الحمدpraise للمذكورto the Remembered وهوand He is الذاكرُthe Rememberer
الحمد للمذكور وهو الذاكرُ
فيin المشهدthe vision الغيبيّunseen وهوand He is الحاضرُthe Present One
في المشهد الغيبيّ وهو الحاضرُ
Praise to the Remembered, who is Himself the Rememberer,
in the unseen vision, while He is the Present One.
منهfrom Him لناfor us مقامُthe station of كنتُI become سمعَهُhis hearing
منه لنا مقامُ كنتُ سمعَهُ
إذاwhen شهدناwe witness فرقَهHis differentiation وجمعَهُand His union
إذا شهدنا فرقَه وجمعَهُ
From Him we have the station of 'I become his hearing,'
when we witness His differentiation and His union.
نذكرهwe remember Him بهthrough Him بغيرwithout النفسِthe self
نذكره به بغير النفسِ
لذكرناbecause of our being remembered فيin حضراتthe presences القُدُسِof holiness
لذكرنا في حضرات القُدُسِ
We remember Him through Him, without the self,
because we are remembered in the presences of holiness,
إذas تنجليare unveiled عرائسُthe brides الأسماءِof the Names
إذ تنجلي عرائسُ الأسماءِ
بحسنهاin their beauty فيin المشهدthe vision الأسماءِmost exalted (poetic form)
بحسنها في المشهد الأسماءِ
as the brides of the Names are unveiled
in their beauty, in the most exalted vision.
ثمّthen الصلاةblessings والسلامand peace ماas long as سرىwafts by night
ثمّ الصلاة والسلام ما سرى
ريحُwind الصَّباthe east wind بنفحwith a breath طيبٍof fragrance سحراbefore dawn
ريحُ الصَّبا بنفح طيبٍ سحرا
Then blessings and peace, as long as there wafts
the east wind with a fragrant breath before dawn,
علىupon الّذيthe one who هوhe الحبيبthe Beloved الواسطهْthe intermediary
على الّذي هو الحبيب الواسطهْ
لمغرمٍfor a love-stricken one مكَّنmade firm فيهin him الرابطهْthe bond
لمغرمٍ مكَّن فيه الرابطهْ
upon him who is the Beloved, the intermediary
for a lover who has made his bond with him firm,
وآلهِand his family وصحبهand his companions مَنthose who اهتدواthey were guided
وآلهِ وصحبه مَن اهتدوا
بنورهby his light وللملاand to the multitude عنهfrom him روواthey transmitted
بنوره وللملا عنه رووا
and upon his family and his companions, who were guided
by his light and conveyed his words to the multitude,
ماas قدindeed كساclothed الأنسintimacy فؤاديmy heart خِلَعَهْits robes of honor
ما قد كسا الأنس فؤادي خِلَعَهْ
إذwhen وردarrived الكتابthe letter يومon the day of الجُمُعَهْFriday
إذ ورد الكتاب يوم الجُمُعَهْ
as intimacy clothed my heart in its robes of honor
when the letter arrived on Friday.
وبعدand to proceed فالمحبّso the lover مذwhen قراهhe read it
وبعد فالمحبّ مذ قراه
مدّspread out لهfor him طيبthe sweetness الصفاof purity قِراهits guest-fare
مدّ له طيب الصفا قِراه
Now then: when the lover read it,
the sweetness of purity spread its feast for him.
وطلعتand rose كواكبthe stars التهانيof congratulations
وطلعت كواكب التهاني
منfrom فلكthe firmament of السطورthe lines والمبانيand the word-forms
من فلك السطور والمباني
And the stars of congratulation rose
from the firmament of its lines and words.
قدhas أزهرتblossomed روضةُthe garden of معناهits meaning الّتيwhich
قد أزهرت روضةُ معناه الّتي
أضحتhas become نعيمthe bliss of مهجتيmy soul وجنّتيand my paradise
أضحت نعيم مهجتي وجنّتي
The garden of its meaning has blossomed—the garden that
has become my soul's bliss and my paradise.
ومذand when رأىsaw صحبيmy companions القطوفَthe fruits الدانيهْlow-hanging
ومذ رأى صحبي القطوفَ الدانيهْ
ناديتI called out هاؤمُtake it, all of you اقرأواread, all of you كتابيهْmy book
ناديت هاؤمُ اقرأوا كتابيهْ
And when my companions saw the low-hanging fruits,
I cried, 'Take it! Read my book!'
فهِمتُso I was enraptured إذwhen فهمتُI understood معناهاits meaning الّذيwhich
فهِمتُ إذ فهمتُ معناها الّذي
فاحwafted forth بنفحwith a breath of الأنسintimacy والطيبand perfume الشذيsweet-scented
فاح بنفح الأنس والطيب الشذي
So I was enraptured when I understood its meaning, which
gave off a breath of intimacy and sweet perfume.
وكلّهاand all of them حقٌّtrue أتتthey came منfrom حقِّthe Truth
وكلّها حقٌّ أتت من حقِّ
لكنّهاbut they تمرّthey pass مثلlike البرقِlightning
لكنّها تمرّ مثل البرقِ
And all are true, having come from the Truth,
but they pass like lightning.
