طوفroamed العقلreason بدنياthrough the world of العللcauses
طوف العقل بدنيا العلل
قادهled it التوحيدbelief in God's oneness شطرtoward المنزلthe destination
قاده التوحيد شطر المنزل
Reason roamed the world of causes;
The mind roams the world of suffering
faith in God's oneness led it toward its destination.
Guided by Oneness halfway through the journey
أعوزeluded المنزلthe destination هذاthis السابلاthe wayfarer
أعوز المنزل هذا السابلا
زورقthe skiff الفكرthought أضلlost track of الساحلاthe shore
زورق الفكر أضل الساحلا
The destination eluded this wayfarer;
I yearn for this house of the asker
thought's skiff could not find the shore.
The boat of thought lost the coast
فيin أتىcame الرحمنthe All-Merciful عبداas a servant مضمرhidden
في أتى الرحمن عبدا مضمر
رمزa sign توحيدGod's oneness لقلبfor a heart يبصرthat sees
رمز توحيد لقلب يبصر
In “he came to the All-Merciful as a servant” lies hidden
Then the Merciful brought a concealing servant
a sign of divine unity for a heart that sees.
A symbol of Oneness to a seeing heart
يبتلىtests التوحيدbelief in God's oneness فيكin you العملاaction
يبتلى التوحيد فيك العملا
فيجلىand so reveals لكto you سراa secret أغفلاoverlooked
فيجلى لك سرا أغفلا
Faith in God's oneness puts your deeds to the test,
Oneness is tested in you through action
and reveals to you an overlooked secret.
Revealing a secret you had overlooked
يشرقshines الدينreligion بهthrough it والحكمةand wisdom
يشرق الدين به والحكمة
ويرىand is seen الأيدstrength بهthrough it والبكنةand ability (uncertain form)
ويرى الأيد به والبكنة
Through it, religion and wisdom shine,
Religion and wisdom shine through it
and through it, strength and ability are revealed.
And the hands and tokens are seen through it
قدhas تجلىmanifested itself حيرةas bewilderment للعالمينto the learned
قد تجلى حيرة للعالمين
وتجلىand manifested itself عملاas action فيin العاشقينlovers
وتجلى عملا في العاشقين
It has appeared as bewilderment to the learned,
It was revealed perplexing the worlds
and as action in lovers.
And revealed as deeds in lovers
يرتقىrises فيin ظلهits shade المتضعthe lowly one
يرتقى في ظله المتضع
ويصيرand becomes التربdust تبراgold يسطعthat gleams
ويصير الترب تبرا يسطع
The lowly rise beneath its shade,
The humble rise in its shade
and dust becomes gleaming gold.
And soil becomes shining goodness
يحتبىenfolds التوحيدbelief in God's oneness عبداa servant ثابراsteadfast
يحتبى التوحيد عبدا ثابرا
فيردand so turns العبدthe servant خلقاa creation آخراdifferent
فيرد العبد خلقا آخرا
Faith in God's oneness enfolds a steadfast servant,
Oneness hides a persevering servant
and turns the servant into another being.
So the servant returns a different creation
فهوso he فيin الحقthe Truth حثيثeager دائبtireless
فهو في الحق حثيث دائب
دمهhis blood كالبرقlike lightning فيهwithin him لاهبblazing
دمه كالبرق فيه لاهب
So he is eager and tireless in the cause of Truth;
He is diligent and assiduous in the Truth
his blood blazes within him like lightning.
His blood like lightning, aflame within
ريبهhis doubt يفنىperishes ويحياand comes alive العملaction
ريبه يفنى ويحيا العمل
عينهhis eye فيin الكونthe universe يقظىwakeful تعملworks
عينه في الكون يقظى تعمل
His doubt perishes, and action comes alive;
His doubt vanishes and action comes alive
his eye is wakeful and active in the universe.
His eye vigilantly works across the universe
فيin مقامthe station of العبدthe servant إنif تثبتstands firm قدمa foot
في مقام العبد إن تثبت قدم
جرةthe jar of السائلthe beggar تصبحbecomes جامthe cup of جمJam
جرة السائل تصبح جام جم
If a foot stands firm in the station of servanthood,
If your step is steadfast in the station of servanthood
the beggar's jar becomes Jam's cup.
