I suffered, so she gathered the scattered grief with sorrow, The renewal of grief wore out the garment of my youth."

He says: The intent of that 'visit' is the rectification of the state [of the seeker] through the manifestation of the Beloved to him, with gentleness in the Form of Grace and intimacy. They express 'Youthful Vigor' (al-Jidda) as Power—meaning the Miracle—and 'Worn-out rags' (al-Akhlaq) as Weakness—meaning Incapacity—and there is no harm [in such metaphors].

And there appeared to my eye a Form through its Meaning, Yet it was not conjoined with [any other] form upon its manifestation.

He says: 'Appeared through its Meaning': That is, it appeared through its own Sacred Essence.

And its Meaning was granted precedence in Love,

Over its Light, which is described as Pre-eternal (Azaliyya).

I singled it out without any separation; nor did I say,

Despite the Union, that the Light is other than the Luminous One (al-Munira).

He says: 'Its Meaning': That is, its Universal Essence, which is the object of the [gnostic] allusion. 'The Meaning of the Spiritual Form and its Light': He intended by it the Visual Form (al-Surat al-Mar'iyya), which is in reality the Universal Goal, and it is that which is described as Pre-eternal. It is the Light that is not other than the Luminous One,