معرفتيmy knowledge بالإلهof God معرفتيmy knowledge
معرفتي بالإله معرفتي
بيof myself فاطلبواso seek, all of you الأمرthe matter فيin حقائقهاits realities
بي فاطلبوا الأمر في حقائقها
My knowledge of God is my knowledge
Of myself; so seek the matter in its realities.
إنindeed رسولthe Messenger of الإلهGod قالsaid لناto us
إن رسول الإله قال لنا
العلمُknowledge بالنفسof the soul علمknowledge of خالقهاits Creator
العلمُ بالنفس علم خالقها
Indeed, God's Messenger said to us:
Knowledge of the soul is knowledge of its Creator.
ماnot عرفواthey knew قدرthe worth of ماwhat أتيتI came بهwith it
ما عرفوا قدر ما أتيت به
منof حكمةthe wisdom of اللهGod فيin طرائقهاits paths
من حكمة الله في طرائقها
They did not know the worth of what I brought
Of God's wisdom along its paths.
لوif علمواthey knew ذاكthat لمdid not يقمarise حرجٌdistress
لو علموا ذاك لم يقم حرجٌ
فin (apparently for في) نفسthe soul of منone who يهتديis guided بطارقهاby its night-visitor
ف نفس من يهتدي بطارقها
Had they known that, no distress would arise
In the soul of one guided by its night-visitor.
قلتُI said لهاto her الرقيبُthe watcher يعجلنيhurries me
قلتُ لها الرقيبُ يعجلني
منwho أنتyou قالتshe said نواةa kernel of فالقهاthe one who splits it
من أنت قالت نواة فالقها
I said to her, as the watcher hurried me:
“Who are you?” She said, “A kernel of Him who splits it.
أولدنيbegot me العلمknowledge بالوجودof existence فماso never
أولدني العلم بالوجود فما
تنفكparts ذاتيmy essence عنfrom ذاتِthe essence of فاتقهاthe one who splits it open
تنفك ذاتي عن ذاتِ فاتقها
Knowledge of existence begot me, so never
Does my essence part from the essence of Him who splits it open.”
الرتقbeing joined أصلan original state لهاfor her بهthrough Him فلذاand therefore
الرتق أصل لها به فلذا
لمhas not يأتِcome لفظٌa word لناto us براتقهاof her joiner
لم يأتِ لفظٌ لنا براتقها
Being joined is her original state through Him; hence
No word has reached us naming her joiner,
مثلlike الذيthat which قدalready أتاكcame to you فيconcerning رحمٍthe womb
مثل الذي قد أتاك في رحمٍ
فإنهاfor it is شجنةan intertwined branch لرازقهاof its Provider
فإنها شجنة لرازقها
Like what has already come to you concerning the womb,
For it is an intertwined branch of its Provider.
فبينهاso between her فيin وجودناour existence نسبٌa kinship
فبينها في وجودنا نسبٌ
وبينهand between Him ثابتٌestablished لعاشقهاfor her lover
وبينه ثابتٌ لعاشقها
Thus, in our existence, there is a kinship between her
And Him, established for her lover.
لطيفthe subtle part of هذاthis البخارvapor صيرهاturned her into
لطيف هذا البخار صيرها
نافجةa musk-pod عرفتmade known لناشقهاto whoever inhales her scent
نافجة عرفت لناشقها
The subtle part of this vapor made her
A musk-pod that made known to whoever inhales her scent
ماwhat بينbetween هادa guide لهاfor her يبينmakes clear لهاto her
ما بين هاد لها يبين لها
طريقهاher path نحوهtoward Him وسائقهاand her driver
طريقها نحوه وسائقها
What lies between a guide for her, who shows her
Her path toward Him, and her driver.
تتيهshe struts عجباًin self-admiration وتنثنيand sways طرباًwith rapture
تتيه عجباً وتنثني طرباً
وذلكand that التيهpride منamong عوائقهاher hindrances
وذلك التيه من عوائقها
She struts in self-admiration and sways with rapture;
And that pride is among her hindrances.
تشرقُshines شمسُthe sun of النهارday إنif طلعتit rises
تشرقُ شمسُ النهار إن طلعت
واحدةone العينِin essence منfrom مفارقهاthe partings of her hair
واحدة العينِ من مفارقها
The sun of day shines if it rises,
One in essence, from the partings of her hair.
لابدَّthere is no escape للاشتراكِfor commonality منfrom حكمwise purposes
لابدَّ للاشتراكِ من حكم
تاتيthey come إليهاto her لهfor its sake بفارقهاwith what distinguishes her
تاتي إليها له بفارقها
Commonality must have its wise purposes,
Which bring her, for its sake, what distinguishes her.