The jar of the asker becomes a filled cup
لاno إلاهgod الروحthe spirit فيin أمتناour community
لا إلاه الروح في أمتنا
لاno إلاهgod اللحنthe melody فيin نغمتناour song
لا إلاه اللحن في نغمتنا
“There is no god” is the spirit of our community;
No god but the Spirit in our nation
“There is no god” is the melody in our song;
No god but the melody in our tune
لاno إلاهgod السرthe secret فيamong أسرارناour secrets
لا إلاه السر في أسرارنا
لاno إلاهgod السمطthe pearl-strand منfrom أفكارهhis thoughts
لا إلاه السمط من أفكاره
“There is no god” is the secret among our secrets;
No god but the secret in our mysteries
“There is no god” is the pearl-strand of his thoughts.
No god but the authority of His thoughts
صارbecame قلباa heart إنif حواهاholds it حجرa stone
صار قلبا إن حواها حجر
كلevery قلبheart لمhas not تنرهillumined it مدرclay
كل قلب لم تنره مدر
A stone becomes a heart if it holds it;
It became a heart if it contained them like a stone
every heart it has not illumined is clay.
Every heart not enlightened by it is ruined
يتلظىblazes الكونthe universe منfrom زفرتهاits sigh
يتلظى الكون من زفرتها
ويضئand shines القلبthe heart منfrom وقدتهاits blaze
ويضئ القلب من وقدتها
The universe blazes from its sigh,
The universe smolders from its exhalation
and the heart shines from its flame.
And the heart illuminates from its kindling
وتسيلand makes flow القلبthe heart ماءas water فيin الصدورthe breasts
وتسيل القلب ماء في الصدور
تصهرsmelts المرآةthe mirror منهfrom it فيin الحرورthe scorching heat
تصهر المرآة منه في الحرور
And it melts the heart to water within the breasts,
It flows as water in breasts
smelting a mirror from it in the scorching heat.
Melting the mirror's frost in passions
شعلةa flame فيin روحناour spirit مثلlike الشقيقthe anemone
شعلة في روحنا مثل الشقيق
كلall ماthat which نمتارهwe take it as provisions منهاfrom it الحريقfire
كل ما نمتاره منها الحريق
A flame in our spirit, like the anemone—
A flame in our spirit like torch flowers
all we draw from it as sustenance is fire.
All we sense from it is conflagration
بيضwhitened التوحيدbelief in God's oneness مسودblackened البشرskin
بيض التوحيد مسود البشر
فأبوso Abu بكرBakr أخوهhis brother وعمرand Umar
فأبو بكر أخوه وعمر
Faith in God's oneness made the black-skinned man white;
The whiteness of Oneness, the blackness of humanity
so Abu Bakr is his brother, and Umar too.
So Abu Bakr is his brother and Umar
ليسis not إلاexcept القلبthe heart قربnearness وابتعادand distance
ليس إلا القلب قرب وابتعاد
وهذهand this الكأسthe cup بهاthrough it هاجwas stirred الفؤادthe heart
وهذه الكأس بها هاج الفؤاد
Nearness and distance are matters of the heart alone,
Nothing but the heart is nearness and remoteness
and through this cup the heart was stirred.
This cup in it stirred ecstasy
وحدةunity القلبthe heart قوامthe mainstay of الأمةthe community
وحدة القلب قوام الأمة
أشرقتshone سيناءSinai منfrom ذيthis الجلوةthe unveiling
أشرقت سيناء من ذي الجلوة
Unity of heart is the mainstay of the community;
The oneness of the heart is the pillar of the nation
Sinai shone through this unveiling.
Sinai shone from the Owner of Majesty
قدhas هدىguided الأمةthe community سبلthe paths of العملaction
قد هدى الأمة سبل العمل
هذهthese الفكرthoughts بهاin it والأملand hope
هذه الفكر بها والأمل
It has guided the community along the paths of action;
He has guided the nation to the ways of action
in it lie these thoughts and hope.
This thought through it and hope
نزعةan aspiration واحدةone فيin قلبهاits heart
نزعة واحدة في قلبها
فعيارthus the measure الحسنbeauty والقبحand ugliness بهاby it
فعيار الحسن والقبح بها
One aspiration lives in its heart;
One tendency in its heart
by it, then, beauty and ugliness are measured.
