إننيindeed I إنif أمتI die فماthen not أناI ميتُdead
إنني إن أمت فما أنا ميتُ
أناI حيalive بمنthrough the One whom إليهto Him اهتديتُI found guidance
أنا حي بمن إليه اهتديتُ
Indeed, if I die, I am not dead.
I am not dead if I die
I am alive through Him to whom I was guided.
I live in whom I was guided to
وأنارتand shone مشكاةthe niche of ذاتيmy being بمصباwith a lamp (first part)
وأنارت مشكاة ذاتي بمصبا
حcompletion of 'lamp' علوميmy knowledge وفيand in الزجاجةthe glass vessel زيتُoil
ح علومي وفي الزجاجة زيتُ
And the niche of my being shone with the lamp
And the lamp of my essence lit up with wisdom
of my knowledge, and in the glass is oil.
And in my flask there was oil
رمتI sought منwhoever رامنيhe sought me بصدقwith sincerity of ودادaffection
رمت من رامني بصدق وداد
وإذاand whenever ماemphatic particle دعاhe called لهto him لبيتI answered
وإذا ما دعا له لبيت
I sought whoever sought me with sincere affection,
I was hit by the one who loved me truly
And whenever he called, I answered him.
And if he supplicates for me in any abode
ولروحيand for my spirit الحضورpresence فيin كلevery حيliving being
ولروحي الحضور في كل حي
فيلذso is sweet التصبيحmorning greetings والتبنيتand inquiries after well-being
فيلذ التصبيح والتبنيت
And my spirit is present in every living being,
And my soul's presence in every living
So morning greetings and inquiries after well-being are sweet.
So the dawn and the dusk are delightful
إنindeed للهto God فيin ابنthe son of آدمAdam ملكاًa dominion
إن لله في ابن آدم ملكاً
لاno زوالpassing away لهfor it ولاand no تفويتloss
لا زوال له ولا تفويت
Indeed, God has a dominion within the son of Adam,
Indeed, God has in the son of Adam an angel
Which neither passes away nor can be lost.
That does not perish or miss
سرa secret ذاتof the Essence بهthrough it الخلافةvicegerency قامتwas established
سر ذات به الخلافة قامت
وعليهand upon it الأحياءlife-giving (in context) والتمويتand causing death
وعليه الأحياء والتمويت
A secret of the Essence, through which vicegerency was established,
The secret of the entity with which the caliphate continued
And upon it depend the giving of life and the causing of death.
And with it is the enlivening and the causing of death
نظريmy gaze فيupon ظواهرthe outward forms of الكونthe cosmos فخرglory
نظري في ظواهر الكون فخر
والتفاتيand my turning إلىtoward البواطنthe inward realities صيتrenown
والتفاتي إلى البواطن صيت
My gaze upon the cosmos's outward forms is glory,
My sight in the phenomena of the universe made me proud
And my turning toward its inward realities is renown.
And my reflection on the essences is my voice
منof سواهother than Him افتقرتI became poor لماwhen تبدىHe appeared
من سواه افتقرت لما تبدى
ليto me جهراًopenly حتىuntil بهthrough Him استغنيتI became free of need
لي جهراً حتى به استغنيت
Of all but Him I was bereft when He appeared
Other than Him, I was in need of what
to me openly, until through Him I was freed from need.
Appeared to me openly until with it I became self-sufficient
ولعقليand for my intellect بسرهthrough His secret تكميلperfection
ولعقلي بسره تكميل
ولقلبيand for my heart بأمرهby His command تثبيتsteadfastness
ولقلبي بأمره تثبيت
And my intellect is perfected through His secret,
And to my mind its completion in secret
And my heart is made steadfast by His command.
And to my heart its stability in its matter
إنif تأملتyou contemplate فالجميعthen all معانmeanings
إن تأملت فالجميع معان
ولنطقand for the speech of الوجودexistence همthey تصويتvoicing
ولنطق الوجود هم تصويت
If you contemplate, all are meanings,
If I contemplate, everything is meanings
And they give voice to existence's speech.
And the speech of existence is their voicing
عطسsneezed الكونthe cosmos بيthrough me وقدand indeed كنتI was حمداًpraise
عطس الكون بي وقد كنت حمداً
منهfrom it حتىuntil لهfor it أناI التشميتthe blessing of a sneezer
منه حتى له أنا التشميت
The cosmos sneezed through me, and I had been praise
The universe sneezed with me and I was praise
from it, until I became its blessing after the sneeze.
