استغفر الله من علمٍ أفوه به

استغفر الله من علمٍ أفوه به

فإنَّ قائله منهم على خطر

فإنَّ قائله منهم على خطر

I seek God's forgiveness for knowledge I utter,

I seek forgiveness from Allah for knowledge I have uttered

for whoever among them speaks it is in danger.

For its speaker is in grave danger

وهو الصحيح الذي لاشك يدخلني

وهو الصحيح الذي لاشك يدخلني

فيه ولكنني منه على حذر

فيه ولكنني منه على حذر

It is true knowledge, which undoubtedly places me

It is the true knowledge, of which there is no doubt

in that danger; yet I remain wary of it.

That it puts me in peril, though I am wary of it

وقد أتيت به لحكمةٍ حكمت

وقد أتيت به لحكمةٍ حكمت

عليّ فيه على ما جاء في القدر

عليّ فيه على ما جاء في القدر

I have brought it forth for a wise purpose that ruled

And I have uttered it for a wisdom that deemed

over me concerning it, according to what came in destiny.

It was my fate, as was predetermined

من العلوم التي قد عزَّ طالبها

من العلوم التي قد عزَّ طالبها

ولم ينلها لما في الأمر عن غَرَرِ

ولم ينلها لما في الأمر عن غَرَرِ

Among the sciences whose seeker has become rare,

Of knowledges that were hard for the seeker

and has not attained them because of the peril in the matter.

And unattainable, for the matter was beyond comprehension

لولا وارثتُنا خير الأنام لما

لولا وارثتُنا خير الأنام لما

حصلتها السيد المختار من مُفَر

حصلتها السيد المختار من مُفَر

Were it not for our inheritance [reading uncertain] from the best of humankind, I would not

Were it not for the inheritance of the best of mankind

have gained them through the chosen master from Mufar [unclear reading].

It would not have been attained by the Chosen Master of Glory

وهو العليم بها من ضربةٍ حصلتْ

وهو العليم بها من ضربةٍ حصلتْ

له من الله ذي الآلاء في السمر

له من الله ذي الآلاء في السمر

And he knows them through a blow that came

He who knew it through a stroke granted him

to him from God, the possessor of blessings, during nighttime converse.

By Allah, the Munificent, during wakefulness

فاسمع فديتك إني قد عزمت على

فاسمع فديتك إني قد عزمت على

إبراز ما كان في الأصدافِ من درر

إبراز ما كان في الأصدافِ من درر

So listen—may I be your ransom! I have resolved to

So listen, my sacrifice, I have resolved

bring forth the pearls that lay within the shells.

To reveal what was of gems in the shells

إنْ قيل ما سبب التكبير والغير

إنْ قيل ما سبب التكبير والغير

فقلْ ذاك مجلى الحقِّ في الصور

فقلْ ذاك مجلى الحقِّ في الصور

If asked, 'What causes magnification and otherness?'

If it is said what is the reason for magnifying and others

then say, 'That is the Real's manifestation in forms.'

Say that is the manifestation of Truth in forms

فما ترى العينُ إلاَّ واحداً أبداً

فما ترى العينُ إلاَّ واحداً أبداً

والكِبرُ جاء من الإحكام في النظرِ

والكِبرُ جاء من الإحكام في النظرِ

For the eye never sees anything but one.

For the eye sees only One, eternally

And pride arose from precision in observation.

And magnification came from focusing intently

إن الوجودَ على الإبهامِ نشأتُه

إن الوجودَ على الإبهامِ نشأتُه

مثل الشهادةِ حال الذرِّ في الفطرِ

مثل الشهادةِ حال الذرِّ في الفطرِ

Indeed, existence has its origin in indeterminacy,

Existence in its ambiguity originated

like the testimony in the state of tiny particles, within innate dispositions.

As witnessing in the state of particles during creation

والحكمُ مني بهذا القولِ صورته

والحكمُ مني بهذا القولِ صورته

ما قلته وكذا المشهودُ بالبصر

ما قلته وكذا المشهودُ بالبصر

And my judgment in this utterance takes the form

And my judgment with this saying, its form

of what I have said; so does what is witnessed by sight.

