كن عارفا بوحدة الوجود

كن عارفا بوحدة الوجود

وقامعاً بكثرة الموجود

وقامعاً بكثرة الموجود

Be one who knows the unity of Being,

Know the oneness of existence

And who subdues through the multiplicity of what exists.

And suppress the multiplicity of the existent

وميز الحادث من قديم

وميز الحادث من قديم

وخلص الثابت من مفقود

وخلص الثابت من مفقود

Distinguish what is originated from what is eternal,

And distinguish the accidental from the eternal

And separate what is established from what is absent.

And extract the permanent from the lost

واحذر من التباس من تجلَّى

واحذر من التباس من تجلَّى

بغيره في حالة الشهود

بغيره في حالة الشهود

Beware of confusing the One who manifests Himself

And beware of confusion from what is manifested

With anything other than Him in the state of witnessing.

In other than Him in the state of witnessing

فوحدة الوجود في اصطلاحنا

فوحدة الوجود في اصطلاحنا

كناية عن رؤية الودود

كناية عن رؤية الودود

For the unity of Being, in our terminology,

For oneness of existence in our terminology

Is a figurative expression for beholding the All-Loving,

Is an allusion to seeing the Loving

بالحس والذوق الصحيح الطاهر ال

بالحس والذوق الصحيح الطاهر ال

طهور من شك ومن حجود

طهور من شك ومن حجود

Through sense and sound, pure spiritual tasting,

With perception and taste, pure and clean

Purified of doubt and denial,

Not purity from doubt and occlusion

لا بخيال العقل والفكر وما

لا بخيال العقل والفكر وما

تأتي به طبائع الجلود

تأتي به طبائع الجلود

Not through the imagination of reason and thought, nor what

Not by the imagination of the intellect and thought

The natural dispositions of skins bring forth.

And what the natures of skins bring

منزهاً مقدساً مسبحاً

منزهاً مقدساً مسبحاً

عن كل والد وعن مولود

عن كل والد وعن مولود

Transcendent, sanctified, and glorified,

Exalted, sanctified, glorifying

Beyond every begetter and every begotten,

From every father and from every newborn

وعن دخول وخروج في سوى

وعن دخول وخروج في سوى

وعن جميع مقتضى الحدود

وعن جميع مقتضى الحدود

And beyond entering or leaving anything other,

And from entering and exiting in other than Him

And beyond all that limits entail,

And from all the requirements of limits

وعن كمال نحن ندريه وعن

وعن كمال نحن ندريه وعن

نقص وعن زوال أو نفود

نقص وعن زوال أو نفود

And beyond any perfection we know, and beyond

And from perfection we know

Deficiency, cessation, or depletion.

And from deficiency and from decline or loss

وإنما كماله بمقتضى

وإنما كماله بمقتضى

ما قاله عن نفسه بالجود

ما قاله عن نفسه بالجود

His perfection accords only with

But rather His perfection by the requirement

What He has generously said of Himself.

Of what He said about Himself in generosity

نعلمه نحن بما علمنا

نعلمه نحن بما علمنا

به من الوفاء بالعهود

به من الوفاء بالعهود

We know Him through what He has taught us

We know it because of what we were taught

Concerning Him: fidelity to covenants,

Of loyalty to covenants

والصدق والقيام بالحق له

والصدق والقيام بالحق له

على سبيل الركع السجود

على سبيل الركع السجود

And truthfulness, and upholding what is rightfully His,

And truthfulness and upholding the truth for Him

In the way of those who bow and prostrate.

In the way of bowing in prostration

من زاد عجزاً عنه زاد علمه

من زاد عجزاً عنه زاد علمه

به مدى الصدور والورود

به مدى الصدور والورود

Whoever grows in incapacity before Him grows in knowledge

Whoever increases in incapacity from Him, increases his knowledge of Him

Of Him, throughout all departures and arrivals.

To the extent of breasts and arrivals

يا أيها الناظر بالعقل احترز

يا أيها الناظر بالعقل احترز

أن تفهم المطلق بالقيود

أن تفهم المطلق بالقيود

O you who consider through reason, beware

O you who look with the intellect, beware

Lest you understand the Absolute through limitations.

Lest you understand the Absolute with restrictions

واصبر إلى أن يفتح الله ولا

واصبر إلى أن يفتح الله ولا

تهجم على مرابض الأسود

تهجم على مرابض الأسود

And be patient until God opens, and do not

And be patient until Allah opens up

Rush upon the lairs of lions.

And do not attack the lairs of lions

ودع علوم الله عند أهلها

ودع علوم الله عند أهلها

واردع حجا جاهلك المكنود

واردع حجا جاهلك المكنود

Leave the sciences of God with those versed in them,

And leave the knowledge of Allah to its people

And restrain the reason of your deprived, ignorant self.