فلاso do not تقفstop أخاO brother of السلوكspiritual wayfaring عندهاat them
فلا تقف أخا السلوك عندها
وجدّدand renew العزمresolve ترىyou will see ماwhat بعدهاlies beyond them
وجدّد العزم ترى ما بعدها
So do not stop at them, brother on the path;
renew your resolve, and you will see what lies beyond them.
إيّاكbeware أنthat تغترّyou be deluded فيهاby them ياO أخيmy brother
إيّاك أن تغترّ فيها يا أخي
وانهضand rise وكنand be بالروحwith the spirit للقربfor nearness سخيgenerous
وانهض وكن بالروح للقرب سخي
Beware of being deluded by them, my brother;
rise, and be generous with your spirit for the sake of nearness,
لتترقّىso that you may ascend فيthrough معارجthe stairways of الشهودwitnessing
لتترقّى في معارج الشهود
لقابto the span of حضرةٍa presence لوحدةof the oneness الوجودof being
لقاب حضرةٍ لوحدة الوجود
so that you may ascend the stairways of witnessing,
to within a span of the presence of the oneness of being.
ودمand persist علىin الذكرremembrance بلاwithout فتورِslackening
ودم على الذكر بلا فتورِ
لتنجليso that it may be unveiled عليكto you ذاتthe Essence النورِof Light
لتنجلي عليك ذات النورِ
And persist in remembrance without flagging,
so that the Essence of Light may be unveiled to you.
والتزمand hold fast to الحضورpresence والمراقبهْand watchfulness
والتزم الحضور والمراقبهْ
وألزمand compel النفسَthe self علىto المحاسبهْself-reckoning
وألزم النفسَ على المحاسبهْ
Hold fast to presence and watchfulness,
and compel the self to account for itself.
واحرصand be diligent علىabout الشروطthe conditions والآدابِand the courtesies
واحرص على الشروط والآدابِ
واعملand act بهupon it تلجْyou will enter رفيعthe lofty البابِgate
واعمل به تلجْ رفيع البابِ
Attend carefully to the conditions and courtesies,
and act upon it; you will enter the lofty gate.
واذكرand remember وغبand lose awareness عنكof yourself بهthrough it لاno بلrather فغبْthen lose awareness
واذكر وغب عنك به لا بل فغبْ
بالذكرthrough remembrance عنهof it لاdo not بذكرٍby remembrance تحتجبْbe veiled
بالذكر عنه لا بذكرٍ تحتجبْ
Remember, and through it lose awareness of yourself—nay, lose awareness
of remembrance through remembrance; do not let remembrance veil you,
حتّىuntil ترىyou see الفناءannihilation فيهin Him قاماhas become established
حتّى ترى الفناء فيه قاما
وقدand indeed غداhas become وجودُكyour existence الإعداماnonexistence
وقد غدا وجودُك الإعداما
until you see annihilation in Him established,
and your existence has become nonexistence,
وتشهدand you witness المذكورthe Remembered أمسىhas become الذاكراthe Rememberer
وتشهد المذكور أمسى الذاكرا
وغيبهand His unseen reality فيin القلبthe heart باتhas become حاضراpresent
وغيبه في القلب بات حاضرا
and you witness the Remembered become the Rememberer,
and His unseen reality become present in the heart,
وتظهرand appear الأسماءthe Names فيكwithin you مضمرَهْconcealed
وتظهر الأسماء فيك مضمرَهْ
مقامَthe station of كنتُI become سمعَهُhis hearing وبصرَهْand his sight
مقامَ كنتُ سمعَهُ وبصرَهْ
and the Names appear, concealed within you,
at the station of 'I become his hearing and his sight.'
وماand what عليهupon it الآنnow أنتyou فالتزمْthen hold fast
وما عليه الآن أنت فالتزمْ
واتلand recite علىto روحكyour spirit دوماًalways فاستقمْso stand firm
واتل على روحك دوماً فاستقمْ
And hold fast to the state you are in now,
and recite to your spirit always: 'So stand firm.'
ورؤيةand the vision of المختارthe Chosen One طهTaha حقُّtrue
ورؤية المختار طه حقُّ
وقولهand his saying الصادقtruthful حقٌّtruth صدقُverity
وقوله الصادق حقٌّ صدقُ
And the vision of the Chosen One, Taha, is true,
and his truthful saying is truth and verity.
عليهupon him صلّىmay He bestow blessings ربّناour Lord وسلّماand may He grant peace
عليه صلّى ربّنا وسلّما
ماas long as مغرمٌa love-stricken one بحبهthrough love for him قدhas هيّماbeen enraptured
ما مغرمٌ بحبه قد هيّما
May our Lord send blessings and peace upon him,
as long as a lover is enraptured by love for him,
وآلهand his family وصحبهand his companions الكرامِthe noble ones
وآله وصحبه الكرامِ
ماas long as حسُنَis beautiful البدءُthe beginning معwith الختامِthe ending
ما حسُنَ البدءُ مع الختامِ
and upon his family and his noble companions,
as long as the beginning is beautiful, and the ending too.