الهيMy God لاسمكto Your name الأعلىMost High العلاءexaltation
الهي لاسمك الأعلى العلاء
لهto it التسبيحglorification منيfrom me والثناءand praise
له التسبيح مني والثناء
My God, to Your Supreme Name belongs all loftiness.
My God, exaltation belongs to Your Most High name.
To it, from me, belong glorification and praise.
To it I offer glorification and praise.
أقمتI set لعزfor the might of وجهكYour face ذلabasement نفسيmy soul
أقمت لعز وجهك ذل نفسي
فافنso annihilate النفسthe soul فيكin You لكto You البقاءabiding
فافن النفس فيك لك البقاء
Before the might of Your countenance I have set my soul’s abasement,
I set my soul's abasement before the might of Your face.
So efface the self in You; Yours alone is permanence.
So annihilate the soul in You; abiding is Yours.
إليكtoward You يسوقهاdrives it شوقlonging ملحinsistent
إليك يسوقها شوق ملح
وأصواتand the voices of الصفاتthe attributes لهاfor it حداءa camel-driving chant
وأصوات الصفات لها حداء
Toward You it is driven by insistent longing,
An insistent longing drives it toward You.
While the voices of the attributes sing it a camel-driver’s chant.
And the voices of the attributes are its onward-driving chant.
أجشمهاI burden it العزائمfirm resolves وهيand it is نضوa spent mount
أجشمها العزائم وهي نضو
وتحتand beneath عزائمthe resolves of النفسthe soul العلاءexaltation
وتحت عزائم النفس العلاء
I burden it with firm resolves, though it is a worn-out mount,
I burden it with firm resolves, though it is a spent mount.
And beneath the soul’s resolves lies aspiration to the heights.
And beneath the soul's resolves lies exaltation.
أجردهاI strip it منof الأهواءpassions حتىuntil
أجردها من الأهواء حتى
يباشرهاtouches it directly بمنتكthrough Your grace الصفاءpurity
يباشرها بمنتك الصفاء
I strip it of its desires until
I strip it of passions until
Through Your favor, purity embraces it.
purity touches it through Your grace.
امزقI tear apart باسمكby Your name الأعلىMost High صفاتيmy attributes
امزق باسمك الأعلى صفاتي
والبسand I wear منof صفاتكYour attributes ماwhat أشاءI wish
والبس من صفاتك ما أشاء
By Your Supreme Name, tear away my attributes,
I tear apart my attributes by Your Most High name,
And clothe me in whatever of Your attributes I desire.
and wear whichever of Your attributes I wish.
أبيتI refuse سوىother than جلالكYour majesty ليfor me جلالاًmajesty
أبيت سوى جلالك لي جلالاً
وليسand are not كنوزthe treasures of وجهكYour face ليfor me سناءsplendor
وليس كنوز وجهك لي سناء
I reject every majesty but Yours as majesty for me,
I refuse any majesty for myself but Yours,
And for me there is no radiance like the light of Your countenance.
and the treasures of Your face are not splendor for me.
انصI hasten إليكtoward You بالاخلاصwith sincerity سيريmy journey
انص إليك بالاخلاص سيري
تساوىhave become equal الخوفfear عنديfor me والرجاءand hope
تساوى الخوف عندي والرجاء
Toward You, in sincerity, I direct my journey;
I hasten my journey toward You with sincerity;
Fear and hope have become equal within me.
fear and hope have become equal for me.
امليI fill with hope النفسthe soul منfrom لقياكmeeting You خيراًgood
املي النفس من لقياك خيراً
فهلthen will? لسعادتيfor my happiness ذاكthat اللقاءmeeting
فهل لسعادتي ذاك اللقاء
I make the soul hope for good from meeting You—
I fill my soul with hope of good from meeting You;
Will that meeting be my bliss?
will that meeting, then, bring me happiness?
