تُطوىare folded away المنىhopes عنaway from طلابseeking غايتِهِhis utmost reach
تُطوى المنى عن طلاب غايتِهِ
بالناسfor people فيin كُتبهhis writings إذاwhen تُنشَرْare unfolded
بالناس في كُتبه إذا تُنشَرْ
The hopes of those who seek to reach his summit
Hopes of matching his utmost reach are folded away
among mankind are dashed whenever his books are opened.
for men, in his writings when they are unfolded.
وقدرُهand his worth فوقabove ماwhat تملَّكهhe has possessed
وقدرُه فوق ما تملَّكه
فليسso is not حبّيmy love لهfor him بمستكثَرْdeemed excessive
فليس حبّي له بمستكثَرْ
His worth is beyond all that one could possess;
His worth exceeds all that he possesses,
so my love for him can never be deemed excessive.
so my love for him is not excessive.
اختصَّهsingled him out جعفرJaʿfar الإمامthe Imam فقدand indeed
اختصَّه جعفر الإمام فقد
وُفِّقَwas well guided فيماin that for which اختَصَّهhe singled him out جعفرْJaʿfar
وُفِّقَ فيما اختَصَّه جعفرْ
Jaʿfar the Imam singled him out—and indeed,
Jaʿfar the Imam singled him out; indeed,
Jaʿfar chose well in singling him out.
Jaʿfar was well guided in choosing him.
فكُتبُهso his writings كالعيونlike eyes إنif نُشِرَتare unfolded
فكُتبُه كالعيون إن نُشِرَت
سَوَادُهاtheir blackness منby contrast with بياضهاtheir whiteness أحوَرْintensely black against white
سَوَادُها من بياضها أحوَرْ
His books are like eyes when they unfold,
His writings are like eyes when unfolded:
their black upon their white—dark and wide-eyed.
their black is striking against their white.
تطلعrise منfrom رأيهhis judgment اذاwhen اعتكرتthickens
تطلع من رأيه اذا اعتكرت
ظلماءُdarkness خطبٍa crisis كواكبٌstars تزهرْshine
ظلماءُ خطبٍ كواكبٌ تزهرْ
From his judgment, whenever there thickens
From his judgment, whenever there gathers
the darkness of crisis, rise stars that blaze.
a crisis’s darkness, shining stars arise.
تُثبِتrecord أقلامُهhis pens بهاin them حِكَماًwords of wisdom
تُثبِت أقلامُه بها حِكَماً
تُتلىare recited بألفاظِin words of لُؤلؤٍpearls يُنثَرْare scattered
تُتلى بألفاظِ لُؤلؤٍ يُنثَرْ
By their light his pens set wise maxims firm;
His pens record in them words of wisdom,
in his words, pearls are recited and scattered.
recited in words like scattered pearls.
تجبرmend ماwhat تكسرshatter الخطوبُcalamities وماand what
تجبر ما تكسر الخطوبُ وما
تكسرshatter آراؤهhis judgments فلنthen will never يجبَرْbe mended
تكسر آراؤه فلن يجبَرْ
They mend what calamities shatter; but whatever
They mend what calamities shatter; and what
his judgments shatter will never be mended.
his judgments shatter will never be mended.
كأنَّماit is as though الدَّهرTime فيin تصرُّفهits workings
كأنَّما الدَّهر في تصرُّفه
يحكمperfects تدبيرَهhis planning إذاwhen دبَّرْhe plans
يحكم تدبيرَه إذا دبَّرْ
It is as though Time, moving at his command,
It is as though Time, in all its workings,
perfects its course whenever he makes a plan.
perfects his designs whenever he devises them.
قدindeed وافقتhas matched يُمنَهhis good fortune بصيرتُهhis insight
قد وافقت يُمنَه بصيرتُه
فياoh, then لتوفيقwhat success for كلِّall ماthat قَدَّرْhe planned
فيا لتوفيق كلِّ ما قَدَّرْ
His foresight has matched his good fortune—
His insight has matched his good fortune;
what wonder, then, that all he plans succeeds?
oh, what happy success attends all he plans!
كأنَّماit is as though مَجمَعُthe gathering of العيونeyes لهfor him
كأنَّما مَجمَعُ العيون له
تُجيبanswer إطراقَهhis lowered gaze إذاwhen فكَّرْhe reflects
تُجيب إطراقَه إذا فكَّرْ
It is as though the sight of every eye were his,
It is as though all eyes were assembled for him,
answering his lowered gaze whenever he reflects.
answering his lowered gaze whenever he reflects.
يدبِّرhe plans الكونَevents قبلbefore موقعِهtheir occurrence
يدبِّر الكونَ قبل موقعِه
فهوso he يرىsees قبلbefore وِردهhis arrival at water المصدرْthe departure from water
فهو يرى قبل وِرده المصدرْ
He plans events before they happen;
He plans events before they come to pass;
before they arrive, he sees how they will unfold.
so he sees his departure before reaching the water.
إنif قامhe rises للأمرto the task كانhe is محتضِراًsummoning
إن قام للأمر كان محتضِراً
رأياًa judgment برُشدٍwith sound guidance منthan رأيهhis own thought أحضَرْreadier
رأياً برُشدٍ من رأيه أحضَرْ
When he rises to a matter, he holds ready
If he rises to a task, he has at hand
a judgment, fresh with guidance and readier than thought itself.
a soundly guided judgment, readier than his own thought.
