ألاbehold إننيindeed I عبدٌa servant لمنto the one whom أناI ربُّهhis lord
ألا إنني عبدٌ لمن أنا ربُّه
قضىdecreed بالذيin accord with what قدalready قلتهI said it فيconcerning الهوىlove الخبرthe report
قضى بالذي قد قلته في الهوى الخبر
Behold, I am a servant to the one whose lord I am.
Behold, I am a servant of the One who is my Lord
The report has decreed what I have said concerning love.
He decreed what I said about passion to be true
إذsince كانwas عينُthe essence الحقِّof the Real عينيmy essence وشاهديand my witness
إذ كان عينُ الحقِّ عيني وشاهدي
يكونare لناours فيin العالمِthe world الخلقُcreation والأمرُand command
يكون لنا في العالمِ الخلقُ والأمرُ
Since the essence of the Real was my essence and my witness,
Since the eye of truth was my eye and my witness
Creation and command in the world are ours.
Creation and command belong to us in this world
فيعرفنيso recognizes me منwhoever كانis فيin الحقthe Real مثلناlike us
فيعرفني من كان في الحق مثلنا
ومنand whoever لمnot يكنbe يسرعrushes إلىto قلبهhis heart النكرdenial
ومن لم يكن يسرع إلى قلبه النكر
So whoever is like us in the Real recognizes me,
So let him recognize me who was like us in truth
And whoever is not—denial rushes into his heart.
While he whose heart denies it rushes to disavow
فمنso whoever كانis علاماًdeeply knowledgeable بماof what جئتهI came to him بهwith it
فمن كان علاماً بما جئته به
يكونwill be لهfor him منfrom ربهhis lord النائلُthe bounty الغَمْرُabundant
يكون له من ربه النائلُ الغَمْرُ
So whoever is deeply learned in what I have brought him,
Whoever knows what I brought will have
Will have abundant bounty from his lord.
An outpouring of grace from his Lord
ومنand whoever قالdeclares فيهconcerning it بالجوازِas possible فإنهthen indeed he
ومن قال فيه بالجوازِ فإنه
يكونwill be لهfor him منfrom نفسِهhis own self الغُلُّshackles والغمرand rancor
يكون له من نفسِه الغُلُّ والغمر
And whoever declares it possible, indeed he
And whoever says that I speak falsehood
Will have shackles and rancor from his own self.
Will have from his soul only darkness and gloom
ومنand whoever قالdeclares فيهconcerning it بالمُحالas impossible فإنهthen indeed he
ومن قال فيه بالمُحال فإنه
هوhe الظالمُthe wrongdoer المحجوبُthe veiled one والجاهلand the ignorant one الغمرthe inexperienced one
هو الظالمُ المحجوبُ والجاهل الغمر
And whoever declares it impossible, indeed he
And whoever calls it impossible will be
Is the wrongdoer, the veiled one, and the ignorant simpleton.
The ignorant, veiled oppressor sunk in night
لقدindeed طبعَstamped اللهGod القلوبَthe hearts بطابعwith a seal
لقد طبعَ الله القلوبَ بطابع
منof الطبعِnature حتىso that لاnot يداخلهاenters them الكبرpride
من الطبعِ حتى لا يداخلها الكبر
God has indeed stamped hearts with a seal
God has stamped hearts with a stamp
Of nature, so that pride may not enter them.
That no arrogance can enter them
وكيفand how يكونcan there be الكبرُpride فيin قلبِthe heart عاجزٍa powerless one
وكيف يكون الكبرُ في قلبِ عاجزٍ
ذليلٌlowly لهfor him منfrom ذاتِهhis own being العجزُhelplessness والفقرُand poverty
ذليلٌ له من ذاتِه العجزُ والفقرُ
And how can pride dwell in the heart of one powerless,
How can arrogance exist in the heart of one helpless
Lowly, with helplessness and poverty arising from his own being?
Whose essence is only weakness and poverty?
فسبحانso glory to منthe One who أحياgave life to الفؤادَthe heart بفهمهthrough understanding Him
فسبحان من أحيا الفؤادَ بفهمه
فلنso will not يحجبنهveil it العسرhardship عنهfrom Him ولاnor اليسرease
فلن يحجبنه العسر عنه ولا اليسر
So glory to Him who gave the heart life through understanding of Him;
Glory to Him who gave life to hearts by His knowledge
So neither hardship nor ease will veil it from Him.
So hardship cannot veil Him, nor ease
تراءيتYou appeared ليto me منfrom خلفbehind سَترthe veil طبيعتيmy nature
تراءيت لي من خلف سَتر طبيعتي
وقدand already علمتْknew نفسيmy soul الذيwhom يحجبُconceals السترthe veil
وقد علمتْ نفسي الذي يحجبُ الستر
You appeared to me from behind the veil of my nature,
I saw myself behind the veil of my nature
And my soul already knew whom the veil conceals.
And my soul knew what veils the veil
فراكبُso the rider بحرِthe sea الطبعِof nature بالحالِthrough the spiritual state طالبٌa seeker
فراكبُ بحرِ الطبعِ بالحالِ طالبٌ
ويطلبهand seeks him منfrom حالِهhis state الصبرُpatience والشكرُand gratitude
ويطلبه من حالِه الصبرُ والشكرُ
So the rider on the sea of nature is a seeker through his state,
So I sail the sea of nature by my state
And from his state, patience and gratitude seek him out.
Seeking and being sought by patience and thanks
ومَنand whoever كانis فيin البرِّthe land المشقtoilsome مسافراًtraveling
ومَن كان في البرِّ المشق مسافراً
تعوّذَsought refuge منfrom وعثائهits hardships العارفُthe knower الحبرthe learned scholar
تعوّذَ من وعثائه العارفُ الحبر
And whoever travels across toilsome land—
And whoever travels the dry land in righteousness
The learned knower seeks refuge from its hardships.
Is protected from its harms by the knowledgeable wise