إِنْ كَانَ هَذَا الَّذِي أُكَابِدُهُ

إِنْ كَانَ هَذَا الَّذِي أُكَابِدُهُيَبْقَى عَلَيَّ فَلَسْتُ أَصْطَبِرُ

In kāna hadhā al-ladhī ukābiduhu, Yabqā ʿalayya falastu aṣṭabiru

If what I am enduring remains with me, I cannot bear it.

مَا أَنَا مِنْ حَجَرٍ وَلَا مَدَرٍمَا أَنَا إِلَّا كَمَا تَرَى بَشَرُ

Mā anā min ḥajarin walā madarin, Mā anā illā kamā tarā basharu

I am not made of stone or clay; I am nothing but a human being, as you see.

لِيْ مَشْرَبٌ سَائِغٌ فَكَدَّرَهُشَوْبٌ مِنَ النَّفْسِ خَلْطُهُ كَدَرُ

Liy mashrabun sāʾighun fakaddarahu, Shawbun mina an-nafsi khalṭuhu kadaru

I had a pleasant drink, but it was muddied by a taint from the self whose mixture is turbid,

مُرُّ المَذَاقِ وَإِنَّ غُصَّتَهُمِنْ دُونِهَا يَكِنِ الضَّرِيعُ وَالصَّبِرُ

Murru al-madhāqi waʾinna ghuṣṣatahu, Min dūnihā yakini aḍ-ḍarīʿu wa-aṣ-ṣabiru

Bitter in taste, and its choking makes even the thorny dari' and bitter aloes seem mild.

لَا أَشْتَكِيكَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ هُمُعِنْدِي الهَبَاءُ إِذَا انْتَهَى النَّظَرُ

Lā ashtakīka ilā al-ladhīna humu, ʿindī al-habāʾu idhā ntahā an-naẓaru

I do not complain of You to those who are mere dust to me when the gaze reaches its end.

إِنْ مِلْتُ يَوْماً بِحُكْمِ طَارِقَةٍالآنَ مِنْهَا إِلَيْكَ أَعْتَذِرُ

In miltu yawman biḥukmi ṭāriqatin, Al-ʾāna minhā ilayka aʿtadhiru

If I ever inclined because of some sudden visitation, I now apologise to You for it.

مَا ثَمَّ غَيْرُكَ وَالحِجَابُ عَلَىطَوَائِفٍ فِي جُسُومِهِمْ حُصِرُوا

Mā thamma ghayruka wa-al-ḥijābu ʿalā, Ṭawāʾifin fī jusūmihim ḥuṣirū

There is nothing but You, and the veil lies upon groups who are confined within their bodies.

أُولَئِكَ القَاصِرُونَ لَوْ عَلِمُوامَا عَلِمَ العَارِفُونَ مَا عُذِرُوا

Ūlaʾika al-qāṣirūna law ʿalimū, Mā ʿalima al-ʿārifūna mā ʿudhirū

Those who fall short, had they known what the gnostics know, would have no excuse.

كَأَنَّ مَنْ فَوْقَ هَذِهِ عَدَمٌلَمْ يُوجَدُوا أَوْ كَأَنَّهُمْ قُبِرُوا

Kaʾanna man fawqa hadhihi ʿadamun, Lam yūjadū aw kaʾannahum qubirū

As though those upon this earth were nothing, never having existed, or as though already buried.

مَشَاهِدٌ بِالفُؤَادِ أَشْهَدُهَامِنْ بَاطِنِ العِلْمِ دُونَهَا النَّظَرُ

Mashāhidun bi-al-fuʾādi ashhaduhā, Min bāṭini al-ʿilmi dūnahā an-naẓaru

Scenes I witness with the heart, from the inward side of knowledge, beyond the reach of sight:

كَالجُودِ إِنْ آمَنُوا وَإِنْ شَكَرُواوَالقَهْرِ إِنْ كَذَّبُوا وَإِنْ كَفَرُوا

Ka-al-jūdi in ʾāmanū waʾin shakarū, Wa-al-qahri in kadhdhabū waʾin kafarū

Like generosity if they believe and give thanks, and subjugation if they deny and disbelieve,

وَالعَدْلِ إِنْ عُذِّبُوا وَإِنْ هُتِكُواوَالفَضْلِ إِنْ رُحِمُوا وَإِنْ سُتِرُوا

Wa-al-ʿadli in ʿudhdhibū waʾin hutikū, Wa-al-faḍli in ruḥimū waʾin sutirū

Justice if they are punished and exposed, and bounty if they are shown mercy and veiled.

