نهاني ودادي أن أبث سرائري

نهاني ودادي أن أبث سرائري

إلى أحدٍ غيري فمت بكتماني

إلى أحدٍ غيري فمت بكتماني

My love forbade me to divulge my innermost secrets

My love forbade me from revealing my innermost thoughts

to anyone but myself; so I died of keeping them hidden.

To anyone but myself, so I remained silent

نبابي زمان عز عندي وجودُه

نبابي زمان عز عندي وجودُه

وقد كان مشهودي لمشهد إحساني

وقد كان مشهودي لمشهد إحساني

A time whose existence was precious to me dealt harshly with me,

My springtime of life was precious when he was present

though it had been what I beheld in the vision of my spiritual excellence.

And he had witnessed my acts of kindness

نزلتُ إلى الأمرِ الدني وكان لي

نزلتُ إلى الأمرِ الدني وكان لي

علوُّ الذي أعلى الإله به شاني

علوُّ الذي أعلى الإله به شاني

I descended to the lowly condition, though I had possessed

I descended into worldly matters though

the loftiness of that by which God raised my standing.

God had elevated me by grace sublime

نروم أموراً من زمانٍ محكم

نروم أموراً من زمانٍ محكم

بتضعيف آرائي وتحليلِ أركاني

بتضعيف آرائي وتحليلِ أركاني

We seek things from a time firmly in command,

We intend well-considered things that stand the test of time

by weakening my views and dissolving my pillars.

By weakening my own views and analyzing my pillars

نرى فيه ربي عين دهري وموجدي

نرى فيه ربي عين دهري وموجدي

بتوحيدِ إسلامٍ عميمٍ وأيمانِ

بتوحيدِ إسلامٍ عميمٍ وأيمانِ

In it we see my Lord—my very Time and my Creator—

In it I see my Lord, my life’s provision and creator

through affirming oneness in all-embracing submission and oaths.

Through the totality of inclusive faith and conviction

نموت ونحيى حكم دهري بنشأتي

نموت ونحيى حكم دهري بنشأتي

ولم آت فيما قلت فيه ببهتانِ

ولم آت فيما قلت فيه ببهتانِ

We die and live: my Time's decree concerning my coming into being;

I die and live by His eternal decree in my renewal

and I spoke no falsehood in what I said about Him.

And I have not uttered here a single false contention

نسميه بالدهرِ العظيمِ لأنه

نسميه بالدهرِ العظيمِ لأنه

به قد تسمى لي بأوضح تبيان

به قد تسمى لي بأوضح تبيان

We call Him great Time, because

I name it the Great Time for it is

He has indeed named Himself thus to me, with the clearest explanation.

By which I am clearly named in the finest elucidation

نمتُّ إليه بالودادِ فعله

نمتُّ إليه بالودادِ فعله

يجود على أهلِ الوجودِ بطوفان

يجود على أهلِ الوجودِ بطوفان

We are bound to Him by love; perhaps He

I yearn for it with love and its actions

will lavish a flood upon the people of existence.

Bestow abundance on the existent with a flood

نعيشُ به لما تألم باطني

نعيشُ به لما تألم باطني

بما أشعلَ التبريح من نار تركاني

بما أشعلَ التبريح من نار تركاني

We live through Him. When my inward self suffered

I live by it when my essence is pained

from the fire of my abandonment that anguish kindled,

By what has kindled abandonment’s raging fire in me

نحت نحوه سبحانه من وجودِنا

نحت نحوه سبحانه من وجودِنا

خواطر إيماء بتقويضِ بنيانِ

خواطر إيماء بتقويضِ بنيانِ

there turned toward Him—glory be to Him—from our being

I incline toward Him praiseworthy from our existence

thoughts of intimation, through the dismantling of an edifice.

Intimations eroding the structure of the building