بينَ طيِّ الحَبيبِ والنَّشْرِ معْنَى

قابَ قوسَيْنِ للوُصولِ وأَدْنَى

Between the folds of the beloved and dissemination is meaning

Two bow lengths away for reaching, even less

وعلى بُرْقُعِ الجَمالِ نُقوشٌ

كَتَبَتْ بالفُنونِ للقلبِ معْنَى

And on the parchment of beauty are inscriptions

Written by the arts for the heart meaning

وعلى بابِ مَنْ نُحِبُّ سُتورٌ

نسْجَها نحنُ إنْ أَرَدْنا كَشَفْنَا

And on the door of whom we love are coverings

We wove them, if we wanted to uncover we did

وعلى البابِ قامَ أَقفالُ سِرٍّ

فوقَها بالرُّموزِ إنَّا فَتَحْنَا

And on the door stood locks of mystery

With symbols over them, we opened them

نحنُ قومٌ مِتْنا عن الكونِ طُرًّا

وطَرَحْنَا أَرْواحَنا واسْتَرَحْنَا

We are a people who died from the universe aloof

And cast off our souls and relaxed

أَخَذَتْنا من الحَبيبِ شُؤُنٌ

قلَّبَتْنَا بالوجدِ فنًّا ففَنَّا

From the beloved conditions took us

Turning us with passion into art and artists

فانقَلَبْنَا عن الوُجوداتِ طَوْراً

وعَرَفْناهُ والجميعُ جَهِلْنَا

So we turned from existences for a spell

And knew Him while all others were ignorant

بينَ بَيْتَيْ نعيمِهِ ولَظاهُ

أَيُّ بيتٍ أَرادَ فيه دَخَلْنَا

Between the houses of His bliss and shade

Whichever house He wished to enter we entered

قد رَضينا بكلِّ ما هو يَرْضى

وقطعْنَا كلَّ العَلائِقِ عَنَّا

We were pleased with all that gives Him pleasure

And cut off all attachments from us

وأَخذْنا كلَّ المَشاهِدِ منهُ

أَلفُ حاشَا نقولُ منهُ ومِنَّا

And took all witnessings from Him

Absurd to say from Him or from us

قد رأَيْنا القُلُوبَ مِنَّا حَديداً

فتَلا سِرُّهُ لها وأَلَنَّا

We saw hearts among us as iron

His secret recited to them and softened them

فسمِعْنا مَتْلُوُّهُ وأَطعْنا

وقرأنا مكتوبُهُ وفَهِمْنَا

So we heard His recitations and obeyed

And read His writings and understood

ووُجِدْنا وبالخُشوعِ فُقِدْنا

وقَرُبْنا وبالقُيودِ بَعُدْنَا

And were found and in humility lost

And drew near while bound far

وقَرَعْنَا بابَ العِنايَةِ ذُلاًّ

ونجحْنَا وبالقَبولِ سَعِدْنَا

And knocked the door of Providence in lowliness

And succeeded while in acceptance blessed

والمُحَيِّي بأَلطفِ البِشْرِ حَيَّى

والمُغَنِّي بنغمَةِ البِرِّ غَنَّى

And the Reviver with gentlest tidings revived

And the Fulfiller with the melody of righteousness fulfilled

فانْطَوَيْنا عنَّا وعن كلِّ شيءٍ

ونُشِرْنا والسِّرَّ بعدُ نَشَرْنَا

So we withdrew from ourselves and everything

And were disseminated, the secret afterwards disseminated

وغَريبٌ ظُهورُنا في خَفاءٍ

قدْ خَفينا وبالخَفاءِ ظَهَرْنَا

Wondrous is our appearance in concealment

We hid and through hiding appeared

نحنُ تُجَّارُهُ رَجَعْنَا برِبْحٍ

ولهذا عن العُيونِ اسْتَتَرْنَا

We are His traders, returning with profit

And thus from eyes we veiled

ما رَجَعْنا عزماً ولكن بُروزاً

ما رَجَعْنَا إِلاَّ بعزمٍ قَدِمْنَا

Not intentionally we returned, but unconsciously

We only returned with determination we came

أُتْرِعَ الكأسُ بالقَبولِ إلينا

فأَخذْناهُ صافِياً وشَرِبْنَا

The cup of acceptance was offered to us

So we took it pure and drank

وعَظُمْنا طوراً وحالاً وسِرًّا

ومُحِقْنا وجداً وبالشَّوقِ ذُبْنَا

And were honored for a time, state, and mystery

And erased, and in longing melted

ما أُحَيْلى وقتاً تجلَّى علينا

ضِمنَهُ والخِطابُ منه سَمِعْنَا

No time manifested upon us

Containing it, and speech from Him we heard

فشَبَبْنَا إلى السِّماكِ غَراماً

وقَعَدْنَا مع الهُيامِ وقُمْنَا

So we grew enamored with the slender waisted

And sat with the swaying and stood

فخُذِ الرَّمزَ عارِفاً وافْتَحْ الكَنْ

زَ ونَلْ بالقَبولِ ما تَتَمَنَّى

So take the symbol knowingly and unlock the treasure

And attain with acceptance what you wish

وارْوِ عنَّا أَسْرارَنا وافْنَ فينا

وتَهَنَّا بإرْثِنا أنتَ مِنَّا

Relate from us our secrets and perish through us

And congratulate yourself on our inheritance, you are from us