Is what I have said, and similarly what is witnessed visually

الغيبُ لله لا الأبصارُ تدركه

الغيبُ لله لا الأبصارُ تدركه

وما ترى العينُ يكنى عنه بالبشرِ

وما ترى العينُ يكنى عنه بالبشرِ

The unseen belongs to God; eyes do not apprehend it.

The unseen belongs to Allah, eyes cannot perceive it

And what the eye sees is referred to as 'humankind,'

What the eye beholds is referred to metaphorically as mankind

من كلِّ نجمٍ وأفلاكٍ يدور بها

من كلِّ نجمٍ وأفلاكٍ يدور بها

وما يولده من هذه الأكرْ

وما يولده من هذه الأكرْ

from every star and the spheres in which it revolves,

Of every star and orbit it revolves with

and what it engenders from these spheres.

And what it generates from these planets

إن لم تحققه برهاناً ومعرفةً

إن لم تحققه برهاناً ومعرفةً

كما هو الأمر فاقنع فيه بالخبر

كما هو الأمر فاقنع فيه بالخبر

If you have not verified it through proof and knowledge,

If you do not ascertain it with proof and gnosis

as the matter is, then be content with a report about it,

As is the case, then be content with the report

من ذائقٍ لم يقل ما قال عن نظر

من ذائقٍ لم يقل ما قال عن نظر

ولا قياسٍ ولا حدسٍ ولا ضَرر

ولا قياسٍ ولا حدسٍ ولا ضَرر

from one who has tasted, who said what he said not through reasoning,

From one who has tasted and did not say what he said

nor analogy, nor intuition, nor harm.

Based on observation, analogy, intuition or harm

إن الوجودَ وجودُ الحقِّ ليس له

إن الوجودَ وجودُ الحقِّ ليس له

فيه شريكٌ كما قد جاء في الأثر

فيه شريكٌ كما قد جاء في الأثر

Indeed, existence is the Real's existence; He has no

Existence, the existence of Truth, has no

partner in it, as has come down in tradition.

Partner therein, as stated in the tradition

وأين مثلُ رسولِ الله سيِّدِنا

وأين مثلُ رسولِ الله سيِّدِنا

فيما يُقال ففكِّر فيه واعتبر

فيما يُقال ففكِّر فيه واعتبر

And where is the like of God's Messenger, our master,

And who can compare to Allah's Messenger our Master

in what is said? Reflect on it and take heed

In what is said, so reflect and take heed

فيما يقولُ لبيدٌ في جهالته

فيما يقولُ لبيدٌ في جهالته

وليس يدري الذي قد قال فادكر

وليس يدري الذي قد قال فادكر

of what Labid says in his ignorance,

In what Labeed says in his ignorance

and he does not know what he has said; so remember.

And does not know what he has said, so remember

فإنَِّ ذا فطنة مثلي مخلقة

فإنَِّ ذا فطنة مثلي مخلقة

ترى الحقائقَ تأتيها على قدر

ترى الحقائقَ تأتيها على قدر

For the discernment of someone like me is well formed:

That one of insight like me, created

it sees realities coming to it in due measure.

Sees realities come to him as destined

ولا تقل إن ذا وهم وسفسطة

ولا تقل إن ذا وهم وسفسطة

القولُ ما قلته فانهض على أثَري

القولُ ما قلته فانهض على أثَري

And do not say, 'This is illusion and sophistry.'

Do not say this is fanciful and sophistry

The word is what I have said; rise and follow in my footsteps.

What I have said, so rise and follow my path

والله لولا شهودُ الحقِّ ما نظرت

والله لولا شهودُ الحقِّ ما نظرت

عيني إلى أحد من عالم الغير

عيني إلى أحد من عالم الغير

By God, were it not for beholding the Real, it would not have looked—

By Allah, were it not for witnessing the Truth I would not

my eye—upon anyone from the world of otherness.

Have looked with my eyes upon any in the world of others

إني يتيمةُ دهري ما لها شبه

إني يتيمةُ دهري ما لها شبه

من الفرائدِ في نجر ولا بحر

من الفرائدِ في نجر ولا بحر

Indeed, I am the solitary pearl of my age; it has no equal

I am an orphan of my age, peerless

among unique pearls, in lineage [sense uncertain] or in the sea.

Among treasures, whether from land or sea