ما لقومي عن حديثي في عمى

ما أظنُّ القومَ إلا قدما

Why do my people not speak of me in blindness?

I think not the people save as having stepped

أخذوا العلمَ عن الفكر وعن

كلِّ روحٍ ما له علم بما

They took knowledge from thought and from

Every spirit not having knowledge of what

عندنا من جهة العلم به

جلَّ أنْ يفهم أو أنْ يفهما

Is with us in the way of knowing Him

Exalted that he understand or understand

هكذا قالواوما عندهمُ

خبر الذوقِ بعلمِ العلما

Thus they spoke while not having

Taste of experiential knowledge or learned knowledge

فأنا أطلبه منه وهم

يطلبون العلمَ منهم أينما

So I seek it from Him while they

Seek knowledge from themselves wherever

فعلومُ القومِ من أنفسهم

وعلومي من إله حكما

The people's knowledge is from their souls

While my knowledge is from a Wise God

إنه يعطي الذي يعلمه

لعبيد لم يزالوا رُحَما

He gives to whom He teaches

To servants who have always been merciful

بينهم تبصرهم قد وقفوا

في المحاريبِ وصفوا القدما

Among them, their insight stopped them

In the shrines, describing the steps

بقلوبٍ علمتُ أنَّ لها

عند ربِّ الصَّدقِ حقاً قدما

With hearts I knew had

With the Lord of Sincerity an eternal right

وعيونٌ واكفاتٌ أرسلت

من بكاء بدلَ الدمعِ دما

And eyes and palms that sent

Instead of tears, blood from weeping

ينظرون الأمر من سيدهم

لخيالٍ عندهم قد نجما

They look to the matter from their Master

For an imagination they have projected

فلهذا جاءهم ما ردهم

يحملون الكلَّ عنا حكما

Thus there came to them what repelled them

Bearing all judgment against us

لعلومٍ لم ينلها دَنَسٌ

من عباراتٍ فما حلَّت فما

For knowledges they did not attain

From expressions that never settled in a mouth