إذا ما ذكرت الله في غسق الدجى

دُجى الجسمِ لو عند الصباحِ إذا بدا

When I mention God in the dusk of night

The body's dusk when dawn first appears

صباحُ الذي يحيى به الجسم عندما

هو الروح لكن بالمزاجِ تبلَّدا

Dawn when the body comes alive

It is the soul but with a sluggish disposition

فلا يأخذِ الأشياء من غير نفسه

ولكن بآلاتٍ بها سرُّه اهتدى

So it doesn't take things from itself

But with instruments through which its secret was guided

فأمسى فقيراً بعد أن كان ذا غنى

وأصبح عبداً بعد أن كان سيِّدا

So it became poor after having been wealthy

And became a slave after having been a master

لقد خلته رُوحاً كريماً منزهاً

فأصبح ريحاً عنصرياً مُجسَّدا

It had made him a generous, pure soul

So he became a vulgar, embodied wind

وكان جليساً للخضارمةِ العُلى

بمقعد صدقٍ للنفوسِ مؤيدا

And he was a companion to the supreme elders

With a seat of truth, supporting souls

لقد كان فيهم ذا وقارٍ وهيبةٍ

فلما ارتدى الجسمَ الترابيّ ألحدا

He had in them dignity and awe

But when he wore the earthly body he disputed

وأجرى له نهراً من الخمر سائغاً

فلما تحسي شربةً منه عربدا

And it flowed for him a river of delicious wine

But when he tasted a sip of it, he was confused

وكان له فوق السموات مشهدٌ

فلما رأى الأرض الأريضة أخلدا

And he had above the heavens a scene

But when he saw the lowly earth he settled

وكان لما يلقاه بالذاتِ قائلاً

وكان إذا ما جاءه الوحي أسجدا

And when the revelation came to him, he would prostrate

He used to be described and became descriptive

وقد كان موصوفاً فأصبح واصفاً

كما كان ذا قصدٍ فأصبح مَقصدا

Just as he had an intention and became intended

As he had a promised attained from Him

كما كان فيما نال منه موعدا

فأصبح فيما نيل منه موحدا

He became, in what is attained from Him, a unifier

And in the world of distance I saw

وفي عالم البعدِ الذي قد رأيته

رأيت له في حضرةِ القربِ مقعدا

I saw for him in the presence of nearness a seat

And when He manifested from those manifested by His attributes

ولما تجلّى من تجلى بنعتهم

رأيتهمُ خرّوا بكياً وسجّدا

I saw them bow down crying and prostrate

And a revelation from God came to them unconscious

وأصعقهم وحيٌ من الله جاءهم

فلما أفاقوا قلت ماذا فقال دا

So when they regained consciousness I said what happened

There afflicted them in the state of their essence

أصابهم في حالِ نشأةِ ذاتهم

ولن يصلحَ العطارُ ما الدهر أفسدا

And the perfumer will not fix what time has corrupted

So I said did you recognize me among their convoy

فقلت وهل ميزتني في رعيلهم

فقال وهل عبدٌ يصير مسوَّدا

He said does a servant become blackened

I made you in the land of My creation My deputy

جعلتكمُ في أرض كوني خليفةً

وأبلست من ناداك فيها وفندا

And clothed in prestige whoever called upon you and sought refuge

And I made my angels prostrate, and they were

وأسجدتُ أملاكي وكانوا أئمة

لرتبتك العليا فأمسيت معبدا

Leaders of your lofty position, so you became a place of worship

I forbade you from something yet you approached it and did not

نهيتك عن أمر فقاربته ولم

نجد لك عزماً إذ نرى منك ما بدا

Find in yourself resolve when we saw what appeared from you

And you stood for them with a clear excuse

وقمت لكم فيه بعذر مُبين

بوّئت داراً خالداً ومخلدا

I settled for you an eternal, settled abode

As He said who seduced you, not knowing

كما قال من أغواكمُ غير عالم

بما قاله إذ قال قولاً مسددا

What He said when He said a steady saying

And he passed with loss to his essence's creation

ومار بخسران إلى أصل فلقه

كنوز سراج في ظلام توقَّدا

The treasures of a lamp in darkness ignited

It illuminates vision and burns itself

يضيء لإبصارٍ ويحرقُ ذاته

عن أمر إلهي أتاه فما اعتدى

By a divine command that came to it but did not transgress