إنيindeed I أناI فرضهHis positing وتقديرُهُand His determination
إني أنا فرضه وتقديرُهُ
إنيindeed I أناI خلقهHis creation وتصويرُهُand His fashioning
إني أنا خلقه وتصويرُهُ
Indeed, I am His positing and His determination.
Indeed, I am His creation and His fashioning.
وجودexistence حقtrue أزيلwas dispelled باطلناour falsehood
وجود حق أزيل باطلنا
بهby it ولوeven if ألقيتwere put forth معاذيرهits excuses
به ولو ألقيت معاذيره
A true existence—our falsehood has been dispelled
by it, even if its excuses were put forth.
غيبa mystery منfrom الغيبthe Unseen يستبينbecomes clear بناthrough us
غيب من الغيب يستبين بنا
ونحنand we فيin روضهHis garden شحاريرهHis blackbirds
ونحن في روضه شحاريره
A mystery from the Unseen becomes clear through us,
and we are His blackbirds in His garden.
نفصحwe speak clearly عنهof Him بهthrough Him فنعجمهthen we obscure Him
نفصح عنه به فنعجمه
تعريفهdefining Him يستويis equal وتنكيرهand leaving Him undefined
تعريفه يستوي وتنكيره
We speak clearly of Him through Him, then obscure Him;
defining Him and leaving Him undefined are alike.
نئنُّwe moan حتىuntil تسيلflow أدمعناour tears
نئنُّ حتى تسيل أدمعنا
كأنناas though we فيin الهوىlove نواعيرهHis waterwheels
كأننا في الهوى نواعيره
We moan until our tears flow,
as though we were His waterwheels in love.
ونحنand we قومa people لناwe have بهthrough Him لغةٌa language
ونحن قوم لنا به لغةٌ
تفهمunderstand أسرارناour secrets نحاريرهHis adepts
تفهم أسرارنا نحاريره
And we are a people with a language through Him;
His adepts understand our secrets.
وكلand everyone منwho حادstrays عنfrom طريقتناour path
وكل من حاد عن طريقتنا
فحسبهthen enough for him عجزهhis incapacity وتقصيرهand his shortcomings
فحسبه عجزه وتقصيره
And whoever strays from our path,
his incapacity and shortcomings suffice him.
ولاand do not تلوموهblame him إنهindeed he رجلa man
ولا تلوموه إنه رجل
عنfrom الصفاpurity قدhas indeed ثناهturned him away تكديرهhis clouded state
عن الصفا قد ثناه تكديره
And do not blame him: he is a man
whose clouded state has turned him from purity.
تباركblessed is اللهGod علمناour knowledge سجعتwarbled
تبارك الله علمنا سجعت
بروضin the garden أزهارهاits blossoms عصافيرهits sparrows
بروض أزهارها عصافيره
Blessed is God! Our knowledge—there warbled
its sparrows in the garden of its blossoms.
وانتشرتand spread فيamong الورىhumankind روائحهits fragrances
وانتشرت في الورى روائحه
واشتهرتand became renowned فيamong الملاthe throng تباشيرهits glad tidings
واشتهرت في الملا تباشيره
And its fragrances have spread among humankind,
and its glad tidings have become renowned among the throng.
وكلand all هذاthis بماthrough what تضمنهit contains
وكل هذا بما تضمنه
منof كلall ماthat which لاnot يطاقis within one's power تعبيرهexpressing it
من كل ما لا يطاق تعبيره
And all this is through what it contains
of all that lies beyond the power of expression.
حقيقةa reality يظهرappears المجازmetaphor بهاthrough it
حقيقة يظهر المجاز بها
ويختفيand vanishes لاnot يدومendures تقريرهits affirmation
ويختفي لا يدوم تقريره
A reality through which metaphor appears
and vanishes; its affirmation does not endure.
نعرفهwe know Him عندat the time ماwhen نراهwe see Him ولاand not
نعرفه عند ما نراه ولا
نراهwe see Him لكنbut يعمis widespread تزويرهmisrepresentation of Him
نراه لكن يعم تزويره
We know Him when we see Him, yet we do not
see Him; but misrepresentation of Him is widespread.
وقدand indeed تجلىHe manifested Himself بناthrough us فندركso we perceive ماthat which
وقد تجلى بنا فندرك ما
بهthrough it تجلىHe manifested Himself وذاكand that تأثيرهHis influence
به تجلى وذاك تأثيره
And He has manifested Himself through us, so we perceive what
He manifested Himself through—and that is His influence.
وحدتناour oneness نحنwe وهيand it ظاهرةmanifest
وحدتنا نحن وهي ظاهرة
فيin الثنوياتdualities وهيand it تقديرهHis determination
في الثنويات وهي تقديره
We are our oneness, and it is manifest
in dualities, and it is His determination.
فواحدso one نحنwe وهوand He متحدunited
فواحد نحن وهو متحد
تدبيرناour ordering فيin الأمورaffairs تدبيرهHis ordering
تدبيرنا في الأمور تدبيره
Thus we are one, and He is united;
our ordering of affairs is His ordering.
واثنانand two فيin الغيبthe Unseen نحنwe وهوand He ولاand not
واثنان في الغيب نحن وهو ولا
يمكنis possible تغييرناchanging us وتغييرهand changing Him
يمكن تغييرنا وتغييره
And in the Unseen we and He are two, and it is not
possible to change us and change Him.
هذاthis هوit الحقthe Truth عندto عارفهone who knows Him
هذا هو الحق عند عارفه
وعندand to منone who عندهin his possession مقاديرهHis measures
وعند من عنده مقاديره
This is the Truth to one who knows Him,
and to one who holds His measures.
وليسand not يدريهknows Him غيرother than منone who سكنتgrew still
وليس يدريه غير من سكنت
شئونهhis affairs وانمحتand were effaced تصاويرهhis images
شئونه وانمحت تصاويره
And none knows Him except one whose
affairs have grown still and whose images have been effaced,
وكانand was روحاًa spirit مجرداًimmaterial وهدىand guidance
وكان روحاً مجرداً وهدى
إشراقهhis radiance زائدincreasing وتنويرهand his illumination
إشراقه زائد وتنويره
and who was an immaterial spirit and guidance,
his radiance and illumination increasing.