في مهمه قطع السُّرى أنياطها

في مهمه قطع السُّرى أنياطها

قطعاً وزادهم العِيان مضلالا

قطعاً وزادهم العِيان مضلالا

In a trackless wilderness, night travel severed its heartstrings

In the task of cutting the bonds of fate

Asunder, and direct vision led them further astray.

Cutting them while sight led them astray

فإذا ظفرت به فلست بظافرٍ

فإذا ظفرت به فلست بظافرٍ

وتقول فيما تدعيه محالا

وتقول فيما تدعيه محالا

So if you attain Him, you have not attained,

If I triumph over it, I am no conqueror

And in what you claim, you utter an impossibility.

And you say about what you claim is impossible

من يدَّعي علمَ الصفاتِ فإنه

من يدَّعي علمَ الصفاتِ فإنه

لا يعرفُ الإدبار والإقبالا

لا يعرفُ الإدبار والإقبالا

Whoever claims knowledge of the attributes, indeed,

He who claims knowledge of the divine attributes

Knows neither turning away nor turning toward.

Does not know recession and advance

من يدَّعي التصريف في أحكامه

من يدَّعي التصريف في أحكامه

قد ظنَّ ظَناً أنَّ فيه مُحالا

قد ظنَّ ظَناً أنَّ فيه مُحالا

Whoever claims control over His decrees

He who claims authority over its rulings

Has conjectured that there is something impossible in Him.

Has surely thought a thought that's impossible

هيهاتِ كيفَ ومن يكيف ذاته

هيهاتِ كيفَ ومن يكيف ذاته

فهو الذي يغتالُ اين اغتالا

فهو الذي يغتالُ اين اغتالا

Far beyond 'how'! And who can ascribe a 'how' to His essence?

Alas! How and who can define His essence?

For He is the One who slays 'where' utterly.

He who in ambush lay, where did He lie in wait?

لما رأيتُ وجودَه من خلقه

لما رأيتُ وجودَه من خلقه

نوراً وأنصبه الكيانُ ظِلالا

نوراً وأنصبه الكيانُ ظِلالا

When, through His creation, I saw His existence

When I saw that His existence flowed from His creation

As light, while the realm of being set it forth as shadows,

As light, and existence cast shadows

أيقنت أن الأمر فيه تحيُّر

أيقنت أن الأمر فيه تحيُّر

عند اللبيبِ يهيج البَلبَالا

عند اللبيبِ يهيج البَلبَالا

I became certain that the matter concerning Him is bewilderment,

I was sure that the matter bewildered

Stirring turmoil in the discerning mind.

The keen mind, stirring up turbulence

ويقول أهل الكشف فيه بأنه

ويقول أهل الكشف فيه بأنه

تفصيله لا يقبلُ الإجمالا

تفصيله لا يقبلُ الإجمالا

And the people of unveiling say of Him that

The gnostics say about it that

His particulars admit no summation.

Its details brook no summary

ولذاك أنزلهم وهم في ملكه

ولذاك أنزلهم وهم في ملكه

دون الملوك أئمة أقيالا

دون الملوك أئمة أقيالا

And thus He stationed them, while in His dominion,

And so He has sent them, while they rule in His kingdom

Below kings, as imams and chieftains.

Below the Kings, leaders of the unruly

يدعون في لحن الشريعةِ والهدى

يدعون في لحن الشريعةِ والهدى

بالوارثين الكل الرسالا

بالوارثين الكل الرسالا

They are called, in the idiom of sacred law and guidance,

Calling in the melody of the Law and guidance

The inheritors of all the messengers.

With heirs and envoys altogether

فهمُ بأرجاءِ الوجودِ مذانب

فهمُ بأرجاءِ الوجودِ مذانب

وجعافر قد أرسلوا إرسالا

وجعافر قد أرسلوا إرسالا

Thus they are watercourses throughout the reaches of existence,

They are, in the regions of existence, disputants

And rivers that have been sent forth.

And victors, who have unleashed conquest

ولو أنهم في كلِّ علمٍ جامعٍ

ولو أنهم في كلِّ علمٍ جامعٍ

قد جرروا عجباً به أذيالا

قد جرروا عجباً به أذيالا

And even if, in every comprehensive science, they

Had they comprehended every science

Have dragged their hems in pride over it,

Trailing wonders, astounding wonders

الله كرَّمهم بعلمِ وجودِه

الله كرَّمهم بعلمِ وجودِه

وسقاهمُ كاسَ العلومِ زُلالا

وسقاهمُ كاسَ العلومِ زُلالا

God has honored them with knowledge of His existence,

God honored them with knowledge of His existence

And given them the cup of knowledge to drink, clear and sweet.

And gave them to drink from the cup of sciences pure