and at the clash of horses in every battle-line (1), when hooves stumble (2) amid the tightly plaited reins;
and in the ferocity of the pouncing lion and its might (3), and in the harshness of a life gnawed by illness (4);
and in the beloved’s aloofness after union, and in treachery (5) that follows a promise (6) firmly affirmed;
and in the dread of a parting that scatters, and in the moment of farewell for the fevered, heartsick soul (7)(8);
and in the sundering of comrades after their gathering, in every scattering and fellowship laid waste;
and in every dwelling that lies desolate after its conviviality, in every weather-worn ruin and forsaken abode (9);
and in the terror of surging sea-waves, the loneliness of barren wastes, and the torrent foaming through the gullies (10);
and when I rise to perform all of the prescribed obligations, in that state of surrender to the secret of worship;
and in my reverent humility during prayer before the Majesty of the One addressed, and in my bowed silence (11) during the night vigil;
and in the moment when the pilgrims assume their consecration for Hajj, driving the pale camels across every broad plain (12)(13);
and in the hardship of earning what is lawful, and in the spell of weariness that overtakes the heart of the devoted worshiper;

[The Manifestations of Perfection]

and in the mention of the verses (14) of punishment, in the darkness of the veil, and in the constriction that seizes the self-denying devotee;
yet He appears (15) with the attributes of perfection, so that in beholding Him I see nothing ugly and nothing blameworthy.