للهto God belong فيin الكونthe cosmos تحريكٌsetting in motion وتسكينُand bringing to rest
لله في الكون تحريكٌ وتسكينُ
قلsay ليto me فماthen what تفعلdo القومthe people المجانينُthe mad ones
قل لي فما تفعل القوم المجانينُ
To God belong motion and stillness in the cosmos.
God has set in motion and brought stillness to the universe
Tell me, then: what do the mad folk do?
Tell me, what can the foolish people do?
وكلand all أفعالناour deeds لاno شكdoubt حادثةٌcreated
وكل أفعالنا لا شك حادثةٌ
فافطنso take heed فهلso can لسوىfor any other than الرحمنthe All-Merciful تكوينbringing into being
فافطن فهل لسوى الرحمن تكوين
And all our deeds are, without doubt, created.
All our deeds are no doubt temporal
So take heed: can any but the All-Merciful bring things into being?
Be alert - who but the Merciful has power to create?
لاnot النارfire تحرقburns إلاexcept عندin the view of محتجبone veiled
لا النار تحرق إلا عند محتجب
أعمىblind ولاnor تقطعcut الجرمَthe body السكاكينthe knives
أعمى ولا تقطع الجرمَ السكاكين
Fire burns only in the view of one who is veiled
Fire only burns at His command
And blind; nor do knives cut the body.
A blind flame cannot cut the cold steel
وإنماand merely هيthey أسبابcauses مرتبةarranged in order
وإنما هي أسباب مرتبة
عنديin my view لفاعلهاfor their agent المحتارthe bewildered one تعيينdefinite identification
عندي لفاعلها المحتار تعيين
They are merely causes arranged in order;
These are but ordered causes
To me, their bewildered agent is clearly identified.
My perplexed mind struggles to determine their Doer
ياO راقدsleeper الليلof the night قمrise فجرُthe dawn النجاةof deliverance بداhas appeared
يا راقد الليل قم فجرُ النجاة بدا
ماnot راحpassed حينٌa moment ووافىand arrived مثلهlike it حينa moment
ما راح حينٌ ووافى مثله حين
O sleeper of the night, rise: the dawn of deliverance has appeared.
Oh sleepless one, dawn of deliverance has come
No moment has passed and another just like it arrived.
No time will return once it has gone
بكby yourself احتجبتyou have become veiled فلاso do not تنظرlook إليكat yourself تفزyou will succeed
بك احتجبت فلا تنظر إليك تفز
واخرجand go out عنaway from الكلall things تأتيكwill come to you البراهينthe proofs
واخرج عن الكل تأتيك البراهين
You are veiled by yourself; look not at yourself, and you will succeed.
Weeping, you remained hidden - unable to see yourself
And pass beyond all things; the proofs will come to you.
Come out from all - proofs will come to you
وانحلand dissolve شيئاًa little فشيئاًthen a little فيin الوجودexistence وذبand melt away
وانحل شيئاً فشيئاً في الوجود وذب
حتىuntil توافيyou reach مقاماًa station فيهin it تمكينfirm establishment
حتى توافي مقاماً فيه تمكين
And dissolve, little by little, in existence, and melt away,
Dissolve yourself gradually into existence and melt
Until you reach a station of firm establishment.
Until you attain a station of stability
فكلهمso all of them هوHe فاسمعso listen وهوand He غيرهموother than them
فكلهم هو فاسمع وهو غيرهمو
إنindeed الزجاجglass لهit has بالشمسby the sun تلوينcoloring
إن الزجاج له بالشمس تلوين
For all of them are He—so listen—yet He is distinct from them.
For all are Him - so listen, though He is other than them
Indeed, glass is colored by the sun.
As glass takes on color from the sun
واحرصand be heedful علىof الأمرthe command والنهيand the prohibition اللذينwhich (both) هماthey both
واحرص على الأمر والنهي اللذين هما
نتيجةthe outcome الخلقof creation ياO ماءٌwater وياand O طينclay
نتيجة الخلق يا ماءٌ ويا طين
And be heedful of the command and the prohibition, which are
And strive after the commands and prohibitions
The outcome of creation, O water and O clay.
Which are the fruits of creation, O water and clay
للهto God belongs سرa secret خفيhidden ليسnot يدركهgrasps it
لله سر خفي ليس يدركه
إلاexcept اللبيبthe discerning one الذيwho فيناamong us لهhe has دينfaith
إلا اللبيب الذي فينا له دين
God has a hidden secret that none can grasp
God has a hidden secret which none can attain
Except the discerning one among us who has faith.
But the discerning, who in us are faithful to Him