الهيMy God بلغتيmy scant sustenance ليستis not بزادjourney-provision
الهي بلغتي ليست بزاد
وفدكYour delegation لكلfor every ذيpossessor of أملhope كفاءsufficient
وفدك لكل ذي أمل كفاء
My God, my means are no provision,
My God, my scant sustenance is no provision for the journey;
Yet coming before You suffices everyone who hopes.
Your delegation suffices for everyone who hopes.
أقومI undertake بماwith what أقومI undertake بهwith it ولكنand yet
أقوم بما أقوم به ولكن
حقيقةthe reality of ماwhat أقومI undertake بهwith it خلاءemptiness
حقيقة ما أقوم به خلاء
I perform whatever deeds I perform, but
I do what I do, and yet
In truth, all I perform is emptiness.
the reality of what I do is emptiness.
أماindeed وجلالby the majesty of وجهكYour face ليسthere is not إلاexcept
أما وجلال وجهك ليس إلا
مجردsheer فضلكYour grace العملthe deed الوفاءfulfillment
مجرد فضلك العمل الوفاء
No—by the majesty of Your countenance, there is nothing
Indeed, by the majesty of Your face, nothing but
But fulfillment through Your pure, all-embracing grace.
Your sheer grace makes the deed complete.
أمنتI became safe بنورthrough the light of وجهكYour face فيon طريقيmy path
أمنت بنور وجهك في طريقي
وإلاand otherwise فالضلالةthen misguidance والشقاءand misery
وإلا فالضلالة والشقاء
I have trusted in the light of Your countenance upon my path;
I have found safety on my path through the light of Your face;
Without it, there is only error and misery.
otherwise, there are misguidance and misery.
اسأتI have done badly صناعتيmy handiwork والسوءand evil طبعيmy nature
اسأت صناعتي والسوء طبعي
وأنتand You منof الاساءةwrongdoing ليtoward me براءfree of blame
وأنت من الاساءة لي براء
I have performed my work badly, and evil is my nature,
I have marred my handiwork, and evil is my nature;
While You are innocent of ever wronging me.
and You are innocent of doing me wrong.
أسيرa captive تحتbeneath بابكYour gate بالخطاياwith sins
أسير تحت بابك بالخطايا
وعدلكand Your justice فيin الحقيقةtruth ليfor me جزاءrecompense
وعدلك في الحقيقة لي جزاء
I walk beneath Your gate bearing my sins,
I am a captive beneath Your gate, laden with sins;
And Your justice is, in truth, my rightful recompense.
and Your justice is, in truth, my recompense.
أشدthe gravest of مصائبيmy calamities ذنبيmy sin ولكنand yet
أشد مصائبي ذنبي ولكن
برحمتكthrough Your mercy التأسيconsolation والعزاءand solace
برحمتك التأسي والعزاء
The gravest of my afflictions is my sin; yet
My gravest calamity is my sin, and yet
In Your mercy lie comfort and consolation.
through Your mercy come consolation and solace.
أقلpardon ليfor me عثرتيmy stumble واغفرand forgive ذنوبيmy sins
أقل لي عثرتي واغفر ذنوبي
وأنتand You البرthe Beneficent عادتكYour customary way الوفاءfaithfulness
وأنت البر عادتك الوفاء
Pardon my stumble and forgive my sins;
Pardon my stumble, and forgive my sins;
You are the All-Good; faithfulness is Your constant way.
and You are the Beneficent; faithfulness is Your way.
إذاif أخلصتI make sincere ايمانيmy faith وتوبيand my repentance
إذا أخلصت ايماني وتوبي
إليكtoward You فماthen nothing بقيremains إلاexcept الرضاءgood pleasure
إليك فما بقي إلا الرضاء
If I make my faith and repentance sincere
If I make my faith and repentance sincere
Toward You, nothing remains but contentment.
toward You, then nothing remains but Your good pleasure.
