ما جنة الخلد غير قلبي

ما جنة الخلد غير قلبي

لأنه بيتُ من يدومُ

لأنه بيتُ من يدومُ

The Garden of Eternity is none other than my heart,

My heart alone is the eternal paradise,

for it is the house of the One who endures.

For it is the home of the Everlasting.

قمتُ له بالهوى ويدري

قمتُ له بالهوى ويدري

من قام فيه ممن يقوم

من قام فيه ممن يقوم

I stood for Him in love, and He knows

I stood for it with passion, and it knew

who has stood within it among those who rise

Who stood for it, of those who stand.

عنه إلى غيره فترمي

عنه إلى غيره فترمي

إليه أنوارَها الرجوم

إليه أنوارَها الرجوم

away from Him toward another; then they cast

If it turns from it to another, it casts

their lights toward him—the shooting stars.

Its missiles of light towards it.

لو أن قلبي يراه قلبي

لو أن قلبي يراه قلبي

قلت أنا الرائح المقيم

قلت أنا الرائح المقيم

If my heart could behold my heart,

If my heart could see my heart,

I would say: I am the one who departs and remains.

I would say, I am the lingering fragrance.

إنّ العذاب الذي تراه

إنّ العذاب الذي تراه

منه بنا ذلك النعيم

منه بنا ذلك النعيم

Indeed, the torment that you see

The torment you see

from Him upon us is that very bliss.

Comes from that bliss through us.

قال لي الحق من وجودي

قال لي الحق من وجودي

وقوله الصادقُ القويمُ

وقوله الصادقُ القويمُ

The Real said to me from my being,

Truth said to me, from my existence,

and His word is truthful and upright:

And His word is the strong, the upheld:

نبىء عبادي عني بأني

نبىء عبادي عني بأني

أنا هو الغافر الرحيم

أنا هو الغافر الرحيم

Tell My servants about Me—that I

"Inform My servants about Me, that I

am He, the Forgiver, the Merciful;

Am the Forgiver, the Merciful."

وإن أيضاً عذابُ حجبى

وإن أيضاً عذابُ حجبى

عذابنا المؤلم الأليم

عذابنا المؤلم الأليم

and indeed, the torment of My veils, too,

And also, the torment of My veil

is Our painful, agonizing torment.

Is Our painful, bitter torment.

قلتُ وأيّ الكلامِ أولى

قلتُ وأيّ الكلامِ أولى

أذكر والذاكرون هِيْمُ

أذكر والذاكرون هِيْمُ

I said: Which saying is more fitting

I said, which words are best

for me to recite, while those who remember are love-distraught?

For me to mention, while the mentioners wander?

فقال لي من صفا فؤادي

فقال لي من صفا فؤادي

كلامه الحادثُ القديم

كلامه الحادثُ القديم

Then, from my heart's purity, there spoke to me

So the heart of my purity said to me,

His speech, newly arisen and eternal.

With its speech, ancient yet new:

قلت له من يقول هذا

قلت له من يقول هذا

فقال لي ربك العليم

فقال لي ربك العليم

I said to it: Who says this?

"I said to it, who says this?"

Then it said to me: Your all-knowing Lord.

So it said to me: "Your Lord, the Knower."

قلتُ لعلي أقتصر فقل لي

قلتُ لعلي أقتصر فقل لي

أولى بنا أيّها الحكيم

أولى بنا أيّها الحكيم

I said: Perhaps I may be brief; so tell me

I said to it, perhaps I will be content, so tell me:

what is more fitting for us, O wise one.

"O Wise One, what is best for us?"

فإنه ذو المعالي فينا

فإنه ذو المعالي فينا

وإنه المحسنُ الكريمُ

وإنه المحسنُ الكريمُ

For He possesses exalted qualities within us,

For He is of the highest in us,

and indeed He is the Beneficent, the Generous.

And He is the Benefactor, the Generous."

فسلِّم الأمر لا تبالي

فسلِّم الأمر لا تبالي

فالقولُ ما قاله القيم

فالقولُ ما قاله القيم

So surrender the matter; do not worry,

So submit the matter, do not care,

for the word is what the Sustainer has said.

For the saying is what the Upholder said.

فعلمه في الوجودِ سار

فعلمه في الوجودِ سار

ما دام كوني به يقيم

ما دام كوني به يقيم

For His knowledge flows through existence,

His knowledge in existence wandered

as long as my being subsists through Him.

As long as my being dwells in Him.