From it until I am its sneezing
منwhoever يزرنيvisits me يزرvisits أشعةrays نورthe light of الthe
من يزرني يزر أشعة نور ال
مصطفىChosen One (Mustafa) ضمهاgathered them ضريحa tomb نحيتcarved
مصطفى ضمها ضريح نحيت
Whoever visits me visits rays of the light of the
Whoever visits me, visits the rays of the light of
Chosen One; a carved tomb has gathered them.
Al-Mustafa which his shrine gathered
وهوand he حيalive فيin قبرthe tomb of جسمthe body of محبa lover
وهو حي في قبر جسم محب
بغذاءwith the nourishment of الهوىlove لهfor him تقويتsustenance
بغذاء الهوى له تقويت
And he is alive in the tomb of a lover's body,
And he is alive in the grave of a loving body
Sustained by the nourishment of love.
With the food of love for him is its strengthening
ولهand for him قلبيmy heart المدينةMedina كشفاًthrough unveiling
وله قلبي المدينة كشفاً
أينwhere منهاcompared with it بغدادBaghdad أوor تكريتTikrit
أين منها بغداد أو تكريت
And through unveiling, my heart is Medina for him;
And for him my heart openly revealed
Where are Baghdad or Tikrit in comparison with it?
Where is Baghdad or Tikrit compared to it
عالماًa scholar كنbe أوor طالباًa student أوor محباًa lover
عالماً كن أو طالباً أو محباً
مثلlike ماwhat قالhe said تلقyou will encounter ماwhat قدalready لقيتI encountered
مثل ما قال تلق ما قد لقيت
Be a scholar, or a student, or a lover,
Learner or seeker or lover
As he said, you will find what I have found.
Take what you found as he said
لاdo not تكنbe رابعاًa fourth فتهلكlest you perish جهلاًthrough ignorance
لا تكن رابعاً فتهلك جهلاً
بالذيof that which قدalready أمرتyou were commanded أوor قدalready نهيتyou were forbidden
بالذي قد أمرت أو قد نهيت
Do not be a fourth, lest you perish in ignorance
Do not be fourth so you perish ignorantly
of what you have been commanded or forbidden.
With what you were ordered or prohibited
ياO شبيهيyou who resemble me بصورةin the form of الجسمthe body قدindeed أسstart of 'I made hear'
يا شبيهي بصورة الجسم قد أس
معتend of 'I made hear' حياًa living person لوif أننيthat I ناديتI called
معت حياً لو أنني ناديت
O you who resemble me in bodily form, I would have made
My lookalike in bodily form, if I called
a living person hear, had I called.
Living, would that this far from you is near
ليتif only هذاthis البعيدdistant one منكfrom you قريبnear
ليت هذا البعيد منك قريب
ليتif only لوif قربتyou brought near بعيدكyour distant one ليتif only
ليت لو قربت بعيدك ليت
If only this one far from you were near!
Would that if I brought your farness near, would that
If only you brought your distant one near—if only!
Stop at these forms for they are either
قفpause علىbefore هذهthese الشخوصfigures فإماthen either
قف على هذه الشخوص فإما
ملكan angel فيin الثيابthe clothes أوor عفريتa powerful demon
ملك في الثياب أو عفريت
Consider these figures: either
An angel in clothes or a demon
an angel in clothing, or an ifrit.
And abstain from embodiments and realize
وتجنبand keep away عنfrom الحلولindwelling وحققand ascertain
وتجنب عن الحلول وحقق
كلevery شيءthing فذاكfor that للحقfor the Real بيتa house
كل شيء فذاك للحق بيت
And shun indwelling, and discern the reality of
Everything for that is the house of truth
each thing, for it is a house for the Real.
And contemplate that the difference, by God, is a gathering
وتأملand contemplate فالفرقfor separation باللهthrough God جمعunion
وتأمل فالفرق بالله جمع
واجتماعand gathering علىaround السوىanything besides Him تشتيتdispersal
واجتماع على السوى تشتيت
And reflect: separation through God is union,
And unity on moderation is separation
And gathering around anything besides Him is dispersal.
Partial English translation: 41 of 42 Arabic lines translated.