جَلا الحقُّ قلْبيَ حتّى أنارا

فآنَسْتُ منْ جانِبِ الطّوْرِ نارا

The truth illuminated my heart until it shone

So I felt a fire on the side of the mountain

ودُرْتُ على مرْكَزي دوْرَةً

يُحَقِّرُ مَنْ دارَها مُلْكَ دَارا

And I turned on my axis in a cycle

That makes the owner of its home scorn a palace

وحقّقْتُ إنِّيتِي وهْيَ كَنْزٌ

فأخْرَجْتُهُ إذ هدَمْتُ الجِدارا

And I realized my essence which is a treasure

So I brought it out when I demolished the wall

وأبْصَرْتُ رسْمي رَسْماً مَحيلا

وأبْصرْتُ وصْفيَ وصْفاً مُعارا

And I saw my image, an amazing image

And I saw my description, a wondrous description

فمَنْ كانَ مثْليَ نالَ الغِنى

وباهَى وجرّ الذّيولَ افْتِخارا

So whoever is like me attained wealth

And reveled and dragged his train boasting

رمَى للوجودِ بأوْهامِهِ

وحَلَّ القُيودَ وفكَّ الإسارا

He threw the shackles of existence with his illusions

And freed the shackles and undid the bonds

ولمْ يرْضَ منْ بعْدُ بالأهْلِ أهْلاً

ولمْ يرْضَ منْ بعْدُ بالدّارِ دارا

And after that he was no longer pleased with people as people

And after that he was no longer pleased with a home as a home

فمَهْما نطَقْتُ نطقْتُ ادِّكارا

ومهْما صمَتُّ صمتُّ اعْتِبارا

So whatever I say, I say as a reminder

And whatever I am silent, I am silent as a lesson

وديْرٍ قطَعْتُ إليْهِ الفَلا

وجُبْتُ الدُّجى وركِبْتُ البِحارا

And a monastery I made my way to

And I crossed the darkness and rode the seas

ونادَمْتُ منْ أجْلِهِ فِتْيَةً

تَراهُمْ سُكارى وما هُمْ سُكارى

And for its sake I reproached youths

You see them drunk yet they are not drunk

كلِفْنا بهِ في سِياقِ الحَديثِ

فقُمْنا نُعاقِرُ فيهِ العُقارا

We were tasked with it in the course of talk

So we stood drinking its potions

ولمّا حلَلْنا بأكْنافِهِ

حلَلْنا الحُبا ونبَذْنا الوَقارا

And when we reached its bosom

We reached love and cast off dignity

وطِرْنا الى الرّاحِ فيهِ ارْتِياحا

ومَنْ هزّهُ الوجْدُ والشّوْقُ طارَا

And we flew in it relieved

And whoever ecstasy and longing shook flew

ولاحَتْ لهُمْ خَطَفاتُ البُروقِ

تلوحُ مِراراً وتخْفى مِرارا

And glimpses of lightning flashed for them

Appearing again and again and hiding again and again

يُعارضُ فيها الجَلالُ الجَمالَ

فهُمْ بيْنَ قبْضٍ وبسْطٍ حَيارَى

Wherein majesty contends with beauty

And they are between grasping and expanding, confused

زَعَقْنا براهِبِهِ زعْقَةً

وقُلْنا مدَدْنا الأكُفَّ افْتِقارا

We clamored to its monk clamorously

And we said we extended our palms needfully

ومنْ أجْلِ خمْرِكَ جُبْنا الفَلا

وخُضْنا الدُّجى وقطَعْنا القِفارا

And for the sake of your wine we crossed the desert

And braved the darkness and traversed the wastelands

فقال وما مهْرُها عندَكُمْ

فقُلْنا أمَتْنا النّفوسَ الغيارى

So he said what is its bride-price with you

And we said we sacrificed the passionate souls

فكُلُّ حَكيمٍ وذِكْرُ حَكيمٍ

عليْها حَنا وإليْها أشارا

So every wise one and mention of a wise one

Toward it we inclined and to it we gestured

مقدّسَةً عنْ مَكانٍ يُرى

منزّهَةً عنْ شُعاعٍ تَوارَى

Sacrosanct from a place seen

Transcendent from a ray which faded

معتّقَةً جسّمَتْها اليَهودُ

ومنْ بعْدِها ثلّثَتْها النّصارى

Liberated, the Jews embodied it

And after them the Christians made it a trinity

وقال البَراهِمُ والفُرْسُ فيها

وقد جهِلوا الحقَّ نوراً ونارا

And the Brahmins and Persians said about it

Having ignored the truth, light and fire

وغِبْنا فلَمْ ندْرِ منْ أمْرِنا

سوى أنّنا قدْ غُلِبْنا اضْطِرارا

And we were absent so we did not know our affair

Except that we were overcome perforce

إلَيْكَ سَميَّ نَبيِّ الهُدى

مَقالاً يُطابِقُ منْكَ اخْتِيارا

To you O prophet of guidance

I direct speech befitting your choice

دعَتْني لِما لسْتُ أهْلاً لهُ

عُلاكَ فجئْتُ بجَهْدي ائْتِمارا

It called me to what I am not worthy of

Your sublimity so I came trying my utmost

فغَطِّ على نقْصِهِ بالكَمالِ

وأوِّل قُبولَكَ منّي اعْتِذارا

So cover over its deficiency with perfection

And consider your acceptance from me an apology