وكم مِن مُصَلٍّ ما له من صلاته

وكم مِن مُصَلٍّ ما له من صلاته

سوى رؤيةِ المحرابِ والكدِّ والعنا

سوى رؤيةِ المحرابِ والكدِّ والعنا

How many a worshipper has nothing from his prayer

And how many a worshipper gains nothing from his prayer

but the sight of the mihrab, toil, and weariness;

except the sight of the prayer niche, toil, and hardship.

وآخر يحظى بالمناجاةِ دائماً

وآخر يحظى بالمناجاةِ دائماً

وإن كان قد صلَّى الفريضةَ وابتدا

وإن كان قد صلَّى الفريضةَ وابتدا

while another is graced with intimate converse always,

And another is always blessed with intimate converse,

though he has performed the prescribed prayer and only made a beginning.

even though he has offered the obligatory prayer and begun.

وكيف وسرُّ الخلق كان إماماً

وكيف وسرُّ الخلق كان إماماً

وإن كان مأموماً فقد بلغ المدى

وإن كان مأموماً فقد بلغ المدى

How could it be otherwise, when the Secret of Creation was our imam?

And how could it be otherwise, when the secret of creation was a prayer leader?

Though himself led in prayer, he had reached the utmost bound.

And even if he was led in prayer, he had reached the utmost limit.

فتحريمُها التكبير إنْ كنتَ كابراً

فتحريمُها التكبير إنْ كنتَ كابراً

وإلا فحل المرء أو حومه سوا

وإلا فحل المرء أو حومه سوا

Its consecration is the takbīr—if you have become great;

So its consecration is proclaiming God's greatness, if you are great;

otherwise, one’s unconsecrated state and one’s hovering about it are alike.

otherwise, a man's alighting or his circling are alike.

وتحليلها التسليم إن كنت دارياً

وتحليلها التسليم إن كنت دارياً

لرجعته العلياءِ في ليلة السُّرى

لرجعته العلياءِ في ليلة السُّرى

Its release is the final salutation, if you understand,

And its release is the salutation of peace, if you are aware

because of his exalted return on the Night of the Journey.

of his exalted return on the night of the night journey.

وما بين هذين المقامين غايةٌ

وما بين هذين المقامين غايةٌ

وأسرارُ غيبٍ ما تحسُّ وما ترى

وأسرارُ غيبٍ ما تحسُّ وما ترى

What lies between these two stations is an ultimate goal,

And what lies between these two stations is a culmination,

and mysteries of the unseen that you neither sense nor see.

and mysteries of the unseen that you neither sense nor see.