الشكرgratitude للهto God لاnot أبغيI seek بهthrough it عوضاًrecompense
الشكر لله لا أبغي به عوضاً
بلrather شكرناour gratitude امتثالٌobedience للذيto Him who فرضاordained
بل شكرنا امتثالٌ للذي فرضا
Gratitude is for God; I seek no recompense for it.
Gratitude is for God, I do not seek recompense
Rather, our gratitude is obedience to Him who ordained it.
Rather, our gratitude is obedience to His decree
خليHe left ليto me الأمرthe command فيin الأكوانthe worlds أجمعهاall of them
خلي لي الأمر في الأكوان أجمعها
وغادرand left القلبَthe heart مشغوفاًenamored بهof Him ومضىand departed
وغادر القلبَ مشغوفاً به ومضى
He left me charge of all the worlds,
Leave me the command throughout the universes
and left the heart enamored of Him, then departed.
And abandon the heart enraptured by it, it passed away
فماso not رأيتُI saw بريقاًa gleam فيin جوانبهاtheir sides
فما رأيتُ بريقاً في جوانبها
إلاexcept وكانand was هوHe البرقُthe lightning الذيthat ومضاflashed
إلا وكان هو البرقُ الذي ومضا
So I saw no gleam in their reaches
For I did not see a glimmer in its horizons
but He was the lightning that flashed.
Except it was the lightning that flashed
وآضand withdrew عنيfrom me الذيthat which قدalready كانhad been يحجبنيveiling me
وآض عني الذي قد كان يحجبني
لماwhen رأىit saw النورthe light فيin آفاقهنّtheir horizons أضاshone
لما رأى النور في آفاقهنّ أضا
And what had veiled me withdrew from me
The darkness that had obscured me cleared
when it saw the light shine in their horizons.
When it saw the light in its horizons gleam
لماwhen سلكتI trod سبيلَthe path الواصلينthose who arrive إلىat
لما سلكت سبيلَ الواصلين إلى
بحرsea العماءِthe Cloud رأيتُI saw الزاخراتِthe surging seas أضاpools
بحر العماءِ رأيتُ الزاخراتِ أضا
When I trod the path of those who arrive at
When I took the path of the united ones to
the sea of the Cloud, I saw the surging seas as pools.
The sea of deep knowledge, I saw the seas teem
فقلتso I asked هلwhether ثمّthere بحرٌa sea لاnot يكونis لهfor it
فقلت هل ثمّ بحرٌ لا يكون له
سيفٌa shore فقالواso they said نعمyes هذاthis الذيwhich اعترضاlay across
سيفٌ فقالوا نعم هذا الذي اعترضا
So I asked whether there is a sea with no
So I said, “Is there a sea that does not
shore; they said yes—this one, which lies
Have a sword?” They said, “Yes, it is the one we crossed
ماwhat lies بينناbetween us وهوand it منfrom وجهan aspect يخيطstitches بناwith us
ما بيننا وهو من وجه يخيط بنا
وماand not لهfor it غايةa limit ولاnor عليهabove it فضاopen space
وما له غاية ولا عليه فضا
between us and, in one respect, stitches us together.
What is between us and it sews us
It has no limit, nor any space above it.
With no end to it or space above
ونحنand we فيهin it كغرقيlike the drowned يسبحونthey swim بهin it
ونحن فيه كغرقي يسبحون به
ولاnor يقاسونthey suffer همّاًsorrow لاno وand لاnot مضَضَاanguish
ولا يقاسون همّاً لا و لا مضَضَا
And we are in it like the drowned, swimming in it,
And we in it are like drowning men swimming
nor do they suffer sorrow—no, nor any anguish.
Feeling no worry or distress at all
بحرُthe sea الثبوتِfixity الذيwhich أبدىHe revealed جزائرهits islands
بحرُ الثبوتِ الذي أبدى جزائره
فيهin it ومنهand from it بماaccording to what قدalready شاءهHe willed it وقضىand decreed
فيه ومنه بما قد شاءه وقضى
The sea of fixity, whose islands He revealed
The sea of constancy that showed its islands
within it and from it, as He willed and decreed.
In it and from it as He willed and ordained
والناسُand people سَفَرٌtravelers ولكنbut منfrom جزائرهits islands
والناسُ سَفَرٌ ولكن من جزائره
إلىto جزائرهits islands فيin شقوةٍwretchedness ورضىand contentment
إلى جزائره في شقوةٍ ورضى
And people are travelers, but from its islands
And people are journeying, but from its islands
to its islands, in wretchedness and contentment.
To its islands in misery and joy contained
الاسمthe Name يوجدناbrings us into being والذاتُand the Essence تعدمناannihilates us
الاسم يوجدنا والذاتُ تعدمنا
فماso not ترىyou see صحةَhealth إلاexcept ترىyou see مرضاsickness
فما ترى صحةَ إلا ترى مرضا
The Name brings us into being; the Essence annihilates us.
The name makes us exist and the essence makes us cease
So you see no health without seeing sickness.
So you see no health except you see disease
إساتناour remedy لمnot تكنwas إلاexcept إساءتناour wrongdoing
إساتنا لم تكن إلا إساءتنا
وهيand it الغذاءthe nourishment لمنfor whoever قدalready صحَّwas healthy أوor مرِضاwas sick
وهي الغذاء لمن قد صحَّ أو مرِضا
Our remedy was nothing but our wrongdoing,
Our disobedience was only our misdeeds
and it is nourishment for whoever is healthy or sick.
And it is nourishment for whoever rose or fell ill
بهاthrough it بداappeared عفوهHis pardon عناof us ورحمتهand His mercy
بها بدا عفوه عنا ورحمته
ومنand whoever يقومُabides بهin him إحسانهHis beneficence نهضاrose
ومن يقومُ به إحسانه نهضا
Through it His pardon of us and His mercy appeared.
Through it His pardon and mercy appeared
And one in whom His beneficence abides rises
And whoever performs His benevolence arose
إلىto الوجودِexistence الذيwhich ماnot عندهwith it عدمٌnonexistence
إلى الوجودِ الذي ما عنده عدمٌ
وهوand he الذيthe one who حصَّلattained المأمولَwhat was hoped for والغرضاand the goal
وهو الذي حصَّل المأمولَ والغرضا
to existence, in which there is no nonexistence,
To the existence that has no cessation
and he is the one who attained what was hoped for and the goal.
It is He who accomplished the hoped and the purpose