لنا الحجرُ المرموزُ في الكتب سرُّهُ

وقد صار بالتدبير طفلاً وبالغا

The stone encrypted in books, its secret is ours

By providence it became a child and an adult

رأيناه بين الخلق في الطُرْق مُطْرَحاً

ولكنه فوق السماكين نابغا

We saw it tossed on roads among the people

But above the heavens it was brilliant

فمذ حل روحُ القدس إكسيرَ نفسنا

رأينا ضياء السر بالسر زالغا

So when the holy spirit became elixir of our soul

We saw the light of the secret manifest through the secret

غلاماً ربيباً يخجل الشمسَ حسنُه

رصيناً حكيماً للمهمات دامغا

A beautiful boy, his beauty puts the sun to shame

Wise and resolute in important affairs

أبوه كريمٌ والبكارة أمه

قديماً حديثاً مُشغَلاً متفارغا

His father is generous and his mother is chaste

Ancient yet modern, busy yet at leisure

لنا علَّةٌ لكنه كان قبلها

بأقنومه المعلول إبناً وبازغا

We have a cause, yet before it he was

In his hypostasis, the caused, a son rising

حوى جوهراً في الذات والطبع واحداً

تثلَّثَ جَوهرْهُ وما كان زائغا

He contained one essence in essence and nature

His essence triumphed but did not err

وقد كان شيخاً قبلَ أن صار يافعاً

وأصبح في سن الرضاعة رابغا

He was an elder before becoming a youth

And became a suckling babe

ومذ مات مذبوحاً فأحيا بذبحه

وأحيا رميماً كان في النار واتغا

Since he died slaughtered, by his slaughter he revived

And revived a ruin that was consumed in the blaze

فيا لك مقتولاً قتلتَ قَتولَنا

وفيك قتيل القوم أصبح نابغا

What a wondrous slain you are, you slew our slayer

In you, the tribe’s slain became brilliant

وإذ مات عبداً مُبدَعاً متألماً

فقام إلهاً مبدِعَ الكون صائغا

When he died, a sacrificed servant, anguished

He rose as God, the creator of the universe

بناموسه الروحي يصلح فاسداً

ويفتح فيه مقفلاً كان بالغا

With his spiritual law he reforms the corrupt

And in him opens what was closed and mature

ويشفي ويُحيي ميِّتاً صار رِمَّةً

وقد كان ناب الموت للميْت ماضغا

He heals and revives the dead who became crumbs

And death's fang was piercing the dead

وقد مَصَّ منه سمَّ تنِّينِه الذي

نكى جسمَه والنفس قد كان لادغا

He sucked from it the poison of its dragon

That marred his body while his soul it continued to bite

أقام عليه حارساً كلبَ شرعه

فيحميه من ذئبٍ أتاه مراوغا

He appointed over it the hound of his law

To protect him from a prowling wolf

فأعجب به حيّاً وميْتاً ومُنشَراً

وتكوينه من آدمٍ كان رائغا

So he marveled at him alive, dead, and resurrected

And his creation from Adam who erred

تردَّى به جسماً ونفساً عريقةً

ولكنه عن نسله كان زائغا

He attacked him in body and dignified soul

But from his progeny he always strayed

وأصلح عقلاً كان من قبل ناقصاً

وأفصح نطقاً كان من بعد لاثغا

And he perfected a mind that was once lacking

And articulated a speech that was once muted

بدا الحق فيه يصدع الحقَّ مرشداً

وما كل حق كان للحق فادغا

The truth in him split the rock as a guide

Though not every truth could split the true rock

فهذا هو الإكسير إكسير نفسنا

أتانا وذيل الشك للشك سابغا

This is the elixir, elixir of our soul

That came to us while doubts' tails clung to doubts

ومذ حل حَوَّلَ اَسْرُباً ثم آنُكاً

إلى الذهب الإبريز إن كنت صائغا

Since he arrived, he transformed shavings then lead

Into pure gold, if you are an artisan

فلله مأكولٌ به كان مُمرياً

وللَه مشروبٌ به كان سائغا

God has gained a meal that once deprived

And a drink that once quenched thirst

فما شئت من إحكام أمرٍ فأبرِمَنْ

وما شئت من إنفاذ حكمٍ فبالغا

Whatever firm order you desire, conclude it

And whatever just rule you want, see it through

فقد قسمت فيه الحظوظ موارثاً

كما قسم الأرْضون في عهدِ فالغا

In him lots were divided like inheritance

As lands in the era of peacetime were divided

فلا تخش في تقسيمه الحظَّ مارداً

ولو كان بين الناس بالشر نازغا

So fear no usurper in dividing the lot

Even if he quarreled with people through evil

على أن تلك الصخرة الحق رّضَّضت

أمانيه حتى ارتد عنّا مراوغا

For that rock, the truth, crushed

His hopes until he evaded us

فأصبح مرجوماً وقد كان راجماً

لجبهته في هَبوة التُرب مارغا

And he who once stoned became stoned

With a face masked in soil during tumult's attack

فأسفر عن وجهٍ تدبَّغ بالثرى

لحى اللَه وجهاً جاء بالمكر دابغا

He fell while his soul rose as a ray

Victorious or exaggerating as it rose

هوى واستطارت نفسُه عندما هوى

شعاعاً وشدَّ غالباً أو مبالغا

Until we muzzled him with our symbol’s pearl

Wisdom about her child left him

إلى أن لَجمناه بدُرَّةِ رَمزنا

له حكمةٌ عن طفلها عاد لاثغا

And I dressed him in it and through it our features

As I was dressed in its flowing robes

وألبستُه منها وفيها شكائماً

كما أنني أُلبستُ فيها السوابغا

It appeared to us as a full moon then a sun matching us

The law since it wandered in it preoccupied

تبدَّت لنا بدراً وشمساً تقارنا

هما شَرَعٌ مذ هام فيها مُناشغا

It seemed a full moon so when its mansion emerged

An eagle appeared as a sun not yet rising

تراءت لنا بدراً فمذ حل بُرجَها

عُقابٌ بدت شمساً وما كان بازغا

But he crafted through it for himself in it

Jewelry with wisdom from the symbol of unfading dye

ولكنه قد صاغ منها له بها

حُلِيّاً له من عَندَم الرمز صابغا

Thirty years he wandered in it, managing

And after the thirty they called him artisan

ثلاثين حولاً جال فيها مدبِّراً

وسَمَّوه من بعد الثلاثين صائغا