ليس للاختيار ذرة فعل

ليس للاختيار ذرة فعل

كل فعل لخالق الاختيار

كل فعل لخالق الاختيار

Choice has not an atom of agency;

There is not an atom's weight of choice in my action;

every act belongs to the Creator of choice.

Every action comes from the Creator of choice.

لو وكلنا إلى النفوس وما تخ

لو وكلنا إلى النفوس وما تخ

تار كان اختيارنا للبوار

تار كان اختيارنا للبوار

Had we been left to our souls and what they

If we were to entrust our souls and what they desire,

choose, our choice would have led to ruin.

Our choice would be futility and loss.

خيرة اللّه بي أبر وأحفى

خيرة اللّه بي أبر وأحفى

وإلى خيرتي انتساب خساري

وإلى خيرتي انتساب خساري

God's choice for me is kinder and more solicitous;

God's choice for me is the most righteous and protective;

my loss is attributable to my own choice.

To claim my own choice is my ruin.

لو تلمحت حكمة اللّه فيما

لو تلمحت حكمة اللّه فيما

تقتضيه الأقدار في الأطوار

تقتضيه الأقدار في الأطوار

If you discerned God's wisdom in what

If you could see the wisdom of God in what

the decrees of fate require in changing states,

Destiny ordains through the ages,

وتأملت لطفه في قضايا

وتأملت لطفه في قضايا

برزت في قوالب الأضرار

برزت في قوالب الأضرار

and contemplated His kindness in events

And contemplate His kindness in decrees

that emerged in molds of harm,

That manifest in forms of harm,

شمت دون الحجاب أبهى جمال

شمت دون الحجاب أبهى جمال

يتجلى بأوجه الآثار

يتجلى بأوجه الآثار

you would glimpse beneath the veil the fairest beauty,

You would sense, without veil, a most radiant beauty

revealing itself in the faces of its traces.

Revealed in aspects of effects.

ليس للعجز ذرة من محال

ليس للعجز ذرة من محال

أين تدبير وصمة الافتقار

أين تدبير وصمة الافتقار

Helplessness has not an atom of might;

There is no atom of impossibility;

what planning can come from the stain of need?

Where is managing the brand of need?

كيف يمشي تدبير فطرة ذل

كيف يمشي تدبير فطرة ذل

إن يكن ضد مبرم الأقدار

إن يكن ضد مبرم الأقدار

How can a lowly nature's planning take effect

How can the managing of innate disposition walk

if it opposes fate's irrevocable decree?

If it opposes decided destiny?

أتراني أقضي وقد قضي الأم

أتراني أقضي وقد قضي الأم

ر كما شاءه خلاف اختياري

ر كما شاءه خلاف اختياري

Do you think I can decree, when the matter is already settled

Do you see me decide when the matter is already

as He willed it, contrary to my choice?

Decided as He willed, contrary to my choice?

أم ترى لي حولاً يقرر حكماً

أم ترى لي حولاً يقرر حكماً

وهو في علمه محال القرار

وهو في علمه محال القرار

Or do you think I have power to establish a decree,

Or do you see me having power that establishes a judgment

though, in His knowledge, it cannot stand?

While in His knowledge it is impossible to settle?

أم تراني مقدماً ما اقتضى تأ

أم تراني مقدماً ما اقتضى تأ

خيره حكمه من الأوطار

خيره حكمه من الأوطار

Or do you think I can hasten what must be delayed

Or do you see me putting forward what His delaying

by His judgment, among the things desired?

Of His judgment from the times has required?

أم تراني إذا سخطت بلاء

أم تراني إذا سخطت بلاء

شاءه لي صرفته باختياري

شاءه لي صرفته باختياري

Or do you think that, if I resented an affliction

Or do you see me, if I dislike a tribulation

He willed for me, I could turn it aside by my choice?

He has willed for me, diverting it by my choice?

أم ترى للوجود ذرة تأي

أم ترى للوجود ذرة تأي

ر وهل للوجود من مقدار

ر وهل للوجود من مقدار

Or do you think existence has an atom of influence—

Or do you see for existence an atom that stirs -

and does existence have any weight at all?

And does existence have a measure?

إن تحققته رسوماً وآثا

إن تحققته رسوماً وآثا

راً فما للرسوم والآثار

راً فما للرسوم والآثار

If you recognize it as forms and traces,

If you verify it has forms and effects,

what power, then, have forms and traces?

Then what have forms and effects?

أو تيقنته فناء ومحوا

أو تيقنته فناء ومحوا

محيت عنك ظلمة الأغيار

محيت عنك ظلمة الأغيار

Or if you know it truly as annihilation and effacement,

Or if you ascertain it is perishing and vanishing,

the darkness of all besides Him is erased from you.

I have erased from you the darkness of delusions.

أو تمثلته قوياً قويماً

أو تمثلته قوياً قويماً

فهباء في عاصفات الذواري

فهباء في عاصفات الذواري

Or if you picture it strong and firmly upright,

Or if you depict it as strong and upright,

it is but dust amid the gales of scattering winds.

It is mirage in the storms of deceits.

من رأى الليس لم يعاين سواه

من رأى الليس لم يعاين سواه

في ضروب الايراد والأصدار

في ضروب الايراد والأصدار

Whoever sees nonbeing beholds nothing else

Whoever saw the nonexistent saw nothing but Him

in the varied ways of bringing in and sending forth.

In categories of bringing into being and originating.

دعه يرميك بالبلايا فما أق

دعه يرميك بالبلايا فما أق

رب رحماه من مقام اضطرار

رب رحماه من مقام اضطرار

Let Him hurl afflictions at you—how near

Leave Him to pelt me with afflictions - for how nearby

His mercy is to the station of utter need!

Are His compassions from the position of distress!

دع حبيبي يسوق لي من بلايا

دع حبيبي يسوق لي من بلايا

ه فما ضاق علمه بانكساري

ه فما ضاق علمه بانكساري

Let my Beloved send me some of His afflictions;

Leave my Beloved to lead me with His afflictions -

for His knowledge is not too narrow to encompass my brokenness.

For His knowledge is not straitened by my brokenness.

دع حبيبي يموه الحب بالص

دع حبيبي يموه الحب بالص

د ويخفي الصفاء في الاكدار

د ويخفي الصفاء في الاكدار

Let my Beloved mask love with rejection

Leave my Beloved to disguise love with harshness

and hide clarity amid murk.

And conceal sincerity in troubles.

علمه سابق واقداره تج

علمه سابق واقداره تج

ري وألطافه بهن سواري

ري وألطافه بهن سواري

His knowledge precedes, and His decrees run

His knowledge precedes and His ordainments run their course,

their course, His subtle mercies flowing through them.

His favors are my necklaces and bracelets.

فإلى أين نزوة لاعتراض

فإلى أين نزوة لاعتراض

وإلى أين وجهة لفرار

وإلى أين وجهة لفرار

Where, then, can a leap of protest lead?

To where, then, my inclination to object?

And where could one turn to flee?

To where, then, my impulse to flee?