إِذَا كُنْت بَعْد المَحْوِ في الصَّحْوِ سَيِّداً

إِمَاماً مُثَنَّى النَّعْتِ بِالذَاتِ مُفْرَدا

If after erasure, you're still the master in waking

A leader, uniquely described in essence, singular

فَمَا الرَّسْمُ إِلاَّ مَانِعٌ غَيْرُ حَاجِزٍ

حَصِينٌ بِه الإِطْلاَقُ لَنْ يَتَقَيَّدا

Then depiction's just a hamper, no real barrier

Confinement makes utter freedom never hinder

وَذَاكَ لأَنَّ الفَرْقَ صَارَ تَوَهُّما

بِهَيْئَتِهِ والجَمْعُ فَرْداً كَمَا بَدا

That's because the difference is imagined

In its form, and the whole seemed single, as it appeared

وَمِنْ قَوْلِهِمْ مَا قَامَ إِلاَّ مُحَمَّدٌ

دَلِيلٌ بهِ حُكْمُ الصَوَابِ تأَيَّدا

And from their words, none stood but Muhammad

Evidence, by it, truth’s judgment was made clear

رَفَعْنَا عن الإِعْرَابِ رَفْعَ مُحَمِّدٍ

لِقَامَ وإِلاَّ عَنْهُ تَنْفِي مُحَمَّدَ

We lifted, from declension, the lifting of Muhammad

For "stood," else from it deny Muhammad

وَإِذْ لَمْ يَكُنْ مَا قَامَ يَطْلُبُ فَاعِلا

سِوَاهُ رَفَعْنَاهُ بِهِ فَتَأَكَّدا

And when what stood sought no doer

Other than it, we lifted it with certainty

فإِلاَّ وَإِنْ دَلَّتْ عَلى الفَرْقِ ظَاهِراً

فَتَحْقِيقُ حُكْمِ الرَّفْعِ يَجْعَلَهَا سُدَى

Unless, though difference was indicated outwardly

Verifying the lifting’s rule makes them barren

فَلاَ تُطِعِ الإِيجَابَ إِلاَّ تَقِيَّةَ

بِهَا واعْتَمِدْ في سَلْبِ إِيجَابِهَا الهُدَى

So obey not imperative, but as precaution

Thereby, and in negating its imperative, seek guidance

كَذَلِكَ والسَّلْبُ الَّذِي اْبتَدَأَتْ بِهِ

شَهَادَتُنَا مَا كَانَ شَيءٌ فَيُجْحَدا

Thus, and the negation which our testimony began with

Was nothing, so it's denied

فَتَحْقِيقُ ذاكَ النَّفْيِّ إِثْبَاتُ وَاحِدٍ

وَمَنْ وجذ الإِثْبَاتَ فِي نَفْيِهِ اهْتَدَى

So realizing that denial is affirming one thing

And whoever grasps affirmation in its denial finds guidance