نور تلفَّف بالظلام مكملُ

نور تلفَّف بالظلام مكملُ

نودى هنا يا أيها المزملُ

نودى هنا يا أيها المزملُ

A light wrapped itself in darkness, bringing perfection;

Light enveloped darkness to perfection

Here came the call: "O you enwrapped!"

It was proclaimed: "O you enwrapped!"

قم فيه وهو الليل أي بأموره

قم فيه وهو الليل أي بأموره

طبق الإرادة ما علا والأسفلُ

طبق الإرادة ما علا والأسفلُ

Rise within it—it is the night—that is, tend its affairs;

Rise in it - and it is night - yes, with its matters

What is high and what is lowest accord with the will.

Apply will above and below

ذرني ومن فيه خلقت من الورى

ذرني ومن فيه خلقت من الورى

فيه وحيداً مستقلاً يفعل

فيه وحيداً مستقلاً يفعل

Leave Me with whomever I created within it among created beings,

Leave me and those I created from mankind

Alone within it, acting independently.

In it alone, independent, acting

واغلظ عليهم قال أي بنفوسهم

واغلظ عليهم قال أي بنفوسهم

وهو الرؤوف بنا الرحيم المفضل

وهو الرؤوف بنا الرحيم المفضل

"And be stern with them," he said—that is, with their selves.

And be harsh with them, yes with their souls

And he is compassionate toward us, merciful, bestowing favor.

And He is the Compassionate with us, the Bountiful

وهو العزيز عليه ما عَنِتَ السوى

وهو العزيز عليه ما عَنِتَ السوى

وهو الحريص على الجيمع ليكملوا

وهو الحريص على الجيمع ليكملوا

And he is the one to whom others' suffering is grievous.

And He is the Almighty - what the others stubbornly denied pertains to Him

And he is solicitous for all, that they may attain perfection.

And He is eager for the community to be complete

بحر وهم أمواجه وهو الذي

بحر وهم أمواجه وهو الذي

بالحق قام كصورة تتخيل

بالحق قام كصورة تتخيل

He is a sea, and they are his waves; he is the one

A sea and they are its waves, and He is the One

Who subsists through the Real, like an imagined form.

Who truly stands like an imagined form

وافهم إشارة قوله قد جاءكم

وافهم إشارة قوله قد جاءكم

من عين أنفسكم إليكم مرسل

من عين أنفسكم إليكم مرسل

And understand the allusion in His words: "There has indeed come to you

And understand the indication of His words which came

From the very essence of yourselves, a messenger sent to you."

To you from the essence of your own selves, sent

تجد الذي بالروح عنه وبالحجى

تجد الذي بالروح عنه وبالحجى

كنّى الإلهُ وما درى من يجهل

كنّى الإلهُ وما درى من يجهل

You find the one to whom, as spirit and intellect,

You will find the one the Spirit is from and the sermon

God alluded; the ignorant have not understood.

God hinted and the ignorant do not know

وهو الحقيقة والشريعة والهدى

وهو الحقيقة والشريعة والهدى

لمن اهتدى وهو الحبيب المقبل

لمن اهتدى وهو الحبيب المقبل

And he is the reality, the sacred law, and guidance

And He is the Truth, the Law, the Guidance

For whoever finds guidance; he is the beloved who draws near.

For whomsoever is guided, and He is the Beloved Who comes

والسنة الغراء فيه طريقنا

والسنة الغراء فيه طريقنا

ويد الجماعة والكتاب المنزل

ويد الجماعة والكتاب المنزل

And the radiant Sunna is our path in him,

And the brilliant Way is through Him our path

And the hand of the community and the Book sent down.

And the hand of the community and the Book sent down

طوراً يغيب ونحن نظهر عنه في

طوراً يغيب ونحن نظهر عنه في

هذا الزمان لنا المقام الأفضل

هذا الزمان لنا المقام الأفضل

At times he is hidden, and we appear in his stead in

Sometimes He is absent and we appear in

This age; ours is the most excellent station.

This time, the superior station belonging to us

ونغيب نحن به ويظهر تارة

ونغيب نحن به ويظهر تارة

هو قائمٌ عنا بنا يتمثل

هو قائمٌ عنا بنا يتمثل

And we ourselves vanish through him, and at another time he appears;

And we disappear through Him and at times

He stands in our stead, taking form through us.

He stands for us, embodying us

ووراء هذا في الغيوب حقيقة

ووراء هذا في الغيوب حقيقة

تطوي الحقائق كلها لا تعقل

تطوي الحقائق كلها لا تعقل

And beyond this, in the unseen realms, is a reality

And beyond this in the unseen is the Truth

That enfolds all realities and cannot be comprehended.

Encompassing all truths, inconceivable

قد أجملت نور النبيِّ وفصلت

قد أجملت نور النبيِّ وفصلت

وتظل تجمل للورى وتفصل

وتظل تجمل للورى وتفصل

Indeed, it has gathered the Prophet's light into a whole and unfolded it in detail,

I have beautified the Prophet's light and differentiated

And continues to gather and unfold in detail for created beings.

And it will continue to beautify and differentiate for people

وهي الوجود وما سواها هالكٌ

وهي الوجود وما سواها هالكٌ

ويقال موجود يلوح ويأفل

ويقال موجود يلوح ويأفل

And it is Being; everything besides it is perishing,

And it is existence, and other than it is doomed

And is called "existent," gleaming and setting.

And it is said "existing" flashes and fades

نور على نور وللثاني أتى

نور على نور وللثاني أتى

أو في الصلاة بها يجود الأول

أو في الصلاة بها يجود الأول

Light upon light; and for the second came

Light upon light, and for the second came

"Or" in the prayer, which the first bestows,

Either in prayer through it the first is generous

طول المدى ما هب ريح الروح في

طول المدى ما هب ريح الروح في

روض الجسوم وما تغنّى البلبل

روض الجسوم وما تغنّى البلبل

Throughout all time, as long as the spirit's wind blows in

As long as the breeze of the Spirit blew in

The garden of bodies, and as long as the nightingale sings.

The garden of bodies and the nightingale sang