هيshe الذاتthe Essence التيthat فوقabove البراقِBuraq
هي الذات التي فوق البراقِ
تحنyearns إلىtoward ذرىthe summits السبعthe seven الطباقِlayered one above another
تحن إلى ذرى السبع الطباقِ
She is the Essence that is above Buraq,
She is the essence beyond the brilliant
yearning for the summits of the seven layered heavens.
Yearning for the heavens' orbits
لهاshe has بالجسمin the body منهاfrom herself ثوبa robe درٍّof pearls
لها بالجسم منها ثوب درٍّ
يشفis translucent علىover معانيهاher meanings الدقاقsubtle
يشف على معانيها الدقاق
In the body, she has a robe of pearls from herself,
With a body made of pearls from her
that lets her subtle meanings show through.
Covering meanings subtle and fine
فمنso whoever ينأىgoes far away إليهاtoward her فهوhe is دانnear
فمن ينأى إليها فهو دان
ومنand whoever يفنىperishes عليهاfor her فهوhe is باقيabiding
ومن يفنى عليها فهو باقي
So whoever goes far toward her is near,
So whoever comes close is brought near
and whoever perishes for her abides.
And whoever is lost in her remains
وماand not بسوىthrough anything other than المحبةlove كونthe existence شيءٍof anything
وما بسوى المحبة كون شيءٍ
وليسand is not الميلattraction إلاexcept بالتلاقيthrough meeting
وليس الميل إلا بالتلاقي
And nothing comes into being except through love,
And nothing but love can exist
and attraction arises only through meeting.
And inclination is only through meeting
وأنوارand the lights الجمالof beauty بكلin every قلبheart
وأنوار الجمال بكل قلب
تسمّىare called بالهوىpassion والإشتياقand longing
تسمّى بالهوى والإشتياق
And the lights of beauty in every heart
The lights of beauty fill every heart
are called passion and longing.
Named by passion and longing
ولمand did not يكنbe النعيمbliss سوىanything but التدانيdrawing near
ولم يكن النعيم سوى التداني
ولمand did not يكنbe العذابtorment سوىanything but الفراقseparation
ولم يكن العذاب سوى الفراق
And bliss was nothing but drawing near,
And bliss was only through closeness
and torment was nothing but separation.
And torment was only through separation
وكلand all الكونexistence فيin الدنياthis world حجابa veil
وكل الكون في الدنيا حجاب
وفيand in الأخرىthe next world عنfrom الوجهthe face الملاقيthat meets one
وفي الأخرى عن الوجه الملاقي
And all existence in this world is a veil,
And all the world here is a veil
and in the next, veiling the face that meets us.
And in the next from the encountered face
وأنتand you الكأسthe cup والأسرارand the mysteries خمرwine
وأنت الكأس والأسرار خمر
ومجلسكand your gathering التقىpiety واللهand God ساقيcupbearer
ومجلسك التقى والله ساقي
And you are the cup, and the mysteries are wine,
And You are the cup and the wine is secrets
and your gathering is piety, and God is the cupbearer.
And your assembly purity and God is the cupbearer
فماso what لكis with you لاnot تطيرyou fly هوىpassion وسكراًand drunkenness
فما لك لا تطير هوى وسكراً
وقدand already حييتyou were greeted بالكأسwith the cup الدهاقbrimming
وقد حييت بالكأس الدهاق
Why, then, do you not fly in passion and drunkenness,
So why don't you fly drunk on love and intoxication
when you have been greeted with the brimming cup?
When you have revived with the overflowing cup
أزلdispel نوميmy sleep بشدوكwith your singing ياO نديميmy drinking companion
أزل نومي بشدوك يا نديمي
وأبدلand replace ليfor me خلافكyour discord بالوفاقwith harmony
وأبدل لي خلافك بالوفاق
Dispel my sleep with your singing, O my drinking companion,
Remove my sleepiness with your singing my friend
and replace your discord with harmony for me.
And replace your discord for reconciliation
وحيِّand hasten علىtoward المنىhopes ياO ابنson المعانيof meanings
وحيِّ على المنى يا ابن المعاني
ولاand do not تفتنbe beguiled بألفاظٍby words رقاقdelicate
ولا تفتن بألفاظٍ رقاق
And hasten toward your hopes, O son of meanings,
Inspire the desires, O son of meanings
and do not be beguiled by delicate words.
And don't be distracted by subtle words
وخذand take منيfrom me وناولنيand give to me إلىuntil أنthat
وخذ مني وناولني إلى أن
ترانيyou see me قدalready وصلتI have reached إلىto التراقيthe collarbones
تراني قد وصلت إلى التراقي
And take from me and give to me, until
Take from me and give me until
you see that I have reached the collarbones.
