إن الإله الذي يرى وتدركه الأ

بصار ذاك الاعتقاد فلا

The God whom eyes can see, that belief

Knows none but Him. For God has set it

تدري سواه فإن الله قرَّره

على لسانِ الذي أبداه حين جلا

Upon the tongue of him who spoke it out when He revealed

As for the God no eye can see,

أما الإله الذي لا عينَ تدركه

ذاك الإله الذي في خلقه جهلا

That is the God whose creation is unknown.

So al-Ash'ari spoke true in his words,

فيصدق الأشعريّ في مقالته

ومن يقابله هذا لمن عقلا

And whoever differs, he lacks reason.

A creation never fails to know its Lord,

وليس يجهلُ خلقَ ربه أبداً

وكيف يجهل من قد حبله وصلا

How could one not know Him who created and connected him?

God's knowledge is too vast to be confined

الله أوسع علماً أن يقيده

عقدٌ لذلك لم يضرب له مثلا

By a doctrine. Thus no likeness was set for Him.

And all who set likenesses for Him err,

وكلُّ من يضربِ الأمثال فيه يصب

لذا نهى وأتانا اتبعوا الرسلا

Thus He forbade, and commanded us: Follow the Messengers.

Doctrine is what He said, not what we depict,

فالعقد ما قاله لا ما نصوِّره

وما نقيم له في قلبنا مثلا

And what we conceive in our hearts as a likeness.