إِنَّ للنَفس في الكَرى أَمجالا

إِنَّ للنَفس في الكَرى أَمجالا

نَشأةُ القادِرِ الحَكيمِ تَعالى

نَشأةُ القادِرِ الحَكيمِ تَعالى

Indeed, the soul has wide-ranging journeys in sleep,

Indeed, the soul has realms to roam in slumber,

a creation of the Almighty, the All-Wise—exalted is He.

A creation of the All-Powerful, the Wise—exalted is He.

هِي نَفسٌ إِظلامُها مستمرُّ

هِي نَفسٌ إِظلامُها مستمرُّ

وَهيَ روحٌ أَنوارُهُ تَتَلالا

وَهيَ روحٌ أَنوارُهُ تَتَلالا

It is a soul whose darkness endures,

It is a soul whose darkness is unceasing,

and it is a spirit whose lights shimmer.

And it is a spirit whose lights gleam.

فَهُما واحِدٌ هما اِثنانِ بِالوَص

فَهُما واحِدٌ هما اِثنانِ بِالوَص

فِ نساءٌ في هَيكَلٍ وَرِجالا

فِ نساءٌ في هَيكَلٍ وَرِجالا

Thus the two are one, yet two in description—

Thus the two are one, though two in description:

feminine and masculine within a single frame.

Women within a bodily frame, and men.

أَودَعَ اللَهُ قُوَّةَ العَقلِ فيها

أَودَعَ اللَهُ قُوَّةَ العَقلِ فيها

فَهيَ في النَومِ تُبصِرُ الأَشكالا

فَهيَ في النَومِ تُبصِرُ الأَشكالا

God placed the power of reason within it,

God placed the power of reason within it,

and so in sleep it beholds all forms.

So in sleep it beholds forms.

بَينَما المَرءُ نائِماً في مقر

بَينَما المَرءُ نائِماً في مقر

جابَت الأَرض سَهلَها وَالجِبالا

جابَت الأَرض سَهلَها وَالجِبالا

While a person lies asleep in one place,

While a person lay asleep in a resting place,

it roams the earth, its plains and mountains—

It traversed the earth, its plains and mountains.

بَينَ رُؤيا تَجيءُ مثلَ سَنا الصُبحِ

بَينَ رُؤيا تَجيءُ مثلَ سَنا الصُبحِ

وَرُؤيا أُخرى تَجيء خَيالا

وَرُؤيا أُخرى تَجيء خَيالا

now in a vision that comes like the radiance of dawn,

Between a vision that comes like the radiance of dawn,

and now in another vision that comes as fantasy.

And another vision that comes as fantasy.

فَهيَ تَسري ما بينَ عُلوٍ وَسفلٍ

فَهيَ تَسري ما بينَ عُلوٍ وَسفلٍ

وَهيَ في الدَنِّ لا تَرومُ اِنتِقالا

وَهيَ في الدَنِّ لا تَرومُ اِنتِقالا

It journeys between the heights and the depths,

So it journeys between high and low,

though, while inside the vessel, it seeks no departure.

While in the wine jar, it seeks no departure.

واصَلَت دَنَّها زَماناً فلَما

واصَلَت دَنَّها زَماناً فلَما

فارَقَتهُ كُرهاً أَبَت اِتِصالا

فارَقَتهُ كُرهاً أَبَت اِتِصالا

For a time it remained joined to its vessel; then, when

It stayed joined to its wine jar for a time; then, when

it left it unwillingly, it refused to reunite.

It parted from it unwillingly, it refused reunion.

وَهيَ أَضحت إِلى البَقاءِ تسامَت

وَهيَ أَضحت إِلى البَقاءِ تسامَت

وَهوَ أَمسَى إِلى الترابِ اِستحالا

وَهوَ أَمسَى إِلى الترابِ اِستحالا

It rose aloft toward everlasting life,

And it rose toward everlasting life,

while the vessel turned at last to dust.

While the wine jar turned into dust.

سيعيدُ الإِلهُ نَفساً لجسمٍ

سيعيدُ الإِلهُ نَفساً لجسمٍ

عاجِلاً بين ذا وَتلكَ اِتِصالا

عاجِلاً بين ذا وَتلكَ اِتِصالا

God shall restore a soul to a body,

God will restore a soul to a body,

swiftly reuniting this one with that.

Soon restoring union between this and that.

وَادّعى الفَيلَسوفُ وَهوَ كَذوبٌ

وَادّعى الفَيلَسوفُ وَهوَ كَذوبٌ

أَنَّ عَودَ الجُسومِ صارَ مُحالا

أَنَّ عَودَ الجُسومِ صارَ مُحالا

The philosopher—though he is a liar—claimed

And the philosopher claimed—and he is a liar—

that the return of bodies had become impossible.

That the return of bodies had become impossible.

وَسَواءٌ إِعادَةٌ وَابتداء

وَسَواءٌ إِعادَةٌ وَابتداء

عِندَ رَبّي وَالعَودُ أَهون حالا

عِندَ رَبّي وَالعَودُ أَهون حالا

Yet restoration and first creation are alike

And re-creation and first creation are alike

to my Lord—and returning them is easier still.

For my Lord; and restoration is easier.

كُلُّ ما شاءهُ إلَهُ البَرايا

كُلُّ ما شاءهُ إلَهُ البَرايا

كَونَهُ فَهوَ كائِنٌ لا مَحالا

كَونَهُ فَهوَ كائِنٌ لا مَحالا

Whatever the God of all creation wills

Whatever the God of all creatures wills

to exist shall exist, without fail.

To exist, exists without fail.

وَاختِلافُ الأَنامِ في النَفسِ جَهلٌ

وَاختِلافُ الأَنامِ في النَفسِ جَهلٌ

لا يَزيدُ البحّاث إِلا ضَلالا

لا يَزيدُ البحّاث إِلا ضَلالا

Humanity’s disagreement concerning the soul is ignorance;

And humankind's disagreement about the soul is ignorance,

the most searching inquiry only increases error.

It adds nothing to the inquirer but error.

هِيَ خَلقٌ وَلَيسَ يَعلمُ خَلقٌ

هِيَ خَلقٌ وَلَيسَ يَعلمُ خَلقٌ

كُنهَها إِنَّها عَجيبٌ فَعالا

كُنهَها إِنَّها عَجيبٌ فَعالا

It is a created thing, yet no created being knows

It is a created thing, and no creature knows

its true essence; wondrous indeed are its workings.

Its essence; indeed, it is wondrous in its workings.

وَادّعى علمَه بِها فَلسفيٌّ

وَادّعى علمَه بِها فَلسفيٌّ

بِكَلامٍ قَد أَوهَمَ الجُهّالا

بِكَلامٍ قَد أَوهَمَ الجُهّالا

A philosopher claimed to possess knowledge of it,

And a philosopher claimed knowledge of it,

with words that have misled the ignorant.

With words that deluded the ignorant.

وَادّعى أَنَّها قَديمةُ ذاتٍ

وَادّعى أَنَّها قَديمةُ ذاتٍ

قِدَمَ الرَبِّ جَلَّ رَبي جَلالا

قِدَمَ الرَبِّ جَلَّ رَبي جَلالا

And he claimed that its essence is eternal,

And he claimed that it was eternal in essence,

as eternal as the Lord—exalted is my Lord in majesty!

As eternal as the Lord—gloriously exalted is my Lord!