الحمدpraise للهto God جلَّis exalted اللهGod منas خالقٍa creator
الحمد لله جلَّ الله من خالقٍ
وهوand He العليمthe All-Knowing بناof us ألفاتقُthe One who parts الراتقthe One who joins
وهو العليم بنا ألفاتقُ الراتق
Praise be to God; exalted is God as Creator.
Praise be to Allah, the Exalted
And He is all-knowing of us, the One who parts and joins.
The All-Knowing Creator of all
قدindeed ضمّgathered together شمليmy scattered being بهthrough Him إذwhen كنتI was فيin عدمnonexistence
قد ضمّ شملي به إذ كنت في عدم
لاno علمknowledge عنديwith me بمخلوقٍof a creature ولاnor خالقِa creator
لا علم عندي بمخلوقٍ ولا خالقِ
He has gathered my scattered being through Himself, when I was in nonexistence,
He brought me together when I was naught
With no knowledge of any creature or Creator.
I knew not of any creature or Creator
حتىuntil إذاwhen برزتْemerged بالكونinto existence أعينناour eyes
حتى إذا برزتْ بالكون أعيننا
علمتI knew بالكونِthrough existence قطعاًwith certainty أنهthat He الخالقthe Creator
علمت بالكونِ قطعاً أنه الخالق
Until, when our eyes emerged into being,
Until our eyes opened onto the universe
I knew through existence, with certainty, that He is the Creator,
I knew for certain that He is the Creator
وإنهand that He واحدٌone ولاand no شريكpartner لهfor Him
وإنه واحدٌ ولا شريك له
إلاexcept القبولreceptivity فأنىso how فيهin it بالصادقtruthful
إلا القبول فأنى فيه بالصادق
And that He is One, with no partner,
He is One with no partner
Except receptivity—how, then, can one be truthful about this?
Except truth, how could there be any doubt?
واللهby God لوif علمواthey knew ماwhat قلتهI said it سجدواthey would prostrate themselves
والله لو علموا ما قلته سجدوا
لكلِّto every ذيpossessor of نظرinsight فيin علمهhis knowledge فائقoutstanding
لكلِّ ذي نظر في علمه فائق
By God, if they knew what I said, they would prostrate themselves
If they knew what I said, they would prostrate
Before every discerning person, outstanding in his knowledge.
Every insightful one with superior knowledge
سرابa mirage مجلاهHis manifestation فيin انسانthe pupil ناظرهمtheir eye
سراب مجلاه في انسان ناظرهم
ماءwater يموجهsets it surging أنوارهHis lights غارقsubmerged
ماء يموجه أنواره غارق
A mirage is His manifestation in the pupil of their eye:
A mirage reflecting in the seeing person
Water stirred into waves by His lights—submerged.
Waves of light submerging him
سرابٌa mirage أحبابهHis beloveds علىdespite اختلافهمُtheir differences
سرابٌ أحبابه على اختلافهمُ
فيin الحبlove فيهin it شرابٌa drink صفوهُits clear portion رائقlimpid
في الحب فيه شرابٌ صفوهُ رائق
His beloveds are a mirage, despite their differences
A mirage, though its lovers vary
In love; within it is a drink whose clear portion is limpid.
In love it is delicious sweet drink
شِربٌa draught إذاwhen نادموهthey drank with Him فيin مجالسهمtheir gatherings
شِربٌ إذا نادموه في مجالسهم
بماwith what تلاهHe recited it عليهمto them كلهمall of them ناطقُspeaking
بما تلاه عليهم كلهم ناطقُ
A draught: when they drink with Him in their gatherings,
A drink, when called upon in their gatherings
They all speak what He recited to them.
Reciting to them, all eloquent
لاnot ينظرونthey gaze إلىat غيرanother فيحجبهمso it veils them
لا ينظرون إلى غير فيحجبهم
ويحذرونand they beware لديهin His presence فجأةthe sudden onset الغاسقthe darkening night
ويحذرون لديه فجأة الغاسق
They gaze at no other, lest it veil them,
They look not to another, lest it distracts them
And in His presence they beware the sudden onset of night.
And they be wary of the sudden darkness
وكلهمand all of them فيin جمالbeauty اللهGod حينwhen بداHe appeared
وكلهم في جمال الله حين بدا
للناظرينto those gazing إليهat Him الهائمُthe enraptured one العاشقthe lover
للناظرين إليه الهائمُ العاشق
And each of them, in God's beauty, when He appeared
All of them beautiful in God's beauty when it emerged
To those gazing upon Him, is an enraptured lover.
To the passionate, love-dazed beholders
اوor حققواthey ascertained ماwhat رأوهthey saw it لمdid not يروهthey see it سوىexcept
او حققوا ما رأوه لم يروه سوى
لهمfor them ولكنهمbut they أعماهمblinded them الطارقُthe night-visitor
لهم ولكنهم أعماهم الطارقُ
Or they discerned what they saw; they saw it only
Or had they realized what they saw, they saw it only
As theirs; but the night-visitor blinded them.
