أنا الوجود كما أني أنا العدمُ

أنا الوجود كما أني أنا العدمُ

على الصراط وما زلت بي القدمُ

على الصراط وما زلت بي القدمُ

I am existence, just as I am nonexistence.

I am existence as I am nothingness

On the path, my foot has not slipped.

On the path, my steps still persist

أكون طوراً وجوداً إن ظهرت به

أكون طوراً وجوداً إن ظهرت به

وتارةً عدما يخفى وينكتم

وتارةً عدما يخفى وينكتم

At times I am existence, if I appear through it,

I become existence when I appear

And at other times, nonexistence that is hidden and concealed.

And sometimes nothingness hidden and veiled

والغيب غيب على ما كان في أزل

والغيب غيب على ما كان في أزل

ولا سواه ولا شيء سواه هم

ولا سواه ولا شيء سواه هم

And the unseen is unseen, as it was in beginningless eternity.

The unseen is unseen as it was in pre-eternity

And none besides Him; nor are they anything besides Him.

And nothing but it, nothing but it cares

هذاه ما هو هذا ما هو استمعوا

هذاه ما هو هذا ما هو استمعوا

والعرب والعجم لا عرب ولا عجم

والعرب والعجم لا عرب ولا عجم

This is not this—what is it? Listen!

This is what it is, this is what it is, listen

And Arabs and non-Arabs—neither Arabs nor non-Arabs.

Not Arabs nor non-Arabs, no Arabs nor non-Arabs

والكل فان كما قال الإله لنا

والكل فان كما قال الإله لنا

والكل ليس بفان هذه نعم

والكل ليس بفان هذه نعم

And all is perishable, as God has told us.

All will perish as God told us

Yet all is imperishable—these are blessings.

And none will perish, this is grace

قل اعملوا قال ربي ثم قال لهم

قل اعملوا قال ربي ثم قال لهم

لا يقدرون على شيء وإن زعموا

لا يقدرون على شيء وإن زعموا

“Say, ‘Act!’” said my Lord; then He said to them:

Say: work, my Lord said, then told them

“They have no power over anything, even if they claim otherwise.”

They cannot do anything though they claim

فحقق الأمر والخلق اللذينِ هما

فحقق الأمر والخلق اللذينِ هما

لله وافهم هي الأنوار والظُلَم

لله وافهم هي الأنوار والظُلَم

So ascertain the command and creation, both of which belong

So realize the matter and creation which

To God; and understand: they are the lights and the darknesses.

Belong to God, and understand the lights and darknesses

واقرأ كتابك ما جاء النبي به

واقرأ كتابك ما جاء النبي به

إليك وهو كتاب الله يا فَهِم

إليك وهو كتاب الله يا فَهِم

And read your book—that which the Prophet brought

And read your book and what the prophet brought you

To you; it is the Book of God, O discerning one.

It is God's book, oh wise one

واعلم بأن لك الشرع القويم هدى

واعلم بأن لك الشرع القويم هدى

لا زيغ فيه وإن زاغت به أمم

لا زيغ فيه وإن زاغت به أمم

And know that the upright sacred law is guidance for you.

And know that you have the straight path as guidance

There is no deviation in it, though peoples have strayed through it.

No deviation in it, though nations strayed with it

واترك هدى العقل لا تحفل بعقلته

واترك هدى العقل لا تحفل بعقلته

واتبع هدى الله فهو الحاكم الحَكم

واتبع هدى الله فهو الحاكم الحَكم

And abandon reason's guidance; pay no heed to its fetter.

And leave the guidance of the mind, don't care for its reasoning

And follow God's guidance, for He is the Ruler, the Arbiter.

And follow God's guidance for He is the Judge, the Wisdom

واسأل من الله فتحاً في شريعته

واسأل من الله فتحاً في شريعته

في نص قرآنه تبدو لك الحِكم

في نص قرآنه تبدو لك الحِكم

And ask God for an opening in His sacred law.

And ask God for an opening in His Law

In the text of His Qur'an, wisdoms will appear to you.

In the text of His Quran, the wisdoms will appear to you

فعلمنا كله ضدان ما اجتمعا

فعلمنا كله ضدان ما اجتمعا

على خلاف الذي في العقل منبهم

على خلاف الذي في العقل منبهم

Thus all our knowledge is two opposites that have not united,

For all our knowledge has opposites not gathered

Contrary to what lies obscure within reason.

Against what the bewildered find in the mind

ضدان ضدان أمر الله أجمعه

ضدان ضدان أمر الله أجمعه

حكم قديم به أهل النهى حكموا

حكم قديم به أهل النهى حكموا

Two opposites, two opposites—God's command in its entirety:

Opposites, opposites, God's command combines them all

An ancient judgment by which those of understanding have judged.

Ancient judgment with which people of piety judged