You see me attained permanence
ومنand whoever بالحقwith the Truth يقذفhurls لاحshone forth جهراًopenly
ومن بالحق يقذف لاح جهراً
وماand not التفتbecame entwined لهfor him ساقa shin بساقwith a shin
وما التفت له ساق بساق
And whoever hurls the Truth shines forth openly,
And whoever by the Truth casts openly
and for him no shin has been entwined with another.
Not caring for feet or legs
هنالكthere تضمحلfade away بهthrough Him رسوميmy traces
هنالك تضمحل به رسومي
وأذهبand I vanish بانسحاقٍthrough being crushed وانمحاقand effacement
وأذهب بانسحاقٍ وانمحاق
There, through Him, my traces fade away,
There my forms will fade
and I vanish, crushed and effaced.
And I will go in annihilation and extinction
ويبطلand is nullified كلevery شيءthing كانthat existed حتىeven
ويبطل كل شيء كان حتى
مقاليmy speech ذاthis وفهميand my understanding معwith مذاقيmy taste
مقالي ذا وفهمي مع مذاقي
And everything that was is nullified, even
And everything that was will cease
this speech of mine, and my understanding along with my taste.
Including my words and understanding and taste
ويبقىand remains مثلlike ماwhat قدalready كانwas ربيmy Lord
ويبقى مثل ما قد كان ربي
علىupon ماwhat كانHe was وهوand He is أجلthe greatest واقيprotector
على ما كان وهو أجل واقي
And my Lord remains just as He was,
And will remain as my Lord was
as He was, and He is the greatest protector.
In His permanence, Most High and Enduring
ويخفىand is hidden الكونthe cosmos منfrom غيرother than اختفاءconcealment
ويخفى الكون من غير اختفاء
ويبدوand appears النورthe Light منfrom غيرother than انفهاقexpansion
ويبدو النور من غير انفهاق
And the cosmos is hidden without concealment,
And the world will be unseen without disappearing
and the Light appears without expansion.
And the Light will appear without rending
ودنسناهand we sullied Him بالأفهامwith conceptions حيناًfor a time
ودنسناه بالأفهام حيناً
وبالأقوالand with sayings والبحثand inquiry المساقcarried forward
وبالأقوال والبحث المساق
And we sullied Him with conceptions for a time,
And we sullied Him for a time
and with sayings and the inquiry pursued,
With speech, discussion and conversation
إلىuntil أنthat جادbestowed generously غيثthe rain الفيضof outpouring منهfrom Him
إلى أن جاد غيث الفيض منه
بماءwith water القدسof holiness وانفتحتand opened سواقيwatercourses
بماء القدس وانفتحت سواقي
until the rain of outpouring from Him lavished
Until the rain of Grace from Him poured
the water of holiness, and watercourses opened.
With the water of Holiness and the streams opened
إذاwhen قلناwe say عرفناهwe have known Him جهلناwe are ignorant
إذا قلنا عرفناه جهلنا
وهلand is فرعa branch لأوجto the summit الأصلof the root راقيascending
وهل فرع لأوج الأصل راقي
When we say, 'We have known Him,' we are ignorant.
If we say we knew, we were ignorant
And can a branch ascend to the root's summit?
And can the branch surpass the lofty origin?
وريحand the scent المسكof musk فيin الصندوقthe box يفشوspreads
وريح المسك في الصندوق يفشو
ويعرفand is known منهof it قدرthe measure الإنتشاقof inhalation
ويعرف منه قدر الإنتشاق
And the scent of musk within the box spreads,
And the musk scent spreads in the box
and as much is known of it as is inhaled.
And its intensity of diffusion is known
وهلand does نورthe light النجومof the stars يلوحshine إلاexcept
وهل نور النجوم يلوح إلا
علىaccording to مقدارthe measure إدراكof perception المآقيof the inner eye-corners
على مقدار إدراك المآقي
And does the light of the stars shine except
And does the light of stars shine
in proportion to what the eyes perceive?
Except by the capacity of the observers
هوHe الحقthe Truth المبينmanifest وكلand every شيءthing
هو الحق المبين وكل شيء
سواهother than Him باطلunreal بالإتفاقby agreement
سواه باطل بالإتفاق
He is the manifest Truth, and everything
He is the Evident Truth and everything
other than Him is unreal, by common accord.
Other than Him false by consensus
قديمbeginningless لاnot بمعنىin the sense of فهمthe understanding of كونa created being
قديم لا بمعنى فهم كون
وباقand everlasting لاnot كقولlike the saying of الخلقcreated beings باقيeverlasting
وباق لا كقول الخلق باقي
Beginningless, not in the sense conceived by a created being,
Eternal not in the sense of understanding existence
and everlasting—not as creatures say 'everlasting.'
Remaining not like the words of creation remaining