For them, but blindness overtook them
إنَّindeed الذيHe who فلقsplit open الإصباحthe dawn قالsaid لناto us
إنَّ الذي فلق الإصباح قال لنا
بأنهthat He is للنوىof seed-stones والحبِّand grain بالفالقthe splitter
بأنه للنوى والحبِّ بالفالق
Indeed, He who split open the dawn told us
He who split the dawn said to us
That He is the splitter of seed-stones and grain.
That it is for the eyes and for love's severing
أينwhere الصباحُdawn وأينand where الحبlove فاعتبرواso reflect
أين الصباحُ وأين الحب فاعتبروا
فشمسُfor the sun إعلامهHis disclosure فيin شرقهHis east شارقshining
فشمسُ إعلامه في شرقه شارق
Where is dawn, and where is love? Reflect, then.
Where is the dawn and where is love? Contemplate
For the sun of His disclosure shines in His east.
His sun of guidance rises radiant in the east
إنّindeed الصباحَdawn منfor أجلthe sake of العينthe eye أبرزهHe brought it forth
إنّ الصباحَ من أجل العين أبرزه
والحبُّand love للروحfor the spirit فانظرso consider حالةthe nature of الفارقthe difference
والحبُّ للروح فانظر حالة الفارق
Indeed, He brought forth dawn for the eye's sake,
The dawn was made for the eyes
And love is for the spirit; consider, then, the nature of the difference.
And love for the spirit, see the difference
فالحبُّfor love أشرفُnobler منthan عينِthe essence of الصباحdawn فكنso be
فالحبُّ أشرفُ من عينِ الصباح فكن
بماin what أتيتَyou brought بهwith it لفهمكfor your understanding الواثقthe confident one
بما أتيتَ به لفهمك الواثق
For love is nobler than dawn's very essence; so be
Love is nobler than the eye of dawn, so be
Confident in your understanding of what you have brought forth.
Certain in what you came with, confident
لذاكfor that reason قدِّمهgive it precedence علىover الصباحdawn فإنfor if
لذاك قدِّمه على الصباح فإن
تعدلْyou equate بهwith it فلقاًdaybreak فلستthen you are not بالصادقtruthful
تعدلْ به فلقاً فلست بالصادق
For that reason, give it precedence over dawn; for if
Prioritize it over dawn, for if
You set daybreak equal to it, you are not truthful.
You equate them, you are not truthful
إنَّindeed الصباحdawn قديمٌprior للنوىto seed-stones وكذاand likewise
إنَّ الصباح قديمٌ للنوى وكذا
للحبِّto grain وهوand it لهذاfor this الهائمthe enraptured one الرامقthe gazer
للحبِّ وهو لهذا الهائم الرامق
Indeed, dawn is prior to seed-stones, and likewise
Dawn is old for the eyes, and so is
To grain; and for this enraptured gazer, it is
Love for this faint aspirer
روحٌa spirit تولّدwas born عنfrom حبٍّlove تولّدwas born عنfrom
روحٌ تولّد عن حبٍّ تولّد عن
نورlight تولّدwas born عنfrom عنايةِthe care of الرازقthe Provider
نور تولّد عن عنايةِ الرازق
A spirit born of love, born of
A spirit born of love born
A light born of the Provider's care.
Of light born of the Sustainer's care
اللهGod يخلفهsucceeds it واللهand God يخلفهsucceeds it
الله يخلفه والله يخلفه
لذاthus هوHe الدهرTime منamong أسمائهHis names الفائقthe preeminent one
لذا هو الدهر من أسمائه الفائق
God succeeds it, and God succeeds it.
God succeeds Him and God succeeds Him
Thus He is Time, preeminent among His names.
Thus He is timeless, sublimest of names
لقدindeed ضممتَyou joined إلىto حسنbeauty العبارةِexpression منfrom
لقد ضممتَ إلى حسن العبارةِ من
حسنِbeauty المعانيmeanings علومknowledge المصطفىal-Mustafa, the Chosen One السابقthe forerunner
حسنِ المعاني علوم المصطفى السابق
You have indeed added to beauty of expression, from
You combined eloquent phrasing
The beauty of meanings, the knowledge of al-Mustafa, the forerunner.
With elegant meaning, learnings of the Master Foregoer
إنْif لمnot أكنI was سابقاforemost فيin كلِّall ماwhat نطقتْspoke
إنْ لم أكن سابقا في كلِّ ما نطقتْ
بهof it التراجمُthe interpretations كنتI was المقتفيthe follower اللاحقthe one coming after
به التراجمُ كنت المقتفي اللاحق
If I was not foremost in all that was uttered
If I was not foremost in all
By the interpretations, I was the follower who came after.
The chronicles spoke, I was the pursuing emulator
إنيindeed I لأقذفI surely hurl بالحقِّwith the truth المبينmanifest علىagainst
إني لأقذف بالحقِّ المبين على
ماwhatever كانexists منof باطلfalsehood ليمسيso it may become الزاهقthe perishing one
ما كان من باطل ليمسي الزاهق
Indeed, I hurl the manifest truth against
I hurl the clear truth upon
Whatever falsehood exists, so that it may perish.
Whatever falsehood to make it perish