علميmy knowledge بربيof my Lord عزيزrare ليسdoes not يعرفهhe knows it
علمي بربي عزيز ليس يعرفه
إلاexcept الذيthe one who ذاقهhe tasted it منamong خلقهHis creatures أحدanyone
إلا الذي ذاقه من خلقه أحد
My knowledge of my Lord is rare; no one knows it
among His creatures except one who has tasted it.
وهمand they رجالٌmen ذووpossessors of علمٍknowledge ومعرفةٍand gnosis
وهم رجالٌ ذوو علمٍ ومعرفةٍ
لأنهمbecause they وجدواthey found عينَthe very same as الذيwhat أجدI find
لأنهم وجدوا عينَ الذي أجد
And they are men of knowledge and gnosis,
for they have found the very thing I find.
مضىit departed بكلِّwith all الذيthat which فيin النفسthe soul منof جلدfortitude
مضى بكلِّ الذي في النفس من جلد
لمnot يبقَremained ليfor me سَبَدhair منهof it ولاnor لَبَدُwool
لم يبقَ لي سَبَد منه ولا لَبَدُ
It carried away all the soul’s fortitude;
not a hair or tuft of wool remained of it for me.
وليسand is not علميmy knowledge بشيءof anything غابwas hidden عنfrom بصريmy sight
وليس علمي بشيء غاب عن بصري
لأننيbecause I عينهHis very self والأمرُand the matter متَّحدُunified
لأنني عينه والأمرُ متَّحدُ
Nor does my knowledge concern anything hidden from my sight,
for I am His very self, and the matter is one.
فلستُso I am not أجهلنيI am ignorant of myself ولاnor أكفيهI suffice Him
فلستُ أجهلني ولا أكفيه
لوeven if أننيthat I عشتُI lived ماas long as قدindeed عاشهhe lived it لُبَدُLubad
لو أنني عشتُ ما قد عاشه لُبَدُ
Thus I am not ignorant of myself, nor can I suffice Him,
even if I lived as long as Lubad lived.
ماnot زالceased يطلبنيhe seeks me منthe one whom كنتُI was أطلبهI seek Him
ما زال يطلبني من كنتُ أطلبه
وليسand is not يثبتestablished منfrom قوليmy words هناhere عددmultiplicity
وليس يثبت من قولي هنا عدد
He whom I sought has never ceased seeking me,
and my words here establish no multiplicity.
لانهاbecause they are نسبrelations والعينand the essence واحدةone
لانها نسب والعين واحدة
ماwhat بينناis between us وبهذاand in this العلمknowledge انفردI stand alone
ما بيننا وبهذا العلم انفرد
For they are relations—the essence is one—
between us; and in this knowledge I stand alone.
إنيindeed I رويتُI transmitted علوماُsciences عنfrom مهيمنهاtheir Guardian
إني رويتُ علوماُ عن مهيمنها
وماand not لناfor us غيرُother than أسماءnames لهاfor them سَنَدa chain of transmission
وما لنا غيرُ أسماء لها سَنَد
Indeed, I have transmitted sciences from their Guardian,
and we have only names with a chain of transmission.
همthey الشيوخَthe shaykhs لناfor us إنif كنتyou are تعرفyou know ماwhat
هم الشيوخَ لنا إن كنت تعرف ما
ذكرتهI mentioned it وهمand they الساداتthe masters والعددand the sources of aid
ذكرته وهم السادات والعدد
They are our shaykhs, if you know what
I have mentioned—and they are the masters and the sources of aid.
بهمthrough them يدافعهمHe repels them وليسand there is not غيرهمُanyone besides them
بهم يدافعهم وليس غيرهمُ
هناكthere فاعلمso know بأنَّthat الساكنthe dweller البلدthe land
هناك فاعلم بأنَّ الساكن البلد
Through them He repels them; there are none besides them
there; so know that the dweller is the land.
لولاwere it not for تحكمهمtheir rule لمnot ندرwe would know أنهمُthat they
لولا تحكمهم لم ندر أنهمُ
همُthey themselves وعينand the very essence of حجابthe veil of الناظرthe beholder الجسدthe body
همُ وعين حجاب الناظر الجسد
Were it not for their rule, we would not know that they
are themselves; and the body is the beholder’s very veil.
لذاكfor that reason يحسدناhe envies us منwhoever ليسdoes not يعرفناhe knows us
لذاك يحسدنا من ليس يعرفنا
وليسand there is not ثَمthere عينٌan entity ولاnor حسدenvy
وليس ثَم عينٌ ولا حسد
For that reason, whoever does not know us envies us,
yet there is no entity there, nor any envy.