صادني من كان فكري صاده

صادني من كان فكري صاده

ما له والله عنه من محيصِ

ما له والله عنه من محيصِ

The one I thought my mind had caught has caught me;

He whom my thought had hunted hunted me.

by God, there is no escaping him.

By God, he has no escape from him.

صابراً في كل سوءٍ وأذى

صابراً في كل سوءٍ وأذى

في كيانٍ من عمومٍ وخصوص

في كيانٍ من عمومٍ وخصوص

Patient through every evil and hurt,

Patient amid every ill and injury,

within a being both universal and particular.

In an existence of universality and particularity.

صُرةٌ أودعتُ قلبي علمها

صُرةٌ أودعتُ قلبي علمها

في كتاب وسمتُه بالفُصوص

في كتاب وسمتُه بالفُصوص

A bundle—I lodged its knowledge in my heart,

A bundle whose knowledge I entrusted to my heart,

in a book I entitled The Bezels.

In a book I entitled al-Fuṣūṣ (The Bezels).

صيرتُ قهراً وعجزاً وأبتُ

صيرتُ قهراً وعجزاً وأبتُ

غيرةً منها عليه أنْ تنوص

غيرةً منها عليه أنْ تنوص

I fashioned it under compulsion and helplessness; yet

I turned it into subjugation and helplessness, and refused,

my jealous care concerning her, in relation to it, refused to retreat.

Out of her jealous concern for him, to let her retreat.

صيرته واحداً في دهرِه

صيرته واحداً في دهرِه

ثم رامتْ عنه عزاً أن تبوص

ثم رامتْ عنه عزاً أن تبوص

I made it peerless in its age;

I made him unique in his age,

then my jealous care proudly sought to outstrip it.

Then she sought, in pride, to outstrip him.

صادفتْ والله في غيرتها

صادفتْ والله في غيرتها

عينَ ما جاء به لفظ النصوص

عينَ ما جاء به لفظ النصوص

By God, in her jealousy she encountered

By God, in her jealousy she encountered

the very truth conveyed by the wording of the texts.

The very thing expressed by the wording of the texts.

صدقتُها فلها النورُ الذي

صدقتُها فلها النورُ الذي

ما له في كونها ذاك الوبيص

ما له في كونها ذاك الوبيص

I believed her; hers is the light—

I believed her; hers is the light that

what a gleam it has within her being!

Has no such glimmer in her being.

صلبتْ في الدين فانقاد لها

صلبتْ في الدين فانقاد لها

كل معنى هو في البحث عويص

كل معنى هو في البحث عويص

She stood firm in the faith, and to her yielded

She stood firm in the faith, and to her yielded

every meaning abstruse to inquiry.

Every meaning that is difficult to investigate.

صلّى القلبُ اشتعالاً بعد ما

صلّى القلبُ اشتعالاً بعد ما

كان ذا عزمٍ عليه وحريص

كان ذا عزمٍ عليه وحريص

The heart was seared into flame, after

The heart prayed, ablaze, after it

it had set its resolve upon it, eager.

Had been resolute and eager for it.

صامت النفس وصلت فلها

صامت النفس وصلت فلها

لمعان من سناها وبصيص

لمعان من سناها وبصيص

The soul fasted and prayed; thus hers is

The soul fasted and prayed; hers, then, is

a flashing of her radiance, and a glimmer.

A radiance from her brilliance, and a glimmer.