ما لقومي عن حديثي في عمى

ما لقومي عن حديثي في عمى

ما أظنُّ القومَ إلا قدما

ما أظنُّ القومَ إلا قدما

Why are my people blind to my discourse?

Why do my people not speak of me in blindness?

I deem these people none but ancients.

I think not the people save as having stepped

أخذوا العلمَ عن الفكر وعن

أخذوا العلمَ عن الفكر وعن

كلِّ روحٍ ما له علم بما

كلِّ روحٍ ما له علم بما

They took knowledge from thought, and from

They took knowledge from thought and from

every spirit that has no knowledge of what

Every spirit not having knowledge of what

عندنا من جهة العلم به

عندنا من جهة العلم به

جلَّ أنْ يفهم أو أنْ يفهما

جلَّ أنْ يفهم أو أنْ يفهما

we possess by way of knowledge of Him.

Is with us in the way of knowing Him

“He is too exalted to impart understanding or be understood,”

Exalted that he understand or understand

هكذا قالواوما عندهمُ

هكذا قالواوما عندهمُ

خبر الذوقِ بعلمِ العلما

خبر الذوقِ بعلمِ العلما

so they said, though they have no

Thus they spoke while not having

experience of tasting through the knowledge of scholars.

Taste of experiential knowledge or learned knowledge

فأنا أطلبه منه وهم

فأنا أطلبه منه وهم

يطلبون العلمَ منهم أينما

يطلبون العلمَ منهم أينما

So I seek it from Him, while they

So I seek it from Him while they

seek knowledge from them, wherever they may be.

Seek knowledge from themselves wherever

فعلومُ القومِ من أنفسهم

فعلومُ القومِ من أنفسهم

وعلومي من إله حكما

وعلومي من إله حكما

Thus the people's knowledge comes from themselves,

The people's knowledge is from their souls

while my knowledge comes from God as wisdom.

While my knowledge is from a Wise God

إنه يعطي الذي يعلمه

إنه يعطي الذي يعلمه

لعبيد لم يزالوا رُحَما

لعبيد لم يزالوا رُحَما

Indeed, He gives what He knows

He gives to whom He teaches

to servants who have always been merciful

To servants who have always been merciful

بينهم تبصرهم قد وقفوا

بينهم تبصرهم قد وقفوا

في المحاريبِ وصفوا القدما

في المحاريبِ وصفوا القدما

toward one another; you see them standing

Among them, their insight stopped them

in the prayer niches, their feet aligned,

In the shrines, describing the steps

بقلوبٍ علمتُ أنَّ لها

بقلوبٍ علمتُ أنَّ لها

عند ربِّ الصَّدقِ حقاً قدما

عند ربِّ الصَّدقِ حقاً قدما

with hearts I knew to have

With hearts I knew had

a sure footing with the Lord of truth.

With the Lord of Sincerity an eternal right

وعيونٌ واكفاتٌ أرسلت

وعيونٌ واكفاتٌ أرسلت

من بكاء بدلَ الدمعِ دما

من بكاء بدلَ الدمعِ دما

And streaming eyes have poured forth

And eyes and palms that sent

in weeping, blood instead of tears.

Instead of tears, blood from weeping

ينظرون الأمر من سيدهم

ينظرون الأمر من سيدهم

لخيالٍ عندهم قد نجما

لخيالٍ عندهم قد نجما

They await the command from their master

They look to the matter from their Master

for an image that has arisen before them.

For an imagination they have projected

فلهذا جاءهم ما ردهم

فلهذا جاءهم ما ردهم

يحملون الكلَّ عنا حكما

يحملون الكلَّ عنا حكما

Thus there came to them what brought them back,

Thus there came to them what repelled them

bearing everything from us as wisdom,

Bearing all judgment against us

لعلومٍ لم ينلها دَنَسٌ

لعلومٍ لم ينلها دَنَسٌ

من عباراتٍ فما حلَّت فما

من عباراتٍ فما حلَّت فما

belonging to knowledge untouched by any taint

For knowledges they did not attain

of words; so it has never dwelt in a mouth.

From expressions that never settled in a mouth