واحدone العينthe essence الذيthe one whom نعرفهwe know him
واحد العين الذي نعرفه
وكثيرand manifold الحكمjudgment ماwhat نجهلُهwe do not know it
وكثير الحكم ما نجهلُه
One in essence is He whom we know;
The One of clear sight whom we know
and what we do not know is manifold in judgment.
Yet much wisdom remains unknown
عدّدتmultiplied أحكامهhis judgments آثارهhis effects
عدّدت أحكامه آثاره
وهوand it is العلمُthe knowledge الذيwhich يقبلهhe accepts it
وهو العلمُ الذي يقبله
His judgments have multiplied His effects,
His rules enumerated, effects traced
and this is the knowledge He accepts.
Such knowledge as can be accepted
فإذاso when ماemphatic particle قلتI said هذاthis عمليmy work
فإذا ما قلت هذا عملي
قالhe said لاno إنيindeed I أناI أعملهI do it
قال لا إني أنا أعمله
So whenever I say, 'This is my work,'
When I say this is my doing
He says, 'No, it is I who do it.'
He says no, it is I who do it
قلتI said أهلاًwelcome! فلماذاso why قلتَyou said ليto me
قلت أهلاً فلماذا قلتَ لي
أنتyou رهنheld in pledge بالذيfor what تفعلهyou do it
أنت رهن بالذي تفعله
I say, 'Very well!' Then why did You tell me,
I greet him, why say that to me?
'You are held in pledge for what you do'?
You are bound by what you have done
ثمthen تنفيyou deny الفعلthe action عنيfrom me وأناwhile I
ثم تنفي الفعل عني وأنا
فيin جهادٍstriving فيin الذيwhat أبذلهI expend it
في جهادٍ في الذي أبذله
Then You deny action to me, while I
Then you deny me the act while I
am striving in what I expend.
Struggle in what I expend
ولقدand indeed أعلمI know قطعاًcertainly أنكمthat you (plural)
ولقد أعلم قطعاً أنكم
أنتyou (singular) علاَّمٌall-knowing بماof what أجهلهI do not know it
أنت علاَّمٌ بما أجهله
And I know for certain that You—
And I know for certain that you
You know fully what I do not know.
Are the Expert in what I don't know
الذيwhat أجملهI sum it up تجملهyou sum it up
الذي أجمله تجمله
والذيand what تجملُyou sum up ماnot أجملهI sum it up
والذي تجملُ ما أجمله
What I sum up, You sum up;
That which I make beautiful, you make it beautiful
and what You sum up, I do not sum up.
And what you make beautiful, I make it beautiful
فإذاso if قبحتُI made ugly فعلاًa deed لمdid not أقلI say
فإذا قبحتُ فعلاً لم أقل
أدباًout of courtesy إنكthat you بيthrough me تعملهyou do it
أدباً إنك بي تعمله
So if I do an ugly deed, I do not say—
So if I consider an act ugly, I don't say
out of courtesy—'You do it through me.'
You made me do it out of propriety
وإذاand if أحسنتُI did well فعلاًa deed فأناthen I
وإذا أحسنتُ فعلاً فأنا
بكto you ربيmy Lord أدباًout of courtesy أوصلهI link it
بك ربي أدباً أوصله
And if I do a deed well, then I
And if I do a good act, then I
ascribe it to You, my Lord, out of courtesy.
Through you, my Lord, extend it
وأناand I الفاعلthe doer فيin هذاthis وذاand that
وأنا الفاعل في هذا وذا
ظاهراًoutwardly والكشفand unveiling ماnot يقبلهaccepts it
ظاهراً والكشف ما يقبله
And I am the doer in this and that,
And I am the doer in this and that
outwardly; yet unveiling does not accept it.
Outwardly, though unveiling doesn't allow it
أناI أسعىI strive الدهرthroughout time فيin تحصيلattaining ماwhat
أنا أسعى الدهر في تحصيل ما
عالمthe realm of الأمرcommand أرىI see يهملهneglects it
عالم الأمر أرى يهمله
I strive throughout time to attain what
I spend my life obtaining what
I see the realm of command neglect.
The Knower of Command seems to neglect
وأناand I منof عالمthe realm of الخلقِcreation وقدand already
وأنا من عالم الخلقِ وقد
حزتهI attained it كشفاًthrough unveiling وماand not أمهلهI give it respite
حزته كشفاً وما أمهله
And I am of the realm of creation, and I have
And I, from the world of creation, have
attained it through unveiling, and grant it no respite.
Analyzed it by unveiling, not neglecting it
فيرانيso he sees me فيin الذيwhat أعلمهI know it
فيراني في الذي أعلمه
إنهindeed it بيthrough me وبهand through him أعجلهI hasten it
إنه بي وبه أعجله
So He sees me in what I know:
So He sees me in what I know
indeed, it is through me and through Him that I hasten it.
That it is through me and with it I hurry
فإذاso if أخلصهhe assigns it exclusively ليto me قلتI said لاno
فإذا أخلصه لي قلت لا
إنماonly منهfrom him لناto us مجملهits totality
إنما منه لنا مجمله
So if He assigns it to me alone, I say, 'No;
But when I devote it to Him, I say no
its totality comes to us from Him alone.'
What is summarized from it is for us