لَا أَجْهَلُ الحِكْمَةَ الَّتِي بَرَزَتْفِي ضِمْنِ إِيجَادِهِمْ وَلَا أَذَرُ

Lā ajhalu al-ḥikmata al-latī barazat, Fī ḍimni ījādihim walā adharu

I am not ignorant of the wisdom that appeared within their creation, nor do I set it aside.

الجَبْرُ وَالاعْتِزَالُ مُطَّرَحٌفَالمَذْهَبَانِ كِلَاهُمَا ضَرَرُ

Al-jabru wa-al-āʿtizālu muṭṭaraḥun, Fa-al-madhhabāni kilāhumā ḍararu

Compulsion and Mu'tazilism are both rejected; both doctrines are harmful.

أَنْفِي وَأُثْبِتُ غَيْرَ مُكْتَرِثٍبِقَوْلِ مَنْ قَالَ إِنَّ ذَا خَطَرُ

Anfī waʾuthbitu ghayra muktarithin, Biqawli man qāla inna dhā khaṭaru

I negate and affirm, unconcerned with whoever says that this is dangerous.

وَالمَذْهَبُ المُسْتَقِيمُ أَذْهَبُهُنَصُّ الكِتَابِ وَصَرَّحَ الخَبَرُ

Wa-al-madhhabu al-mustaqīmu adhhabuhu, Naṣṣu al-kitābi waṣarraḥa al-khabaru

The upright doctrine is my way: the text of the Book, and what the hadith states plainly.

صِرْفُ اليَقِينِ وَمَحْضُ مَعْرِفَةٍخُصَّ الشُّهُودُ وَعُمِّمَ القَدَرُ

Ṣirfu al-yaqīni wamaḥḍu maʿrifatin, Khuṣṣa ash-shuhūdu waʿummima al-qadaru

Pure certainty and sheer gnosis: witnessing is for the few, and destiny is for all.

مَا أُدْخِلُ الشَّكَّ بَيْتَ مُعْتَقَدِيأُغْلِقُهُ وَتَدُقُّهُ الغِيَرُ

Mā udkhilu ash-shakka bayta muʿtaqadī, Ughliquhu wataduqquhu al-ghiyaru

I do not let doubt into the house of my creed; I lock it, while changing fortunes knock at its door.

هَذَا الَّذِي مِنْ أَجْلِهِ جَزِعَتْنَفْسِي وَصَارَ قَرِينَهَا الضَّجَرُ

Hadhā al-ladhī min ajlihi jaziʿat, Nafsī waṣāra qarīnahā aḍ-ḍajaru

This is why my soul grew distressed, and weariness became its companion.

يَا مَلْجَئِي لَا أَقُولُ فِي حَرَجٍبَلْ لَا أَزَالُ إِلَيْكَ مُفْتَقِرُ

Yā maljaʾī lā aqūlu fī ḥarajin, Bal lā azālu ilayka muftaqiru

O my refuge, I do not say this in complaint; rather, I never cease to be in need of You.

دُهِيتُ بِالحُمْقِ إِنْ زَوَيْتُ وَقَدْصَرَّفْتَنِي فِي الوُجُودِ أَفْتَخِرُ

Duhītu bi-al-ḥumqi in zawaytu waqad, Ṣarraftanī fī al-wujūdi aftakhiru

I would be stricken with folly if, having been given power to act in existence, I were to boast of it.