So the criterion of good and evil is through it
لاnot يجيدexcels الفكرthought فيon قيثارهits lyre
لا يجيد الفكر في قيثاره
دونwithout نارfire الحقthe Truth فيin أوتارهits strings
دون نار الحق في أوتاره
Thought cannot excel upon its lyre
Thought cannot excel on its zither
without the fire of Truth within its strings.
Without the fire of Truth in its strings
نحنwe فيin الإسلامIslam أبناءchildren الخليلAbraham, God's Friend
نحن في الإسلام أبناء الخليل
منfrom أبيكمyour father خذtake إذاif شئتyou wish الدليلthe proof
من أبيكم خذ إذا شئت الدليل
In Islam we are children of Abraham, God's Friend;
We in Islam are the children of Abraham
take the proof from your father, if you wish.
Take from your father evidence if you wish
أممnations قدhave عبدتworshipped أوطانهاtheir homelands
أمم قد عبدت أوطانها
وبنتand built منfrom نسبlineage بنيانهاtheir edifice
وبنت من نسب بنيانها
Nations have worshipped their homelands,
Nations worshipped their homelands
and built their edifice out of lineage.
And built lineage into their structure
أترىdo you see الأوطانhomelands أصلthe root of الأممnations
أترى الأوطان أصل الأمم
تعبدis worshipped الأرضthe earth بهاin them كالصنمlike an idol
تعبد الأرض بها كالصنم
Do you regard homelands as the root of nations,
Do you see homelands as the origin of peoples?
where the earth is worshipped like an idol?
Worshipping the land like an idol
إنماonly الأنسابlineages فخرهhis pride (likely ‘pride’ here) السفهاءfools
إنما الأنساب فخره السفهاء
حكمهاtheir sway فيin الجسمthe body والجسمand the body هباءdust
حكمها في الجسم والجسم هباء
Lineages are only the pride of fools;
Lineages, their pride is foolishness
their sway lies in the body, and the body is dust.
Its rule is in the body, and the body is evanescent
ضمناunited us فيin الحقthe Truth أسa foundation آخرanother
ضمنا في الحق أس آخر
هوit فيin الألبابthe minds مناwithin us مضمرhidden
هو في الألباب منا مضمر
Another foundation has united us in Truth;
We implied in the Truth another lineage
it is concealed within our minds.
It is in intellects implicitly understood
قدhas خلصناfreed us منfrom حدودboundaries وقيودand fetters
قد خلصنا من حدود وقيود
قلبناour heart فيin الغيبthe unseen إذwhile نحنwe شهودvisible
قلبنا في الغيب إذ نحن شهود
It has freed us from boundaries and fetters;
We have been freed from limits and shackles
our heart is in the unseen, while we are visible.
Our hearts unseen as we are witnesses
ضمناunited us كالزهرlike flowers نظمan ordering مضمرhidden
ضمنا كالزهر نظم مضمر
بصرa vision ليسdoes not يراهsee it مبصرa beholder
بصر ليس يراه مبصر
A hidden order binds us together like flowers—
We implied like flowers implicit order
a vision no beholder sees.
A perception not seen by the perceiver
وحدunified الرئىoutlook (uncertain spelling) لناfor us والفكرةand thought
وحد الرئى لنا والفكرة
كسهامlike arrows جمعتهاgathered them جعبةa quiver
كسهام جمعتها جعبة
It has united our outlook and thought,
The Seer and thought are one for us
like arrows gathered by a quiver.
Like arrows gathered in a quiver
نحنwe فكرthought وخيالand imagination واحدone
نحن فكر وخيال واحد
ورجاءand hope ومآلand destiny واحدone
ورجاء ومآل واحد
We are one thought and one imagination,
We are one thought, imagination and hope
and one hope and one destiny.
One expectation and destination
نحنwe منthrough نعمائهHis blessings حلفan alliance إخاءof brotherhood
نحن من نعمائه حلف إخاء
قلبناour heart والروحand the spirit واللفظand speech سواءalike
قلبنا والروح واللفظ سواء
Through His blessings, we form a bond of brotherhood;
We are a pact of brotherhood from His blessings
our heart, spirit, and speech are one.
Our hearts, spirit, and words the same