هذا الوجودُ ومن به يتجمل

إن الحديث منا يقول الأوّلُ

This existence and he who adorns himself in it

Our talk surely says the first

دلَّ الدليلُ على حدوثِ واقع

عن محدث هو بالدلالة أكمل

The evidence has pointed to the occurrence of reality

From a Causer who is most complete in indication

إذ كان والأشياء لم يك عينها

فحدوثُها فرق جليُّ فيصل

For He existed while things had not yet been

So their occurrence clearly separates and distinguishes

عند الذي سبر الدليل بفكره

لكن متى في مثلِ ذا لا يعقل

For one who probed the evidence with his mind

But when does one like this not reason?

إنَّ الزمانَ من الحوادثِ عينه

ومتى محال في الزمان فأجملوا

Time is comprised of events

And how can the impossible occur in time, so understand

لو يعلمون كما علمت مكانة

ما كنت عنه بمثل هذا تسأل

If they knew my stature as you have known

You would not have asked me this

لحدوثنا إذا لم نكن وظهورنا

في عيننا وكذا المكان ففصلوا

Our coming into existence, if we were not, and our appearance

Is proof in and of itself, so differentiate

لو أنَّ رسطاليس يسمع قولنا

ورجاله نظراً عليه عوَّلوا

If Aristotle could hear our words

And his men, arguments upon which they relied

أنصفت في التحقيق مذ بينت ما

دلُّوا عليه بالدليل وأصّلوا

I would be equitable in investigation, since I explained what

They demonstrated with evidence and substantiated

والأشعريُّ يقول مثلَ مقالتي

وإنْ أنصفوا وكذا الرجالُ الأوّلُ

Al-Ash'ari says the like of my speech

Even if they were equitable, as were the early men

والله ما زلت بهم أقدامُهم

لكن لفهم السامعين تزلزلوا

By Allah, their feet did not slip from them

But they stumbled for the understanding of listeners

قد فرَّقوا بين الوجوبِ لذاته

ولغيره فافهم لعلك تعقل

They differentiated between necessity of His essence

And that of others, so understand, perhaps you will reason

هذا هو الإمكان عند جميعهم

فعن الحقيقة عندنا لم يعدِلوا

This is possibility in the view of all of them

But they did not equate it to the reality in our view

لكنهم ما أنصفوا إذ نوظروا

في البحث بالسرِّ الذي لا يجهلُ

But they were not fair when they considered

In the search the secret which cannot be ignored

لو أنهم سبروا أدلة عقلهم

وتوغلوا في قولهم وتأمّلوا

If only they had probed the proofs of their minds

And delved deeply into their words and contemplated

رأوا اتساع الحقَّ من انصافهم

وقبوله للقولِ فيه فاقبلوا

They would have seen the breadth of the truth in their fairness

And acceptance of speech therein, so they would have acquiesced

إخوان صدقٍ لا عداوةَ بينهم

فله العلوّ نزاهة والسفل

Brothers in honesty, no enmity between them

For He is most high in detachment and the lowest in familiarity

الله أوسع أن يقيده لنا

عقدٌ فكلُّ عقيدةٍ لا تبطل

Allah is too vast to restrict Him for us

With a doctrine—thus every creed does not invalidate

لكن لها وجه إليه محققٌ

يدري به الحبرُ اللبيبُ الأكمل

But it has an aspect leading to Him, realized

By the most perfect scholar and keenest mind

جاء المحققُ في التجلي بالذي

وقع النكير به وما هو أنزل

The verifier came in theophany with that

Which met with rejection and is not revealed

فله التجلي في العقائد كلها

وأتى بذاك تبدُّلٌ وتحوُّل

For theophany pertains to all creeds

And he came with that transformation and change

لو لم يكن هذا تقيد وانتفى

إطلاقه عنه لضاق المنزل

If this were not restricting and confining Him

And freeing Him from it, the abode would be straitened

تدري الخلائقُ في الشعور نزوله

يومَ القيامةِ وهو يوم أهول

The creatures know His descent on Judgement Day

And it is a most momentous day

عمت سعادته الخلائق كلهم

جاء الرسولُ به ونص المرسل

His happiness has encompassed all creatures

The Messenger came with it, and the words of the emissary

وسعَ المهيمنُ كلَّ شيءٍ رحمةً

فاعلم فليس على المكان معوَّلُ

The All-Pervading made everything mercy

So know, thus the physical is not what is depended upon

إنَّ الإله حكى لنا ما قاله

أهلُ العدالةِ والصدورُ العدَّلُ

Indeed, God related to us what the people of justice said

And the most judicious hearts

وهو الدعاةُ لنا وقد نطقوا بما

جاء الكتابُ به إلينا المنزل

He who invites us, and they spoke what

The Book was revealed with to us

فينا من التجريح وهو حقيقته

من غيرة قامت بهم لا تجهل

Among us is criticism, which is its reality

Out of a zeal which arose in them, not ignored

لله قاموا غيرة لم يقصدوا

ردّاً عليه لما رأوه فاوّلوا

They stood zealous for God, they did not intend

Refutation of Him for what they interpreted