الله نوّر أفلاكاً بأنجمها

الله نوّر أفلاكاً بأنجمها

ليهتدي في ظلامِ الليلِ في الطرق

ليهتدي في ظلامِ الليلِ في الطرق

God illumined celestial spheres with their stars,

God illuminated the heavens with its stars

So one might find one's way along paths in the darkness of night.

To guide in the darkness of night on the roads

ونوَّر الجوَّ بالبيضاءِ شارقةً

ونوَّر الجوَّ بالبيضاءِ شارقةً

ونوَّر العقلَ بالتوحيدِ والخلقِ

ونوَّر العقلَ بالتوحيدِ والخلقِ

And He illumined the sky with the white sun as it rose,

And illuminated the air with radiant whiteness

And illumined the intellect through divine unity and moral character.

And illuminated the mind with Oneness and creation

ونوَّر القلبَ أنواراً منوَّعة

ونوَّر القلبَ أنواراً منوَّعة

لأنه وسعَ المذكورَ في العلق

لأنه وسعَ المذكورَ في العلق

And He illumined the heart with varied lights,

And illuminated the heart with diverse lights

For it encompassed the One mentioned in al-ʿAlaq.

For He accommodated the mentioned in Surat Al-'Alaq

ونور البدر بالبيضاءِ إن غربتْ

ونور البدر بالبيضاءِ إن غربتْ

وجدَّ في سيره بالنصِّ والعنقِ

وجدَّ في سيره بالنصِّ والعنقِ

And He illumined the full moon with the white sun whenever it set,

And the light of the full moon with its whiteness when it sets

And it pressed on in its course, at a swift and an easy pace.

Is found in its course by the text and inference

كما ينوِّرُ آفاقاً يشاهدها

كما ينوِّرُ آفاقاً يشاهدها

شرقاً وغرباً من الإشفاق بالشَّفق

شرقاً وغرباً من الإشفاق بالشَّفق

Just as it illumines horizons it beholds,

As it illuminates horizons seen

Eastward and westward, out of compassion, with twilight's glow.

In the east and west out of kindness at dusk

ونور الجسمِ بالأرواحِ فانتشرت

ونور الجسمِ بالأرواحِ فانتشرت

أنوارُه كانتشارِ النور في الفَلَق

أنوارُه كانتشارِ النور في الفَلَق

And He illumined the body with spirits, and there spread

And the light of the body with the spirit so it spread

Its lights, as light spreads at daybreak.

Its lights spread like the spreading of light in the dawn

ونور الأرضِ بالأزهار فابتسمت

ونور الأرضِ بالأزهار فابتسمت

عن أحمرَ ناصع وأبيضَ يَقَقِ

عن أحمرَ ناصع وأبيضَ يَقَقِ

And He illumined the earth with flowers, and it smiled,

And the light of the earth with flowers so it smiled

Revealing vivid red and dazzling white.

Revealing vivid red and white chicory

وأظلمَ السِّرُّ بالهوا حيث ما وقعت

وأظلمَ السِّرُّ بالهوا حيث ما وقعت

من الطباق التي أظهرنَ عن طبق

من الطباق التي أظهرنَ عن طبق

And the inner secret grew dark through desire, wherever it fell,

And the secret was darkened by passions wherever they fell

Among the layers brought forth, layer upon layer.

From the layers that revealed beyond layers

وأظلمَ العقلُ في أفكاره نظراً

وأظلمَ العقلُ في أفكاره نظراً

وأظلمَ النفسُ بالأطماعِ والعلق

وأظلمَ النفسُ بالأطماعِ والعلق

And the intellect grew dark in its thoughts through speculation,

And the mind was darkened in its thoughts because of

And the soul grew dark through greed and attachments.

And the soul was darkened by greed and attachment

وأظلمَ المتعدي من طبيعته

وأظلمَ المتعدي من طبيعته

بالأكل من جَرَضِ والشرب من شرقِ

بالأكل من جَرَضِ والشرب من شرقِ

And the transgressor grew dark through his own nature,

And the transgressor was darkened by his nature

Through choking on food and choking on drink.

By eating carrion and drinking wine

وأظلمَ الولد المخلوقُ من نُطف

وأظلمَ الولد المخلوقُ من نُطف

مكنونةٍ بثلاثٍ جئنَ في نَسَقِ

مكنونةٍ بثلاثٍ جئنَ في نَسَقِ

And the child created from drops of seed grew dark,

And the created child from hidden germs

Concealed by three darknesses that came in succession.

In three that came in order was darkened

فليس من نُورٍ إلا قد يقابله

فليس من نُورٍ إلا قد يقابله

ضدّكما قابلَ الإشراق بالغسقِ

ضدّكما قابلَ الإشراق بالغسقِ

For no light exists without being met by

So there is no light unless faced

An opposite, just as radiance was set against dusk.

By its opposite as dusk faces dawn

من أجل ذا ضل فإن في مقالته

من أجل ذا ضل فإن في مقالته

باثنين وافترقوا في ذا على فرق

باثنين وافترقوا في ذا على فرق

For this reason he went astray, for he professed

For that, one who went astray, in his words

Two, and over this they split into factions.

With two who disagreed regarding this into sects

والكلُّ جاء إليه في تفكُّره

والكلُّ جاء إليه في تفكُّره

من الإله أمور فيه لم تُطَق

من الإله أمور فيه لم تُطَق

And to each, in his reflection, there came

And all came to him in his thinking

From God, matters concerning Him that could not be borne.

From God matters that cannot be endured

لذاك ما اختلفت فيه مقالتُهم

لذاك ما اختلفت فيه مقالتُهم

ما بين قولٍ بتقييدٍ ومُنطَلَقِِ

ما بين قولٍ بتقييدٍ ومُنطَلَقِِ

That is why their doctrines concerning Him differed,

For that their words differed regarding it

Ranging between a restrictive doctrine and an unrestricted one.

Between qualified statement and outrightness

وكل من قال قولاً في عقيدتِه

وكل من قال قولاً في عقيدتِه

فإنه جاعلٌ التقليدَ في العنق

فإنه جاعلٌ التقليدَ في العنق

And everyone who makes a statement about his creed

And everyone who spoke a creed

Is surely placing imitation around his neck—

Made tradition a shackle on the neck

سَمعاً وعَقلاً فما ينفكُّ ذو نظرٍ

سَمعاً وعَقلاً فما ينفكُّ ذو نظرٍ

من التحييرِّ للتهييج والحُرَق

من التحييرِّ للتهييج والحُرَق

Through hearing and reason; no thinker ever breaks free

Listening and reasoning so one with insight will not cease

From bewilderment leading to agitation and burning anguish.

From confusion to provoke and burn

لذا ترى كلَّ من قد كان ذا فِطنٍ

لذا ترى كلَّ من قد كان ذا فِطنٍ

وقتاً على عرقٍ مُفض إلى حُرق

وقتاً على عرقٍ مُفض إلى حُرق

Thus you see everyone endowed with discernment,

So you see everyone who was shrewd

At times in a sweat that leads to burning anguish.

For a time on sweat leading to burning