شهدتُ الذي قد مهد الأرض لي فرشاً

شهدتُ الذي قد مهد الأرض لي فرشاً

شهودَ إمامٍ حاكم حكم العرشا

شهودَ إمامٍ حاكم حكم العرشا

I beheld the One who spread the earth as a bed for me,

I witnessed the One who spread the earth out as a carpet

with the witnessing of an imam, a ruler who ruled the Throne.

The witness of an Imam whose rule judged the Throne

شغفتُ به حباً فأسهر مقلتي

شغفتُ به حباً فأسهر مقلتي

ومن أجل وجدي رحمة سكن الفرشا

ومن أجل وجدي رحمة سكن الفرشا

I was smitten with love for Him, so He kept my eye awake.

I was passionately in love with Him so my eyelids kept vigil

And for my longing’s sake, in mercy, He dwelt upon the bed.

And for the sake of my fervor, mercy dwelt in the carpet

شهودي له بالباء ليس بغيرها

شهودي له بالباء ليس بغيرها

لأجل الذي قدّ سنّ أن نغرم الأرشا

لأجل الذي قدّ سنّ أن نغرم الأرشا

My witnessing of Him is through the letter bā’, not through anything else.

My witness of Him is with devotion, not otherwise

For the sake of the one who cut, He ordained that we pay compensation for injury.

For the sake of the One who sanctified that we hold the carpet dear

شيوخ من الأقوام فيه لقيتهم

شيوخ من الأقوام فيه لقيتهم

فكانوا لنا سقفاً وكنتُ لهم فرشا

فكانوا لنا سقفاً وكنتُ لهم فرشا

Elders from among the peoples—I met them in Him.

Elders among the people I met in Him

So they were a roof for us, and I was a bed for them.

So they were like a roof for us and I was their carpet

شِدادٌ أولو أعزمٍ رعاةٌ أيمة

شِدادٌ أولو أعزمٍ رعاةٌ أيمة

تجلى لهم فينا وفي الحية الرقشا

تجلى لهم فينا وفي الحية الرقشا

Strong, possessed of resolve, shepherds and imams;

Firm-willed leaders, reverent shepherds

He manifested Himself to them in us and in the speckled serpent.

He was revealed to them in us and in the soft carpet

شعارهم التوحيدُ يبغون قربه

شعارهم التوحيدُ يبغون قربه

به وهو الشرك الذي أثبت الأعشى

به وهو الشرك الذي أثبت الأعشى

Their watchword is divine oneness; they seek nearness to Him

Their motto is oneness, they seek His nearness

through Him—and it is the polytheism that al-A‘shā affirmed.

With it, while polytheism is what the blind poet claimed

شبيه بهم من كان طولَ حياته

شبيه بهم من كان طولَ حياته

وفي البرزخ المعلوم في الليل إذ يغشى

وفي البرزخ المعلوم في الليل إذ يغشى

Like them is one who was, throughout his life,

Similar to them is he whose life was long

and in the known intermediate realm, in the night as it envelops.

And in the intermediate realm, the known one when night falls

شمرت عليهم بعد تعظيم قدرهم

شمرت عليهم بعد تعظيم قدرهم

ولم آمن الهجران منه ولم أخشا

ولم آمن الهجران منه ولم أخشا

I girded myself against them after honoring their worth;

I braced myself against them after revering their status

and I was not safe from abandonment by Him, and I did not fear.

And I did not fear estrangement from Him nor did I dread

شمرت الذي من شربه اللذة التي

شمرت الذي من شربه اللذة التي

لشاربه نصّاً أتانا به يَغشى

لشاربه نصّاً أتانا به يَغشى

I lifted up what, when drunk, brings the pleasure which

I braced myself against the One from whose drink is the sweetness

overwhelms its drinker, as an explicit text concerning it reached us.

That gives its drinker directly a intoxication that covers

شممتُ له ريحاً من المسك عاطراً

شممتُ له ريحاً من المسك عاطراً

يخبرني في هذا المقام الذي يغشى

يخبرني في هذا المقام الذي يغشى

I smelled His fragrant scent of musk.

I sensed from Him a scent of fragrant musk

At this station, the One who envelops tells me.

Informing me in this state which intoxicates