ولما رأيتُ الأمر يعلو ويسفل

ويقضي به الحقُّ المبين ويفصلُ

When I saw how matters rise and fall,

And how the evident Truth rules and settles,

تصرّفُه الأهواء أنى توجهت

فيقضي به ريحُ جنوبٍ وشمأل

However passions may drive it about,

So that the south wind or north decides its course,

تنبه قلبي عند ذاك عناية

من الله جاءته وقد كان يعقل

Then my heart woke to a lesson

Sent it by God, for it was rational.

فو الله لولا أن في الصدق ثلمة

لما كان قلبُ العبدِ يسهو ويغفل

By God, were it not that in honesty is a flaw,

No servant's heart would be neglectful and heedless!

وقلت لقلبي ما دعاك لما أرى

فلم أدر إلا أنها تتأوّل

And I said to my heart, “What led you to what I see?”

But I could only infer that it was interpreting.

بحثت عن أصل الأمرِ ما أصل كونه

فلاحَ لنا في ذلك البحثِ فيصل

I searched into the origin of the thing, the origin of its being,

But in that search we found no clue.

فأعلم أنَّ الحكم للعلم تابعٌ

كما هو للمعلومِ والأمر يجهلُ

So know that judgement is subject to knowledge,

As it is to the known—though the matter be hidden.

ولما رأيتُ الحقَّ فيما ذكرته

علمت بأن الأمر جبر مفصل

When I saw that the Truth lay in what I have mentioned,

I knew that the matter was precisely ordained,

وأن إله الخلقِ بالخلقِ يفصلُ

وبالخلقِِ أيضاً بالمكاره يعدل

And that the God of creation by creation decrees

And by creation also balances things with troubles.

فمن لام غيرَ النفسِ قد جار واعتدى

ومن لامها فهو الشهيد المعدّل

So he who blames anything but his own soul has erred and transgressed,

While he who blames it is equitable and straight.

ولما رأيتُ الحق للخلقِ تابعا

تساوي لديَّ الخوف والأمن فاعملوا

When I saw that Truth was bound to creation,

Fear and security were equal in my eyes—so act!

على كشفِ هذا واعملوا بمناره

فإن به تسمو الذواتُ وتكمل

Act to unveil this, and act by its light,

For by it souls are lofty and perfected.