Original content

English translation

In the name of Him Whose kingdom is everlasting, In Whose description the speech of the rational is speechless. His name is the book of delight for souls, His name is the index of all books of poetry. With His name, the palate of souls becomes filled with sugar, With His remembrance, the sword of tongues becomes filled with pearls. If without His remembrance there is a scent or a color, it is nothing, And if without His name there is a name, it is a disgrace. A Lord such that, as long as existence exists, All of it next to His Essence is absolute lowliness. Since His Essence is higher than whatever we know, How can we describe or explain it? With the hand of His creation, the sphere of the earth's center Is cast into the curve of the polo-stick of the heavens. Since no one's intellect is above Him, No one is the knower of His blessings. All negation of the world became His affirmation, The entire universe became a proof of His Essence. His Attributes are His Essence and His Essence is like His Attributes, If you look closely, indeed all is His Essence. The existence of all is the shadow of His Presence, All are the signs of the creation of His power. An eloquent speaker has spoken well regarding the Essence: 'Monotheism is the discarding of relations.' What a high status that from the moon to the fish, Is before Him like a single strand of black hair. What great glory, which is so self-sufficient That so much intellect and soul are but a game there. What majesty that if it enters the soul, From every single atom a hundred storms will arise. What unity that not even a hair can fit into it, In that unity, the entire world does not weigh even a hair. What mercy that if Iblis should receive but a single atom of it, He would snatch the ball of victory from Idris. What honor that if it should fall upon the universe, In a single hour, both worlds would collapse together. What awe that if the sun does not receive even a single atom of it, It would be lost in eternal shadow. What respect that out of reverence for that high position, No one finds a way beyond it. What a kingdom, which of necessity became obligatory, Accepting neither decrease nor increase. What power that if He wills, in a single breath, He can make the earth like wax, and the heavens too. What a drink that strikes the soul into blood, In hope of the promise: 'And their Lord will give them to drink.' What a vast expanse that if the universe did not exist, Not a hair's breadth of it would be diminished. What an ultimate end that the eye of intellect and understanding Remains, after reaching it, cast upon the dust. What respite that when the time comes, By a single hair, a whole world falls into the trap. What severity in demanding proof and argument, With neither the strength for silence nor the face for speaking. What seclusion that so many men and women Ran, yet did not even see the dust of His path. What negligence that has chained us, Otherwise, there is no fault from us. What strength, if from this Trust We emerge without committing betrayal! What regret there will be for us, But regret will be of no benefit to us. The world of love has neither beginning nor end, It has no guide except the blood of the heart. He who is a lover is one who, from foot to crown, Like a rose, is drowned in blood at the very first step. O Lord, I have spoken much in vain, I have spoken of many things that exist and do not exist. Although the sin of the disobedient is as vast as a hundred worlds, Yet a single atom of Your grace is greater than that. Since we have nothing but shortcomings in our obedience, What weight can we bring? A handful of poor merchandise. Now that this matter has befallen us, O Lord, do not leave us to ourselves! You are free from decrease, from 'how' and 'why,' Beyond the universe, and beyond all creation, You are beyond. O God, Your mercy is an all-encompassing ocean, From there, a single drop is sufficient for us. If You wash away the defilement of sinful creation In that ocean all at once, That ocean will not become dark for a single moment, But the affairs of the whole world will be illuminated. What would be diminished from that ocean of mercy, If You distribute a single drop among creation? How beautiful is a 'Ha' from God and a 'Hu' from the servant, A spiritual clamor between the servant and the Lord. You have no one in the entire world, Why do you not weep greatly for yourself? Even if you have a hundred acquaintances in your house, When you die, you will find them all to be strangers. They do not give you this grief easily; They do not hand over a mountain in exchange for a blade of straw. If you desire even a single atom of this grief, You must have the purity of the sea and the patience of the mountain. If you die but a single moment before your death, In that single moment, you will conquer the entire world. If you become aware, O estranged man, Of whose presence you have remained so distant from, Out of regret, you would place a scar upon your side, And rest your head of anxiety upon your knee. If you are worthy of the path of God, Completely blind the eye of your desire. When the eye of your desire becomes blind, The eye of your guidance becomes seeing of the Truth. There is no visible end to bewilderment; Who can find a needle from