وقالُواand they said رُضِtame النَّفسَthe soul الحَرونَthe headstrong وكُفَّهاand restrain it
وقالُوا رُضِ النَّفسَ الحَرونَ وكُفَّها
تُعَدَّلْit will be set right وألزِمْهاand oblige it أداءَperformance of الفرائضِthe prescribed duties
تُعَدَّلْ وألزِمْها أداءَ الفرائضِ
And they said: Tame the headstrong soul and restrain it;
They said: "Restrain thy restless soul, and curb it;
It will be set right; oblige it to perform the prescribed duties.
Make it amenable, and force it to fulfill obligations;
وإنand if لْمnot تَرُضْهاyou tame it أنتَyou yourself وحدَكby yourself مُصلِحاًseeking reform
وإن لْم تَرُضْها أنتَ وحدَك مُصلِحاً
وجَدْتَyou will find لَهاfor it منfrom دَهرِهاits lifetime ألفَa thousand رائضِtamer
وجَدْتَ لَها من دَهرِها ألفَ رائضِ
And if you do not tame it yourself, alone, seeking to reform it,
And if thyself alone cannot make it content,
You will find a thousand tamers for it in the course of its life.
Thou wilt find for it in its seasons a thousand drugs."
Sol 6.1