And hold back the ignorant, stubbly pilgrim

وإن أردت فاترك الدنيا وغب

وإن أردت فاترك الدنيا وغب

عن علمك المزخرف المرصود

عن علمك المزخرف المرصود

If you desire it, leave the world and withdraw

And if you want, then leave the world and become estranged

From your embellished, stored-up knowledge.

From your decorated, observed knowledge

وعدِّ عن جاهٍ ومنصب وعن

وعدِّ عن جاهٍ ومنصب وعن

أهل وعن أصل وعن جدود

أهل وعن أصل وعن جدود

Turn aside from prestige and rank, and from

And refrain from status and position and from

Family, ancestry, and forefathers.

Family and origin and ancestors

واقنع بمن تطلبه دون الورى

واقنع بمن تطلبه دون الورى

واخرج عن القيام والقعود

واخرج عن القيام والقعود

Be content with the One you seek, apart from mankind,

And be content with the One you seek besides people

And pass beyond standing and sitting.

And come out from standing and sitting

واخلص له النية واصبر واصطبر

واخلص له النية واصبر واصطبر

على مراده بك المقصود

على مراده بك المقصود

Purify your intention for Him; be patient and persevere

And purify your intention for Him and be patient and endure

With His intended purpose for you.

His intended purpose for you

ولا تظن وحدة الوجود ما

ولا تظن وحدة الوجود ما

تفهم من وحدة ذا الوجود

تفهم من وحدة ذا الوجود

Do not suppose the unity of Being is what

And do not think oneness of existence is what

You understand by the oneness of this existence.

You understand from the oneness of that existence

تفهم معنى وتقول أنه

تفهم معنى وتقول أنه

هو مراد الأكملين القود

هو مراد الأكملين القود

You understand a meaning and say that it

You understand a meaning and say that

Is the intent of the most perfected leaders.

It is the intent of the most perfect leaders

وليس ذا مرادهم لأنهم

وليس ذا مرادهم لأنهم

فاتوك في منابر الصعود

فاتوك في منابر الصعود

But this is not their intent, for they

And this is not their intent because they

Have outstripped you upon the pulpits of ascent.

Surpassed you in the platforms of ascent

وأنت في الحضيض مأسور الهوى

وأنت في الحضيض مأسور الهوى

بشهوة كالنار في الوقود

بشهوة كالنار في الوقود

While you are in the depths, captive to desire,

While you are in the lowlands, captive to passion

Through a craving like fire in fuel.

With a desire like fire in fuel

أسلك سبيلهم وقل بقولهم

أسلك سبيلهم وقل بقولهم

تدري الذي دروا بلا صدود

تدري الذي دروا بلا صدود

Follow their path and speak as they speak;

Walk their path and speak with their words

You will know what they knew, without turning away.

You will know what they knew without hindrances

فإن تقوى الله من يخلص بها

فإن تقوى الله من يخلص بها

حلت عقال عقله المعقود

حلت عقال عقله المعقود

For piety toward God, in whoever is sincere in it,

For if piety to God sincerely solves

Unties the knotted tether of his reason.

The knots of his knotted intellect are opened

هيهات هيات لفرد واحد

هيهات هيات لفرد واحد

يدخل في مراتب المعدود

يدخل في مراتب المعدود

Far, far be it for the unique One

Alas, alas for one individual

To enter the ranks of the numbered.

To enter into the ranks of the finite

ومطلق حتى عن الإطلاق لا

ومطلق حتى عن الإطلاق لا

يفهم في عقد من العقود

يفهم في عقد من العقود

And the Absolute, free even from absoluteness, cannot

And the Absolute, even beyond absoluteness, cannot

Be understood within any knot of belief.

Be understood in a contract of contracts

وأين نور الحق ممن عقله

وأين نور الحق ممن عقله

في ظلمات من سواه سود

في ظلمات من سواه سود

How far the light of the Real is from one whose reason

And where is the light of truth from one whose intellect

Is amid black darkness from what is other than Him!

Is in the darkness of other than Him, blackened

إن المعاني كلها حوادث

إن المعاني كلها حوادث

منفية عن ربنا المشهود

منفية عن ربنا المشهود

Indeed, all concepts are originated things,

Indeed, all meanings are accidents

Excluded from our Lord, who is witnessed.

Negated from our witnessed Lord

لأنه مسبح عنها بها

لأنه مسبح عنها بها

في سيلان هي أو جمود

في سيلان هي أو جمود

For through them He is declared transcendent above them,

Because He is exalted from them through them

Whether they flow or remain still.

In their flowing or stillness

وإنما الأمر الذي نريده

وإنما الأمر الذي نريده

بوحدة الوجود في المعهود

بوحدة الوجود في المعهود

Rather, the matter we intend

And rather the matter we intend

By the unity of Being in our established usage

With oneness of existence in custom

أمر عظيم خارج عن كل ما

أمر عظيم خارج عن كل ما

تدري ذوو الشقوة والسعود

تدري ذوو الشقوة والسعود

Is a mighty matter beyond all that

Is a tremendous matter beyond everything

Those of wretchedness and blessedness know.

