وجودي عن الأمرِ الإلهي لم يكن

وجودي عن الأمرِ الإلهي لم يكن

عن الذاتِ والتكوين لي فأعقل الشانا

عن الذاتِ والتكوين لي فأعقل الشانا

My existence is from the divine command, not

My existence was not by divine command

from the Essence; bringing into being is mine, so grasp the matter.

Nor was I created by essence and composition, so understand my condition

وهذا الذي قد قلته لم يقل به

وهذا الذي قد قلته لم يقل به

سوانا فحقِّق من يكون إذا كانا

سوانا فحقِّق من يكون إذا كانا

And this that I have said has been affirmed by none

And this which I have said was not said

but us; ascertain who exists when he comes to be.

By anyone else, so investigate who I would be if I existed

توحدتُ سرّاً وهو أمر يخصُّني

توحدتُ سرّاً وهو أمر يخصُّني

وإني كثيرٌ بالتأمّل إعلانا

وإني كثيرٌ بالتأمّل إعلانا

I became one in secret—a matter peculiar to me;

I became one secretly, and it is a matter that concerns me

and through contemplation I am openly many.

And I contemplate a lot openly

فمن يرني مني يرى العين واحداً

فمن يرني مني يرى العين واحداً

ومن يرني منه يرى العين أعياناً

ومن يرني منه يرى العين أعياناً

Whoever sees me from myself sees the essence as one;

So whoever sees me, sees the One Eye

whoever sees me from Him sees the essence as many entities.

And whoever sees me from Him sees the Eye of eyes

وذلك من صَدعٍ يكون بعينه

وذلك من صَدعٍ يكون بعينه

يقيم به وزني فيخسر ميزانا

يقيم به وزني فيخسر ميزانا

And that comes from a cleft in his eye,

And that is from a crack that occurs in his eye

by which he establishes my weight, and so makes a balance fall short.

Through which he stabilizes my weight, so he loses the scale

وإن لنا في كلِّ حالٍ ومشهدٍ

وإن لنا في كلِّ حالٍ ومشهدٍ

دليلاً على علمي بنفسي وبرهانا

دليلاً على علمي بنفسي وبرهانا

And indeed, in every state and vision we have

In every state and scene we have

a sign of my knowledge of myself, and a proof.

Evidence of my knowledge of myself and proof

وعلمي بنفسي عين علمي بربِّها

وعلمي بنفسي عين علمي بربِّها

يحققه كشفاً جلياً وإيمانا

يحققه كشفاً جلياً وإيمانا

And my knowledge of myself is my very knowledge of its Lord,

And my knowledge of myself is the eye of my knowledge of its Lord

confirmed through clear unveiling and faith.

It realizes it clearly and faithfully

ألستَ تراني في مجالسِ علمنا

ألستَ تراني في مجالسِ علمنا

أفتِّقُ أسماعاً أبصِّر عميانا

أفتِّقُ أسماعاً أبصِّر عميانا

Do you not see me in the gatherings of our knowledge,

Do you not see me in the circles of our knowledge?

opening ears and giving sight to the blind?

I sharpen the ears, give sight to the blind

وأهدي إلى النهجِ القويمِ بوحيه

وأهدي إلى النهجِ القويمِ بوحيه

قليبَ عبيدٍ لم يزل فيه حيرانا

قليبَ عبيدٍ لم يزل فيه حيرانا

And guiding, through His revelation, to the upright path

And I guide to the straight path with His inspiration

the little heart of a humble servant, ever bewildered therein?

A heart of servants that did not cease to be confused in it

إذا نحن نادينا نفوساً به أتت

إذا نحن نادينا نفوساً به أتت

من الملأ العلويّ رجلاً وفُرسانا

من الملأ العلويّ رجلاً وفُرسانا

When we call souls through it, they come

When we call souls through Him, they came

from the heavenly assembly, as footmen and horsemen.

From the exalted assembly, men and horsemen

يلبي منادي الحقِّ من كلِّ جانبٍ

يلبي منادي الحقِّ من كلِّ جانبٍ

فيكتبن أنصاراً ويثبتن أعوانا

فيكتبن أنصاراً ويثبتن أعوانا

Each answers the caller of the Real from every side,

Who respond to the caller of Truth from every side

and they are recorded as supporters and confirmed as helpers.