أقمتYou established ليfor me الدليلthe proof عليكpointing to You حتىuntil
أقمت لي الدليل عليك حتى
تجلىbecame manifest الأمرthe matter وانكشفand was lifted الغطاءthe veil
تجلى الأمر وانكشف الغطاء
You set before me the proof that leads to You, until
You set before me the proof of Yourself, until
The matter became manifest and the veil was lifted.
the matter became clear and the veil was lifted.
الهيMy God كنتYou were كنزاًa treasure فيin خفاءconcealment
الهي كنت كنزاً في خفاء
فحينthen when فطرتناYou created us برحdeparted الخفاءconcealment
فحين فطرتنا برح الخفاء
My God, You were a treasure hidden from sight;
My God, You were a treasure hidden away;
Then, when You brought us into being, concealment departed.
then, when You created us, concealment departed.
أحقI affirm as true الاعترافthe acknowledgment بانthat عبداًa servant
أحق الاعتراف بان عبداً
إذاwhen عرفhe knows استقامbecomes upright لهfor him الولاءallegiance
إذا عرف استقام له الولاء
It is most fitting to acknowledge that a servant,
I acknowledge as true that a servant,
Once he knows, should stand steadfast in loyalty.
when he knows, finds his allegiance made steadfast.
أعرفانknowledge? ومعصيةand disobedience وجهلand ignorance
أعرفان ومعصية وجهل
معاذrefuge in اللّهGod ذاكthat هوit is البلاءthe affliction
معاذ اللّه ذاك هو البلاء
Knowledge—and yet disobedience and ignorance?
Can knowledge coexist with disobedience and ignorance?
God forbid! That is the true affliction.
God forbid! That is the affliction.
أقمestablish ليfor me عصمةprotection from sin واحفظand guard سلوكيmy conduct
أقم لي عصمة واحفظ سلوكي
فإنfor indeed الحقthe True One عصمتهHis protection وقاءa shield
فإن الحق عصمته وقاء
Grant me protection, and safeguard my conduct,
Grant me protection, and safeguard my conduct;
For the Real’s protection is a shield.
for the True One's protection is a shield.
أماindeed وجلالby the majesty of وجهكYour face لنwill not ترانيYou see me
أما وجلال وجهك لن تراني
سليماًunscathed حينwhen يسلمنيhands me over القضاءthe decree
سليماً حين يسلمني القضاء
No—by the majesty of Your countenance, You will not see me
Indeed, by the majesty of Your face, You will not see me
Unharmed when the decree delivers me over.
unscathed when the decree hands me over.
أأشقىshall I be wretched? سيديmy Master والذكرwhile remembrance كسبيmy gain
أأشقى سيدي والذكر كسبي
وأنفاسيand my breaths التبتلutter devotion والدعاءand supplication
وأنفاسي التبتل والدعاء
Am I to be wretched, my Master, when remembrance is my earning,
Shall I be wretched, my Master, when remembrance is my gain,
And every breath I draw is devotion and supplication?
and my breaths are utter devotion and supplication?
أجزنيreward me نظرةa glance فيin الحالthe present state والطفand be gentle
أجزني نظرة في الحال والطف
بهwith it أنتYou اللطيفthe Gentle بماin whatever تشاءYou will
به أنت اللطيف بما تشاء
Reward me, in this state, with a glance, and show me tenderness;
Reward me with a glance in this state, and be gentle
For in this You are the Gentle One, doing whatever You will.
with it; You are the Gentle in whatever You will.
أجبanswer بمجدwith glory كلماتthe words of ذكريmy remembrance
أجب بمجد كلمات ذكري
وصلand send blessings عليهupon him ماas long as نشرis spread الثناءpraise
وصل عليه ما نشر الثناء
Answer, by the glory of the words of my remembrance,
Answer the words of my remembrance with glory,
And send blessings upon him for as long as praise is proclaimed.
and send blessings upon him as long as praise is spread.