ما تركت الكل إلا ورعا

ما تركت الكل إلا ورعا

فسقى الله زماني ورعى

فسقى الله زماني ورعى

I left everything only out of scrupulous piety.

I have left all but piety,

So may God water my days and tend them.

So God watered my time with piety.

قمر الغيب بدا في أفقي

قمر الغيب بدا في أفقي

يتجلى ولفرقي جمعا

يتجلى ولفرقي جمعا

The moon of the unseen appeared on my horizon.

The moon of the unseen rose on my horizon,

It reveals itself and brings union to my separation.

Appearing, though to my sect a stranger.

وفروضي حُرِّمت فيه كذا

وفروضي حُرِّمت فيه كذا

سنني صارت عليه بدعا

سنني صارت عليه بدعا

And my obligations were forbidden in it; likewise,

My obligations were forbidden in it, as was

my recommended observances became innovations against it.

My practice, which to it was an innovation.

فإذا كنت فكوني خطأ

فإذا كنت فكوني خطأ

وهو ذنب كان مني وقعا

وهو ذنب كان مني وقعا

So if I exist, my existence is an error,

So if I am wrong, let me be an error,

and it is a sin that arose from me.

A sin that was mine and happened.

أين من يفهم قولي ويرى

أين من يفهم قولي ويرى

ما أرى من حق شرع شرعا

ما أرى من حق شرع شرعا

Where is one who understands my words and sees

Where is one who understands my words and sees

what I see of the Truth who ordained a law?

What I see of the truth of canon law?

وامتلا الكاس ولا كاس هنا

وامتلا الكاس ولا كاس هنا

والوِعا فاض وما ثمَّ وعا

والوِعا فاض وما ثمَّ وعا

And the cup filled, though no cup is here;

The cup was filled, though no cup was here,

and the vessel overflowed, though no vessel is there.

And the fodder overflowed, though there was no fodder.

والتماثيل عليها عكفت

والتماثيل عليها عكفت

أمة الوهم وزادت طمعا

أمة الوهم وزادت طمعا

And to the idols clung

On idols the pagans were bent,

the nation of illusion, growing in greed.

The nation of fancy, increasing in greed.

يا رجال الغيب عيني شهدت

يا رجال الغيب عيني شهدت

غيبكم كالبرق لما لمعا

غيبكم كالبرق لما لمعا

O men of the unseen, my eye witnessed

O men of the unseen, my eyes have witnessed

your unseen realm, like lightning when it flashed.

Your absence like lightning when it flashes.

وانقضى الليل الذي أنجُمُكُم

وانقضى الليل الذي أنجُمُكُم

فيه والفجر عليه طلعا

فيه والفجر عليه طلعا

And the night passed away, the night your stars

The night whose stars were you is over,

were in, and dawn rose over it.

And dawn has risen above it.

وورا هذا الورى كعبتا

وورا هذا الورى كعبتا

طاف قلبي بحماها وسعى

طاف قلبي بحماها وسعى

And beyond this creation was a Kaaba;

Beyond this abode two Holy Places

my heart circumambulated its sanctuary and hastened.

My heart circumambulated and hastened to.

ورمى جمرة نفسي في منى

ورمى جمرة نفسي في منى

قربها سبع صفات تبعا

قربها سبع صفات تبعا

And it pelted the stoning-pillar of my self in Mina,

It cast the pebbles of my soul at Mina,

near it, with seven qualities in succession.

Drawing near it with seven traits emulated.

لا تدع يا برق مني أثراً

لا تدع يا برق مني أثراً

أثر العين يزيد الوجعا

أثر العين يزيد الوجعا

Leave no trace of me, O lightning;

Leave no trace of me, O lightning,

the trace of the eye increases the pain.

The eye’s trace only increases the pain.

وانفض العثير يا ريح الحمى

وانفض العثير يا ريح الحمى

عن سنا الوجه فداعيه دعا

عن سنا الوجه فداعيه دعا

And shake off the dust, O wind of the sanctuary,

Scatter, O wind of fever, the motes

from the radiance of the face, for its caller has called.

From my sun-like face, for its caller has called.

عثير رحلي به قد عثرت

عثير رحلي به قد عثرت

ولعا ما قال قلبي ولعا

ولعا ما قال قلبي ولعا

The dust of my saddle—I have indeed stumbled over it,

Motes of my departure have made me stumble.

in ardor; what my heart said was ardor.

What passion my heart felt, and passion!

لي حبيب هو بي محتجب

لي حبيب هو بي محتجب

وهو لا يبدو ولا أبد ومعا

وهو لا يبدو ولا أبد ومعا

I have a beloved who is veiled by me,

I have a lover who from me is hidden,

and he and I do not appear together.

Who appears not, nor do we appear together.

بين تنزيه وتشبيه له

بين تنزيه وتشبيه له

حضرة حيرت المطَّلعا

حضرة حيرت المطَّلعا

Between transcendence and likeness, he has

Between declaring Him transcendent and likening Him,

a presence that bewildered the beholder.

Is a presence that bewilders the onlooker.

كلما قربني همت به

كلما قربني همت به

أو تدانيت إليه ارتفعا

أو تدانيت إليه ارتفعا

Whenever he drew me near, I was enraptured by him;

Whenever I near Him, I am tempted

or when I drew close to him, he rose higher.

To draw closer, and He rises farther away.