And enroll supporters and establish helpers

لقد علل الصدِّيقُ إخفاءَ صَوتِه

لقد علل الصدِّيقُ إخفاءَ صَوتِه

بما كان يتلوه من الليلِ قرآنا

بما كان يتلوه من الليلِ قرآنا

Indeed, al-Ṣiddīq explained his keeping his voice low

Al-Siddiq justified concealing his voice

in the Qur’an he would recite by night,

With what he recited of the Qur'an at night

بأسماعِ من ناجاه منفرداً به

بأسماعِ من ناجاه منفرداً به

ليظهر ما سماه جبريلُ إحسانا

ليظهر ما سماه جبريلُ إحسانا

by the hearing of the One he communed with, alone with Him,

To the hearing of those he secluded with it

to manifest what Gabriel called excellence.

To show what Gabriel called benevolence

وعلله الفاروقُ إذ كان معلنا

وعلله الفاروقُ إذ كان معلنا

ليطردَ شيطاناً ويوقظَ وَسنانا

ليطردَ شيطاناً ويوقظَ وَسنانا

And al-Fārūq explained why he recited aloud:

And Al-Farooq justified proclaiming it

to drive away a devil and awaken a drowsy one.

To repel satan and awaken the sleepy

وكلُّ رأي خيراً ولم يك خارجاً

وكلُّ رأي خيراً ولم يك خارجاً

عن الحكمِ بالميزانِ نقصاً ورُجحانا

عن الحكمِ بالميزانِ نقصاً ورُجحانا

And each saw good, and neither departed

And every opinion was good and not outside

from judgment by the balance, in deficiency or excess.

The judgment of the scale, deficiency and preponderance

فجاء إمامُ الخيرِ بالحكمِ فيهما

فجاء إمامُ الخيرِ بالحكمِ فيهما

وقد صاغه الرحمنُ رُوحاً ورَيحانا

وقد صاغه الرحمنُ رُوحاً ورَيحانا

Then the leader of goodness brought judgment between them,

So the Imam of Good came with the judgment regarding both

the All-Merciful having fashioned him as spirit and sweet basil.

And the Most Merciful formed him spirit and aroma

فقالَ له ارفع ثم للآخر اتضع

فقالَ له ارفع ثم للآخر اتضع

يظهر حكمُ العدلِ عَيناً وسُلطانا

يظهر حكمُ العدلِ عَيناً وسُلطانا

He said to one, 'Raise your voice,' then to the other, 'Lower yours,'

So he said to him: Rise, and to the other: Be humble

so that justice's judgment becomes manifest as reality and authority.

The judgment of justice appears evidently and authoritatively

فكم بين من فيه ومنه ومن أتى

فكم بين من فيه ومنه ومن أتى

بهذا وذا إذ كان بالكلِّ رَحمانا

بهذا وذا إذ كان بالكلِّ رَحمانا

So how vast the difference between one in Him, one from Him, and one who came

So what is between the one in whom, from whom, and who came

with this and that, for he was merciful to all!

With this and that when He was the Most Merciful with all

ألم ترني أدعى على كل حالة

ألم ترني أدعى على كل حالة

أكون عليها بالتقلبِ إنسانا

أكون عليها بالتقلبِ إنسانا

Have you not seen me called, in every state

Do you not see me claim in every state

I take on through transformation, a human being?

To conform to it with transformation, a human?

وسوّاه شخصاً قابلاً كلَّ صورةٍ

وسوّاه شخصاً قابلاً كلَّ صورةٍ

فعدَّلَ أجزاءَ ورتَّبَ أركانا

فعدَّلَ أجزاءَ ورتَّبَ أركانا

And He fashioned him as a person receptive to every form;

And He equalized him a receptive being for every form

so He balanced the parts and ordered the constituent elements.

He balanced the parts and arranged the pillars

وأظهره جسماً سوياً معدَّلاً

وأظهره جسماً سوياً معدَّلاً

بتربيع أخلاطِ وسماه جثمانا

بتربيع أخلاطِ وسماه جثمانا

And He manifested him as a well-formed, balanced body,

And manifested him an equilibrated corporeal body

through the fourfold ordering of humors, and called him a bodily frame.

With the quadrature of temperaments and named it a body

وأودع فيه النفخ روحاً مقدَّساً

وأودع فيه النفخ روحاً مقدَّساً

ليعصم أرواحاً ويقصمَ شيطانا

ليعصم أرواحاً ويقصمَ شيطانا

And He deposited in him the breath, a sanctified spirit,

And deposited in it the breathing of a sacred soul

to protect spirits and crush a devil.

To protect spirits and defeat satan