يُصميstrikes fatally بسهمwith the arrow of البديهِquick wit شاكلةَthe flank of الthe
يُصمي بسهم البديهِ شاكلةَ ال
رَميِquarry وقوسُwhile the bow of الأنَاةِdeliberation لمnot yet يُوتَرْhas been strung
رَميِ وقوسُ الأنَاةِ لم يُوتَرْ
With intuition’s arrow he strikes the mark of the—
With quick wit’s arrow he strikes fatally at the flank
shot, though deliberation’s bow is never strung.
of the quarry, while deliberation’s bow is still unstrung.
لاdo not تكذبواlie ليسare not هذهthese كتبَwritings of الthe
لا تكذبوا ليس هذه كتبَ ال
كُتّابscribes لكنbut معادنmines of الجوهَرْjewels
كُتّاب لكن معادن الجوهَرْ
Do not gainsay it: these are no books of—
Do not lie: these are not the writings
writers, but mines of precious jewels.
of scribes, but mines of jewels.
نَمَّtold بهاof them صامتٌa silent one يُكاتِمkeeps secrets إنif
نَمَّ بها صامتٌ يُكاتِم إن
صامَhe fasts ولكنbut ينمُّhe divulges إنif أفطرْhe breaks his fast
صامَ ولكن ينمُّ إن أفطرْ
Upon them is an antlike mute that keeps secrets when
A silent one tells of them, keeping secrets if
it fasts, but tells tales whenever it breaks its fast.
he fasts, but revealing them if he breaks his fast.
ضامرslender of جسمٍbody تراهyou see him عنdespite خَرَسٍmuteness
ضامر جسمٍ تراه عن خَرَسٍ
مترجماًinterpreting عنof جميعall ماthat يُضمَرْis concealed
مترجماً عن جميع ما يُضمَرْ
Slender-bodied, you see it—despite its muteness—
Slender of body, you see him, despite his muteness,
expressing everything concealed within.
interpreting everything that is concealed within.
قدindeed سلبhe has stolen العاشقينlovers دِقَّتَهمtheir slenderness
قد سلب العاشقين دِقَّتَهم
ولونَهمand their complexion فيin المحسرthe bared form والمنظرْand outward appearance
ولونَهم في المحسر والمنظرْ
It has robbed lovers of their slenderness
He has stolen lovers’ slenderness,
and their pallor, on smooth road and rugged track.
and their complexion, in bare form and outward appearance.
يبصرhe sees ماwhat أوحتhave confided النفوسُsouls لهto him
يبصر ما أوحت النفوسُ له
ومالهyet he has no آلةٌinstrument بهاwith which يُبصرْhe sees
وماله آلةٌ بها يُبصرْ
It sees what souls whisper to it,
He sees what souls have confided to him,
though it has no organ with which to see.
yet he has no instrument with which to see.
يرضَعhe suckles منfrom غيرother than أُمِّهhis mother لبناًmilk
يرضَع من غير أُمِّه لبناً
يمجُّهspits it out فوهhis mouth فهوso he لاdoes not يَكبَرْgrow
يمجُّه فوه فهو لا يَكبَرْ
It suckles milk from one who is not its mother;
He suckles milk from one who is not his mother;
its mouth spits it out, and so it never grows.
his mouth spits it out, so he does not grow.
قدmay يُزدَرىbe scorned فيin عيانهthe sight of him ولقدyet indeed
قد يُزدَرى في عيانه ولقد
يَقضيhe passes judgment بآثارِهthrough his traces إذاwhen أثَّرْhe leaves a mark
يَقضي بآثارِه إذا أثَّرْ
It may be scorned for its outward appearance, yet
He may be scorned when seen, yet indeed
it passes judgment through the marks it leaves.
he passes judgment through his traces whenever he leaves a mark.
يحفىhe grows footsore منfrom المشيwalking فيduring الرضاعsuckling فإنand if
يحفى من المشي في الرضاع فإن
عُولجhe is treated منهfor it رأيتَهyou see him أصغَرْsmaller
عُولج منه رأيتَه أصغَرْ
Walking as it suckles wears its feet bare; and if
He grows footsore walking while still a suckling; and if
it is worked and trimmed, you see it smaller.
he is treated for it, you see him smaller.
حقit is fitting لاثارfor the traces of لونa color عنon behalf of بنيthe sons of الthe
حق لاثار لون عن بني ال
عبّاʿAbbā (name as written) أنto ترقصdance أوor تنصرْlend support
عبّا أن ترقص أو تنصرْ
It is fitting that strokes of ink, on behalf of the—
It is fitting that a color’s traces, for the sons of al-
weak, should dance—or bring them victory.
ʿAbbā, should dance or lend support.
منكّسlowering رأسَهhis head كهاروتَlike Hārūt فيin
منكّس رأسَه كهاروتَ في
بابلBabylon إذsince كانhe was مثلَهlike him يسحَرْworking magic
بابل إذ كان مثلَه يسحَرْ
Its head hangs downward, like Hārūt in
He lowers his head, like Hārūt in
Babylon, when one such as he practiced sorcery.
Babylon, since, like him, he worked magic.
دَعleave aside ذِكرَmention of أقلامهhis pens فلمfor not يكنwas الthe
دَع ذِكرَ أقلامه فلم يكن ال
صَمصَامُkeen-edged sword إلاexcept بعنترٍthrough ʿAntar يُذكَرْmentioned
صَمصَامُ إلا بعنترٍ يُذكَرْ
Say no more of his pens: the al-
Leave talk of his pens aside, for the
Ṣamṣām sword is named only together with ʿAntar.
keen-edged sword was remembered only through ʿAntar.
Sol 6.1