الأمر أعظمُ أن يُدرَى فيعتقدا

على الحقيقة إجمالاً وتفصيلا

It is greatest to know Him, so believe

In His reality in general and detail

عنه العبارة في الألفاظ قاصرةٌ

يدريه من رتَّل القرآن ترتيلا

Words fall short in describing Him

Known by those who recite the Quran with devotion

ولا التصوُّر في الألقاب يضبطه

ولا يقيده عقلا ًوتنزيلا

Neither can the attributes encompass Him

Nor can the intellect confine Him, in revelation or reason

فحدُّه كل محدود بصورته

وما تناهتْ فيبقى الأمر مجهولا

For each limited thing is defined by its form

And what cannot be grasped remains unknown

فلست أعرفه إلا مشاهدة

ولستُ أشهده حسّاً ومعقولا

I know Him only through inner vision

Not through senses or rational thought

قد جل مظهرُه إذ جلَّ ظاهرُه

وحلَّ مظهرُه نصّاً وتأويلا

His appearance is too lofty, as His outer form is most High

His manifestation was clear in the Text and its interpretation

إنَّ البصائر والأفكار ما اجتمعت

فيه وقد عجرت قطعاً وتفصيلا

The insights and thoughts cannot combine

To fathom Him, decisively or in detail

إن قلتَ بالحسِّ لم تظفر بطلعته

أو قلتَ بالعقلِ تبديلا وتحويلا

If you say through the senses you will not attain His rising

Or through the intellect, analyzing and deducing

فالوهم يحكم والأوهامُ يعرفها

والوهم لم أر فيه قط محصولا

Imagination judges while imaginations recognize Him

Yet never have I seen imagination yield results regarding Him

وليس يدرك ُذو عقلٍ وذو بصرٍ

ما ليس يدرك موصولاً ومفصولا

Neither the rational being nor the keen observer

Can grasp what cannot be connected or divided

حارت عقولُ ذوي الألباب فيه كما

حارتْ خواطر مَنْ يبغيه تضليلا

The minds of the wise have been perplexed by Him

As have the thoughts of those who wish to misguide about Him