That the wretched and happy know

حقيقة تفنى الجميع إن بدت

حقيقة تفنى الجميع إن بدت

للعقل عنها العقل في رقود

للعقل عنها العقل في رقود

A reality that annihilates all if it appears

A reality before which all perish if

To reason; reason lies asleep, oblivious to it.

It appears to the intellect while the intellect slumbers

ومن أتى بها عليه في الورى

ومن أتى بها عليه في الورى

بُغِي بسوءٍ وَاِفْتِرَا وَعُودي

بُغِي بسوءٍ وَاِفْتِرَا وَعُودي

Whoever brings it forth among mankind

And whoever comes with it, upon him in the world

Is wronged with malice and slander, and treated with enmity.

Hostility, slander, and return are brought

لأنها السر الذي جاء به

لأنها السر الذي جاء به

نبينا رغماً عن الحسود

نبينا رغماً عن الحسود

For it is the secret brought by

Because it is the secret brought by

Our Prophet, in defiance of the envious one.

Our Prophet despite the envious

وهو الذي في آدم لما بدا

وهو الذي في آدم لما بدا

خرت له الأملاك بالسجود

خرت له الأملاك بالسجود

And it is this: when it appeared in Adam,

And it is what when it appeared in Adam

The angels fell down before him in prostration.

The angels fell in prostration to Him

وقد أبى إبليس عن سجوده

وقد أبى إبليس عن سجوده

له فلا يزال بالمطرود

له فلا يزال بالمطرود

But Iblis refused to prostrate himself

And Iblis refused to prostrate to Him

Before him, and so he remains banished.

So he remains forever banished

فيه النصارى بالحلول كفرهم

فيه النصارى بالحلول كفرهم

والكفر بالتجسيم في اليهود

والكفر بالتجسيم في اليهود

The Christians' unbelief regarding it lies in indwelling,

In it is the Christians' blasphemy of incarnation

And among the Jews, unbelief lies in ascribing a body to God.

And the blasphemy of anthropomorphism among the Jews

وعنه زاغت عصبة وألحدوا

وعنه زاغت عصبة وألحدوا

حتى بهم آل إلى اللحود

حتى بهم آل إلى اللحود

A group strayed from it and fell into heresy,

And because of it a party went astray and became atheist

Until it brought them to the graves.

Until through them it declined into perdition

وقد مضت نبوة به وقد

وقد مضت نبوة به وقد

أتت خلافة بلا جنود

أتت خلافة بلا جنود

Prophethood has passed with it, and

And prophecy passed with it and

A caliphate has come without armies,

Successorship came without armies

في كل عصر واحد فواحد

في كل عصر واحد فواحد

إلى قيام الساعة الموعود

إلى قيام الساعة الموعود

In every age, one after another,

In every era, one after one

Until the promised Hour arises.

Until the promised Hour arises

هذا المراد عندنا بوحدة ال

هذا المراد عندنا بوحدة ال

وجود نتلوه على الشهود

وجود نتلوه على الشهود

This is what we mean by the unity of

This is what we intend by oneness

Being; we recite it before the witnesses,

Of existence, we recite it in witnessing

ليشهدوا لنا به في موقف

ليشهدوا لنا به في موقف

يفي به الكريم في الوعود

يفي به الكريم في الوعود

So they may testify for us to it at a gathering

That they may testify to it for us on a Day

Where the Generous One fulfills His promises.

In which the Generous fulfills His promises

وتظهر الحجة بالشاهد أن

وتظهر الحجة بالشاهد أن

قد بَلَّغَ الغائبَ ذا الهجود

قد بَلَّغَ الغائبَ ذا الهجود

And the proof becomes manifest through the witness, that

And the proof appears through the witness that

He has indeed informed the absent one sunk in slumber.

The absentee did deliver, the majestic one

نحن بهذا قائلون دائماً

نحن بهذا قائلون دائماً

ونوره فينا بلا خمود

ونوره فينا بلا خمود

We proclaim this always,

We say this constantly

And its light in us is never extinguished.

And its light is in us without extinction

لا أننا نقول بالمعنى الذي

لا أننا نقول بالمعنى الذي

تقول أهل المذهب المردود

تقول أهل المذهب المردود

Not that we profess the meaning that

Not that we speak of the meaning

The adherents of the rejected doctrine profess.

That the people of the rejected doctrine say

فالله من ضلالهم يعصمنا

فالله من ضلالهم يعصمنا

بفتح باب دونهم مسدود

بفتح باب دونهم مسدود

So God protects us from their error,

So may Allah protect us from their misguidance

By opening a gate barred to them.

By opening a door closed to them

ومن علينا يفتري بغير ما

ومن علينا يفتري بغير ما

قلنا رهين يومه المشهود

قلنا رهين يومه المشهود

Whoever slanders us with other than what

And whoever falsely accuses us of other than

We have said, is held hostage to his witnessed day.

What we have said, is captive on his witnessed Day