يدل الجزؤ من مضمون كوني

على ما دلَّ كلّي من وجوده

A part intimates the essence of being,

Of what the whole intimated in its existence.

فيشهدني وأشهده بنفسي

فأفنى عن وجودي من شهوده

It makes me bear witness to it and it bears witness to me through my essence,

So I perish from my existence through witnessing it.

ولولا أن يقال صبا لأمر

لقلت صدورُنا من عينِ جوده

Had it not been said it was infatuation with matters,

I would have said our issuance was from the essence of its generosity.

يراه النائمُ اليقظانُ كشفا

كرؤية ذي التهجد في هجوده

The sleeper sees it as does the awake one in unveiling,

Like the vision of one in devout prayer during his vigil.

يراه الحائرون بلا دليل

كرؤية ذي المقاصد في قصوده

The lost ones see it without proof,

Like the vision of one with purpose during his quest.

يراه ناظم المرجان فيه

من أسماء له سلكا بجيده

The stringer of pearls sees in it,

From names for it, a thread strung through its necklace.

يراه ناظم الألفاظ بيتاً

هو الروح المؤيد في قصيده

The stringer of phrases sees it as a line of verse,

It is the spirit given success in his ode.

يراه ناظم الأحجار عقدا

وذاك العقد من اسنى عقوده

The stringer of stones sees it as a necklace,

That necklace being the most precious of its necklaces.

قرأت بعقده أجيادَ دهرٍ

به أخذ الشهادة في عقوده

I read in its necklace the studs of an epoch,

Through it, witness was taken in its contracts.

له التسبيحُ والفرقان فيه

يميزه ركوعك مع سجودِه

For it is the glorification and the Criterion wherein

Your bowing and prostration distinguish it.

وحاذرْ أن تمازجَ بي ربٍّ

وبين من اصطفاهم من عبيده

And beware mixing between me and a Lord

And those servants I have chosen from among His servants.

يراه مطلقا من كان اعمى

كرؤية ذي البصيرة في قيوده

The blind see it absolutely,

Like the vision of the sighted in their shackles.

فذاك الفيلسوف بغير حدٍّ

وهذا الأشعريّ على حدوده

Thus is that philosopher without limit,

And this Ash'ari upon his boundaries.

وكلهم رهين الحبس فيه

بجعلِ العقلِ ذلك من صيوده

And all of them are prisoners in it

By making the intellect that which confines them.

على الإنصاف آمنهم شخيص

طليقٌ ليس يرسفُ في قيوده

In fairness, I believe them private,

Unrestrained, not extravagant in their shackles.

وهم أجنادُه وظهور ملك

مطاع إنما هو من جنودِه

They are its armies and manifestations of a King

Who must be obeyed - verily He is among its soldiers.

بذا سعدوا وحازوا الأمن منه

وإن تعبوا المال إلى سعوده

Through this they were fortunate and attained security from it,

Even if they wearied themselves striving toward its good fortune.

لذا سبقت إلى الغايات رحمتي

وحازتها بمنزلتي سعوده

For this reason my mercy took precedence toward the goals

And attained them in my position, its good fortune.

فحلتْ في الجنان وفي جحيم

وإن كانا لنا داري خلوده

So it took effect in the Gardens and in Hellfire,

Even if the two are our abode of eternity.

فاخبئه ليستر في جحيمٍ

من الآلام أنسى من جحوده

Conceal it that it may hide in Hellfire

From pains, the most forgotten of its disregard.

فلو لزموا الحقائقَ لم يكونوا

كمنكر ما رآه لذي وروده

Had they clung to the realities, they would not have been

Like one who denies what he sees upon its arrival.

تجلّى للبصائر من بعيد

تجليه كمن هو في وريده

It manifested itself to insights from afar,

Its manifestation being like one in its vein.

وأطلعه على ما كان منه

من الشكر العميم على مزيده

And it enlightened him about what had been of it

From all-encompassing gratitude for its increase.

تراه عند وصل العين منه

بذاتك مثل فصلك في شروده

You see it when the eye connects to it

Like your disconnecting during your distraction.

فلا تطلب من الرحمن عهداً

فيسألك المهيمن عن عهوده

So do not seek from the Merciful a pact

Whereby the Guardian will ask you about His pacts.

وسالمه تكن عبدا سؤوساً

وتظفر بالزيادة في شهوده

And may His peace be upon you, be a humble servant

And gain by increase in witnessing Him.