يناجيك سر سائل عن ثلاثة

يناجيك سر سائل عن ثلاثة

سرائرهم كتم وإعلانهم ستر

سرائرهم كتم وإعلانهم ستر

A secret whispers to you, asking about three:

A secret questioner whispers to you about three,

Their inward secrets are concealment, and their disclosure a veil.

Their secrets are concealed and their proclamation is veiled.

فتى ضاع كتم السر بين ضلوعه

فتى ضاع كتم السر بين ضلوعه

عن إدراكه حتى كأن لم يكن سر

عن إدراكه حتى كأن لم يكن سر

A youth: concealment of the secret was lost among his ribs,

A young man whose secret was lost amid his ribs,

Beyond his awareness, until it was as though no secret existed.

Unaware of its comprehension as if it had never been a secret.

فأسبل أستار التخفر صائناً

فأسبل أستار التخفر صائناً

لكل حديث أن يكون هو السر

لكل حديث أن يكون هو السر

So he lowered the veils of modest reserve, safeguarding

So he lowered the curtains of deception,

Every utterance lest it be the secret itself.

Protecting any talk from being the secret.

فكتّام سر مدرك الكتم لم ينل

فكتّام سر مدرك الكتم لم ينل

سوى حد كتم السر من ظنه ذكر

سوى حد كتم السر من ظنه ذكر

Then a secret-keeper, aware of concealment—never did there reach

So the concealer of the realized secret obtained

Beyond the bounds of hiding the secret any recollection from his conjecture.

Nothing but the extent of concealing the secret from his assumption mentioned.

فكاتمه المكنون ثم تكاتمت

فكاتمه المكنون ثم تكاتمت

جوانحه فالكل من بثه صفر

جوانحه فالكل من بثه صفر

So the hidden secret kept itself from him; then mutual concealment took hold

So the concealer of the hidden then his breast was concealed,

Among his inward parts: all were devoid of divulging it.

All from its diffusion is empty.

صنين بما يهواه ما لاح لائح

صنين بما يهواه ما لاح لائح

يقاربه إلا احتمى صوبها الفكر

يقاربه إلا احتمى صوبها الفكر

He jealously guards what he loves; no glimmer appeared

The echoing of what he loves has no appearance,

Approaching him without thought seeking refuge toward them.

The mind can only approach it by taking cover towards it.

ومكتم وافى الضمائر وامتطى

ومكتم وافى الضمائر وامتطى

لمودعه جحدا وليس به غدر

لمودعه جحدا وليس به غدر

And a concealer reached the inmost thoughts and mounted

And the secret-keeper fulfilled the consciences and rode

Denial before his entruster; yet there is no treachery in it.

To his repository, denial, and there is no betrayal in him

لأمّهم تاج الفخار ذكرته

لأمّهم تاج الفخار ذكرته

ومن شربه في حاله المنهل العمر

ومن شربه في حاله المنهل العمر

For their mother is a crown of glory I have mentioned;

For their crown of pride, their mother mentioned it,

And from his drinking, in his state, the watering-place is life.

And whoever drinks it, it is the fountain of life in his state.