قدindeed هديناwe were guided بالخاطرby the thought المستقيمِupright
قد هدينا بالخاطر المستقيمِ
لحديثto an account عنabout الحبيبthe Beloved قديمِancient
لحديث عن الحبيب قديمِ
We have indeed been guided by an upright thought
To an ancient account of the Beloved.
ووجدناand we found معارفاًspiritual insights وعلوماًand sciences
ووجدنا معارفاً وعلوماً
كانwas فيهاin them المزاجthe admixture منfrom تسنيمِTasnīm
كان فيها المزاج من تسنيمِ
And we found spiritual insights and sciences
Whose admixture was from Tasnīm.
فشممناso we smelled بهاthrough them روائحfragrances غيبthe unseen
فشممنا بها روائح غيب
وسكرناand we grew drunk بطيبon the sweetness of ذاكthat الشميمscent
وسكرنا بطيب ذاك الشميم
So through them we smelled fragrances of the unseen,
And grew drunk on the sweetness of that scent.
كرياضlike gardens زهورهاtheir blossoms فائحاتgiving off fragrance
كرياض زهورها فائحات
لذويfor those possessing الشمthe sense of smell معْwith هبوبthe blowing of النسيمthe breeze
لذوي الشم معْ هبوب النسيم
Like gardens whose blossoms breathe fragrance
For those who can smell, as the breeze blows.
ذاتthe Essence of حقthe Real أرواحناour spirits أخبرتناtold us
ذات حق أرواحنا أخبرتنا
عنabout معانيthe meanings of أسمائهHis names فيin الرقيمthe inscribed record
عن معاني أسمائه في الرقيم
Our spirits, the Essence of the Real, told us
Of the meanings of His names in the inscribed record,
محسناتbestowing good بأمرهby His command يقذفHe casts الخلthe crea-
محسنات بأمره يقذف الخل
ق-tion كقذفlike the casting of المدادِthe ink صورةَthe form of ميمmīm
ق كقذف المدادِ صورةَ ميم
Bestowing good by His command; He casts creation
As ink casts the form of a mīm.
وهوand it is أمرa matter محققconfirmed وهوand it is خلقٌa creation
وهو أمر محقق وهو خلقٌ
باطلunreal متقنperfected بصنعby the handiwork of الحكيمthe Wise One
باطل متقن بصنع الحكيم
And it is an established fact, and it is a creation,
Unreal, yet perfected by the Wise One's handiwork.
ووجودand Being صرفpure إذاwhen ماever تجلىit manifests itself
ووجود صرف إذا ما تجلى
صبغdyed الكلall things بالوجودwith Being العظيمmighty
صبغ الكل بالوجود العظيم
And pure Being, whenever it manifests itself,
Dyes all things with mighty Being.
ومراداتهand His objects of will هيthey are الكلall things جاءتthey came
ومراداته هي الكل جاءت
فيin تراتيبهاtheir ordered arrangements كعقدlike a necklace نظيمwell-strung
في تراتيبها كعقد نظيم
And His objects of will are all things; they came
In their ordered ranks, like a well-strung necklace.
صبغةa hue لمnot تكنit existed وبالوهمand through illusion كانتit existed
صبغة لم تكن وبالوهم كانت
ماnot وجودexistence يكونcan be وصفan attribute of العديمthe nonexistent
ما وجود يكون وصف العديم
A hue that never was, yet existed in illusion;
Existence cannot be an attribute of the nonexistent.
حاشfar be it للهfrom God والبصائرand inward eyes زاغتhave strayed
حاش لله والبصائر زاغت
قبلbefore زيغthe straying of الأبصارoutward eyes فيin التقديمprecedence
قبل زيغ الأبصار في التقديم
Far be it from God! Yet inward eyes have strayed,
Taking precedence over the straying of outward sight.
والذيand whoever يشهدwitnesses الحقيقةReality غيباًin the unseen
والذي يشهد الحقيقة غيباً
بشهودthrough a witnessing عنهاfrom it لهاfor it مستقيمupright
بشهود عنها لها مستقيم
And whoever witnesses Reality in the unseen,
Through an upright witnessing from it and for it,
لاnot بشوبٍwith a taint منof الحلولindwelling ولاnor معno-
لا بشوبٍ من الحلول ولا مع
نى-tion انحلالٍdissolution فيهاwithin it ولاnor تجسيمembodiment
نى انحلالٍ فيها ولا تجسيم
Without a taint of indwelling, nor any notion
Of dissolution within it, nor embodiment,
ويرىand sees الكلall things فانياًvanishing مضمحلاًfading away
ويرى الكل فانياً مضمحلاً
فهوso he is عبدa servant فانٍeffaced لحقof the Real مقيمabiding
فهو عبد فانٍ لحق مقيم
And sees all things vanishing and fading away,
Is an effaced servant of the abiding Real.
أيهاO النفسsoul هاbehold هوit النورthe Light بادmanifest
أيها النفس ها هو النور باد
فاكشفيso unveil عنهfrom it منكfrom yourself ثمthen استقيميbe upright
فاكشفي عنه منك ثم استقيمي
O soul, behold, the Light is manifest!
So unveil it by withdrawing yourself, then be upright.
ودعيand cast aside عنكfrom yourself ماwhat سواهis other than Him فمنهfor from Him
ودعي عنك ما سواه فمنه
ماwhat سواهis other than Him السرابthe mirage للتوهيمto induce illusion
ما سواه السراب للتوهيم
And cast aside all but Him; for from Him comes
All that is other than Him—a mirage that breeds illusion.
ثمthen ناجيهcommune with Him فوقabove طورthe mount of التدانيdrawing near
ثم ناجيه فوق طور التداني
بتدليهthrough His descent إرثthe legacy of موسىMoses الكليمthe one God spoke to
بتدليه إرث موسى الكليم
Then commune with Him above the mount of nearness,
Through His descent—the legacy of Moses, His interlocutor.
واعلميهand know Him بعلمهthrough His knowledge لاnot بعلمthrough knowledge
واعلميه بعلمه لا بعلم
تدعيهyou claim it يكونcomes to be بالتعليمthrough instruction
تدعيه يكون بالتعليم
And know Him through His knowledge, not through knowledge
You claim as yours, acquired through instruction,
فيin مقامa station محمديٍّMuhammadan شريفnoble
في مقام محمديٍّ شريف
شارعlegislating للتحليلfor declaring lawful والتحريمand declaring forbidden
شارع للتحليل والتحريم
In a noble Muhammadan station,
Legislating what is lawful and what is forbidden.
فعليهso upon him السلامpeace ماas long as راقdelights مَعْنَىًa meaning
فعليه السلام ما راق مَعْنَىً
لِمُعَنَّىًto one tormented فجادso he was generous بالتسليمwith salutations
لِمُعَنَّىً فجاد بالتسليم
So peace be upon him as long as a meaning delights
A tormented one, who then lavishes salutations.