رُفعتُI was raised ولمand not أرفعْI was raised إلىto غيرother than منزليmy abode
رُفعتُ ولم أرفعْ إلى غير منزلي
منfrom الغيبthe unseen أمرthe command المحسنof the Beneficent المتفضِّلِthe Gracious
من الغيب أمر المحسن المتفضِّلِ
I was raised, yet not to any abode but my own;
I was exalted, though not by my own doing,
from the unseen came the command of the Beneficent, the Gracious.
By the command of the Beneficent, the Munificent.
وقدand indeed زجَّthrust بيwith me فيinto النورthe light نورthe light وجودِهِof His existence
وقد زجَّ بي في النور نور وجودِهِ
فأصبحتُso I became معدوماًnonexistent بغيرwithout تحوُّلِtransformation
فأصبحتُ معدوماً بغير تحوُّلِ
And the light of His existence thrust me into the light,
He immersed me in His light, the light of His existence,
so I became nonexistent, without any transformation.
And I became nonexistent without undergoing change.
وجودٌexistence قديمٌeternal نحنwe فيهin it هياكلٌbodily forms
وجودٌ قديمٌ نحن فيه هياكلٌ
بغيرwithout وجودٍexistence هيئةُthe form المتخيِّلِof the imaginer
بغير وجودٍ هيئةُ المتخيِّلِ
An eternal existence, in which we are bodily forms,
An eternal existence are we, its forms,
without existence—the form of the imaginer.
With no existence, imaginations of the fancier.
تعالواcome بناwith us ياO تائهونwanderers لعلَّناperhaps we
تعالوا بنا يا تائهون لعلَّنا
نكونwe may be كماas كناwe were بتركby abandoning التعلُّلِexcuses
نكون كما كنا بترك التعلُّلِ
Come with us, O wanderers; perhaps we shall
Come, O lost ones, let us be as we were
be as we were, by abandoning excuses,
By abandoning inferences.
ونُسلِمُand we surrender عنbased on كشفٍunveiling إليهto Him أمورَناour affairs
ونُسلِمُ عن كشفٍ إليه أمورَنا
فليسfor there is no لكمfor you أمرٌcommand يكونcomes to be وليسand there is none ليfor me
فليس لكم أمرٌ يكون وليس لي
and surrender our affairs to Him through unveiling;
And let us submit our affairs to Him without unveiling,
for you have no command that takes effect, nor do I.
For you have no command that comes into being, nor do I.
ونشهدand we witness أمرَthe command اللهof God فيناwithin us كأنَّهas though it were
ونشهد أمرَ الله فينا كأنَّه
بناthrough us لمعُa flash برقٍof lightning فيin دُجىthe darkness الكونof the cosmos ينجليshines forth
بنا لمعُ برقٍ في دُجى الكون ينجلي
And we witness God's command within us, as though it were
And let us witness God's command in us as if
a lightning-flash through us, shining forth in the darkness of the cosmos.
It flashed lightning in the darkness of the universe.
وماand not البرقُthe lightning إلاexcept نحنُwe إذsince نحنُwe أمرُهُHis command
وما البرقُ إلا نحنُ إذ نحنُ أمرُهُ
هوit القدرُthe decree المقدورُordained فيin الذكرthe Reminder قدalready تُليwas recited
هو القدرُ المقدورُ في الذكر قد تُلي
And the lightning is nothing but us, since we are His command;
And lightning is none but us when we are His command,
it is the ordained decree, already recited in the Reminder.
He is predestination and preordained in the Remembrance recited.
ولاand do not تبعدواgo far عنيfrom me بأحوالthrough states غفلةٍof heedlessness
ولا تبعدوا عني بأحوال غفلةٍ
دهتكمassailed you فأصبحتمso you became بعادَfar from التأمُّلِcontemplation
دهتكم فأصبحتم بعادَ التأمُّلِ
And do not drift away from me through states of heedlessness
And wander not far from me in states of heedlessness
that assailed you, leaving you far from contemplation.
Which left you remote from contemplation.
وجارand tyrannized عليكمover you حبُّlove دنياworldly life دنيةٍbase
وجار عليكم حبُّ دنيا دنيةٍ
وليسand there is no عليهاon it عندناfor us منany معوَّلِreliance
وليس عليها عندنا من معوَّلِ
And love of a base world has tyrannized over you,
And the love of a lowly, worldly life coursed through you.
and we place no reliance on it.
Yet in our view, it has no worth.
قفواstand فيin حمىthe sanctuary الإيمانof faith لاdo not تتحولواturn away
قفوا في حمى الإيمان لا تتحولوا
إلىto غيرهother than it بالعقلthrough reason قصدُthe aim التوصُّلِattainment
إلى غيره بالعقل قصدُ التوصُّلِ
Stand in faith's sanctuary; do not turn
Stand in the sanctuary of faith—do not change
to anything else through reason, in pursuit of attainment.
To other than it in your quest for attainment.
ودومواand persevere علىin الطاعاتacts of obedience خالصةًsincere عسىperhaps
ودوموا على الطاعات خالصةً عسى
بكمwith you يَرِدُarrives الساقيthe cupbearer إلىto عَذْبِsweet منهلِa spring
بكم يَرِدُ الساقي إلى عَذْبِ منهلِ
And persevere in sincere acts of obedience; perhaps
And perseverate in acts of pure devotion, that perhaps
the cupbearer will bring you to a spring's sweet water.
The Cupbearer may return to the freshness of the spring.
هنالكthere نورthe light الكشفof unveiling إنif شاءwills ربناour Lord
هنالك نور الكشف إن شاء ربنا
وإلاand otherwise فأنتمthen you فيin مقامِthe station مؤمِّلِof one who hopes
وإلا فأنتم في مقامِ مؤمِّلِ
There is the light of unveiling, if our Lord wills;
There the light of unveiling, if our Lord wills,
otherwise, you are in the station of one who hopes—
Otherwise, you remain in expectant station—
مقامthe station أوليof those possessing الإيمانfaith بالغيبin the unseen فاسبقواso race ahead
مقام أولي الإيمان بالغيب فاسبقوا
إليهtoward it ولاand do not تصغواlisten إلىto قولِthe words عُذَّلِof reproachers
إليه ولا تصغوا إلى قولِ عُذَّلِ
the station of those who believe in the unseen; so race ahead
The station of those firmly rooted in faith in the unseen. So hasten
toward it, and do not heed the words of reproachers.
To it, and listen not to the words of the critic.