رِدَائِيَ الذُّلُّ مَا حَيِيتُ كَمَاأَنِّي بِعَجْزِيَ أَصْبَحْتُ مُتَّزِرُ

Ridāʾiya adh-dhullu mā ḥayītu kamā, Annī biʿajziya aṣbaḥtu muttaziru

My cloak is humility as long as I live, just as I have girded myself with my powerlessness.

وَصْفُ العَبِيدِ وَلَا أُفَارِقُهُحَسْبِي بِهِ وَعَلَيْهِ أَفْتَقِرُ

Waṣfu al-ʿabīdi walā ufāriquhu, Ḥasbī bihi waʿalayhi aftaqiru

The quality of servanthood I will never leave; it suffices me, and upon it I depend.

يَا رَبِّ يَا أَمَلِي وَيَا عَضُدِييَا مَلْجَئِي يَا مَلَاذُ يَا وَزَرُ

Yā rabbi yā amalī wayā ʿaḍudī, Yā maljaʾī yā malādhu yā wazaru

O Lord, O my hope, O my support, O my refuge, O shelter, O protection,

كَمْ لَكَ مِنْ مِنَّةٍ وَمِنْ نِعَمٍعَلَيَّ تَتْرَى مَوَاهِبٌ غُرَرُ

Kam laka min minnatin wamin niʿamin, ʿalayya tatrā mawāhibun ghuraru

How many favours and blessings of Yours come to me one after another, splendid gifts!

لَوْ كَانَ لِي عُمْرُ الدُّنَا وَمَضَىفِي الشُّكْرِ كَانَ يَفُوقُهُ العُشُرُ

Law kāna lī ʿumru ad-dunā wamaḍā, Fī ash-shukri kāna yafūquhu al-ʿushuru

If I had the lifespan of the world and spent it in thanks, a tenth of them would surpass it.

لَكِنَّنِي قَدْ بَقِيتُ مُعْتَرِفاًبِالعَجْزِ فِي الشُّكْرِ فَانْتَفَى الحَذَرُ

Lakinnanī qad baqītu muʿtarifan, Bi-al-ʿajzi fī ash-shukri fantafā al-ḥadharu

But I remain confessing my inability to give thanks, and so fear is removed.

عَامَلْتَنِي بِالجَمِيلِ مُبْتَدِئاًجَعَلْتَنِي أَثَراً وَمَا أَثَرُ

ʿāmaltanī bi-al-jamīli mubtadiʾan, Jaʿaltanī atharan wamā atharu

You treated me with goodness from the start; You made me a trace, when I was no trace at all.

مَا كَادَتِ الفَانِيَاتُ تُوقِفُنِيإِلَّا زَوَتْهَا العُلُومُ وَالفِكَرُ

Mā kādati al-fāniyātu tūqifunī, Illā zawathā al-ʿulūmu wa-al-fikaru

Whenever perishing things almost held me back, knowledge and reflection pushed them away.

وَلَا أَتَانِي اللَّعِينُ يَفْتِنُنِيإِلَّا رَمَاهُ مِنَ العُلَا شَرَرُ

Walā atānī al-laʿīnu yaftinunī, Illā ramāhu mina al-ʿulā shararu

And whenever the accursed one came to tempt me, sparks from on high struck him.

لِلَّهِ فِي خَلْقِهِ سَرَائِرُ لَاتُحْصَى وَلَا يَهْتَدِي لَهَا البَصَرُ

Lillāhi fī khalqihi sarāʾiru lā, Tuḥṣā walā yahtadī lahā al-baṣaru

Allah has secrets in His creation that cannot be counted, nor can the eye find its way to them.

لِلسِّرِّ قَوْمٌ لِحَمْلِهِ صَلُحُواكَمْ مِنْ خَبِيرٍ نَصِيبُهُ الخَبَرُ

Lilssirri qawmun liḥamlihi ṣaluḥū, Kam min khabīrin naṣībuhu al-khabaru

For the secret there are people fit to carry it; how many an expert has only the report as his share!