the ocean? Know the world to be like a caravanserai with two gates: When you enter through this door, you pass out through that one. You lie asleep in heedlessness, aware of nothing; You shall die, whether you wish it or not. Whether you are a beggar or an emperor, Three yards of canvas and ten bricks are your sole companions. The heavens have wrought much fiery work, There shall be no deliverance for anyone. From everything you possess, willingly or unwillingly, You must part in the end. Even if your kingdom stretches from the fish to the moon, Your end lies on the path to this gate. And even if you are Alexander, this mortal world Will one day make your shroud of Alexandrian cloth. O dear friend, without you, a king laid up A treasure for himself somewhere. If his mind desires, he will carry away that treasure, Otherwise, he will leave it behind just as it is. The unfaithful world has no light, It has no celebration without a mourning. If it gives you silver, it is but a stone, And if it accepts your excuse, it is but lame. A union without separation is no one's lot, For there is no rose without thorns, nor sugar without flies. I know of no one without grief, That I might rub my hand upon him for a moment. Go, submit your body to the heavy burden of grief; Strive hard, and when they demand your soul, give your soul. I do not see in you that strength and power To ascend to the heavens without going into the grave. Did not Adam remain sorrowful for six hundred years? Did he not shed blood upon the earth for the sake of a single grain of wheat? Since even for him a grain of wheat was not without a hundred calamities, A morsel without grief is not proper for you either. All our profit turned into loss, Alas for our birth and our existence! O world, who is there that is happy with your injustice? All your injustice and your turn is but wind. Since the world is not sorrowful because of your affairs, Why do you throw dust upon your head at its hands? The world has had many a bridegroom like you, It remembers many a festival and wedding. For an age I have been bound in this desire, To share a secret with a companion. I do not see a single compatible companion, Alas for these hypocritical associates! Since you were born from your mother for the sake of dust, Why do you build palaces and high vistas in this lowliness? Since your body will be worn away in the dust, Why do you raise the top of your tower to the heavens? Even if you have amassed a treasure of silver and gold, You will not drink a single drop of water without pain. Grieve for yourself, for no one grieves for you; What am I saying to you? By God, there is none indeed. Although your place is under the earth, Yet the pure soul is from the pure dust. Is not your essence the one prostrated to by angels? Is not the crown of vicegerency upon your head? O prince of the vicegerent, leave the ash-heap; Go to the rose-garden, cast off your heavy sluggishness. In Egypt, the kingship is destined for you; Why are you, like Joseph, in the depths of the well? You have no command over your own kingdom Because the demon occupies the seat of Solomon. You are a king, both in the end and in the beginning, But the observer's eye is cross-eyed. You see one as two, and a hundred as two hundred; Whether one, two, or a hundred—all is you yourself. You have but one heart, O wretched one, yet a hundred burdens; With one heart, how can you perform a hundred tasks? How long will you grieve for bread and clothing? How long will you care for the name and shame of the common folk? You have a wondrous nature in your origin: A coarse woolen patch stitched onto satin. If at every moment you strive for presence, You will wear the robe of honor of 'Prostrate and draw near.' From thinking so many futile thoughts, You have worn out your own nature. O sleeper, if you are wise, Close the door of your desires upon yourself. What greed in the heart of the son of Adam! What a bewildered and wandering one of the world! O you who, out of greed, have remained with a blind heart, The only remedy for the door of greed is death. ... Until you die, your greed will not decrease. What will you do with so much worldly wealth? You have tasted the overflowing cup of the world. The goods of the entire world, by God, Are not worth a single barley-corn in the eyes of the wayfarer. All like vultures bound to carrion, ... Alas for these tale-bearers of ant-like nature, Like ants, none is a guide, nor can they see the way. Alas for the greed of a handful of bone-gnawers, All dog-natured and mouse-allied. O you who remain in grief day and night, Left helpless in the hands of greed, Greed has placed a halter on your head; You have greed, and the camel has its rein. Trust in the Provider in the end; Be patient and be tranquil in the end. He does not withhold His sustenance even from the infidel; How then would He withhold it from the wise man? Do not be sluggish at the dawn, O friend, Since you possess safety and bodily health. When you are awake at the morning hour, You shall find whatever you desire at that hour. Whatever robe of honor they wear from that Threshold, They wear it when the dawn arrives. They open the gates of the garden at dawn, And show His beauty to those who yearn. If you desire sovereignty at that moment, Beg at the threshold of Muhammad.