودٌ

ومُمَارَاةٌ تَطُولُ

ومُمَارَاةٌ تَطُولُ

by standing up and sitting down,

and standing and sitting,

and by wrangling that drags on.

and wrangling that drags on.

لَيْسَ ذا زَادَ مَعادٍ

لَيْسَ ذا زَادَ مَعادٍ

كُلُّ ذا عَنْكَ يَزُولُ

كُلُّ ذا عَنْكَ يَزُولُ

This is no provision for the Hereafter;

This is no provision for the Hereafter;

all this will pass away from you.

all this will pass away from you.

في كَثيرٍ منْ عُلُومِ الْ

في كَثيرٍ منْ عُلُومِ الْ

مَرْءِ للْمَرْءِ شُغولُ

مَرْءِ للْمَرْءِ شُغولُ

Much of a person’s learning

In much of the learning

is a distraction to that very person.

of man lie distractions for man.

إنَّما الزَّادُ هُوَ الزهْ

إنَّما الزَّادُ هُوَ الزهْ

دُ فَعَنْهُ لا تَحُولُ

دُ فَعَنْهُ لا تَحُولُ

The provision is nothing but renunciation;

The only provision is

so do not turn away from it.

renunciation; so do not turn away from it.

فَعَلَى الزُّهْدِ يَدُورُ الرُّ

فَعَلَى الزُّهْدِ يَدُورُ الرُّ

شْدُ قَدْ قَالَ الْفُحولُ

شْدُ قَدْ قَالَ الْفُحولُ

For upon renunciation hinges right

For around renunciation revolves

guidance, as the great masters have said.

right guidance, as the masters have said.

وعَلَى هَذا بَراهِي

وعَلَى هَذا بَراهِي

نُ عُقُولٍ ونُقُولُ

نُ عُقُولٍ ونُقُولُ

And for this there are proofs

And for this there are proofs

from reason and transmitted tradition.

from reason and transmitted reports.