نحاسناour copper تغلناunclear; perhaps 'our residue' وزئبقناand our mercury
نحاسنا تغلنا وزئبقنا
ماwhat طارflew off فيin طبخناour cooking عنfrom الثُّفلِthe dregs
ما طار في طبخنا عن الثُّفلِ
Our copper is [our residue?], and our mercury
Our copper has matured and our mercury,
is what flew off from the dregs in our cooking.
It did not evaporate in our cooking from the dregs.
وهوand it إذاwhen ابيضّturns white فضةsilver فإذاand when
وهو إذا ابيضّ فضة فإذا
ماemphatic particle احمرّturns red تبرuncoined gold فرخانtwo fledglings منfrom أصلِa root
ما احمرّ تبر فرخان من أصلِ
And when it turns white, it is silver; and when
And when it turned silver, it became
it turns red, gold—two fledglings from one root,
Red sulfur, chicks from the origin.
صنوانtwin stems sharing a root منfrom واحدone إذاwhen امتزجاthey both mingle
صنوان من واحد إذا امتزجا
فيin البحرthe sea حازاthey both attain أكرمthe noblest الفعلِwork
في البحر حازا أكرم الفعلِ
twin stems from one source; when they mingle
Two medicines from one, when they mix
in the sea, they achieve the noblest work.
In the sea, they achieve the most honorable deed.
والجسدand the body اللينsoft الضعيفweak هوالit is the
والجسد اللين الضعيف هوال
حابسrestrainer للآبقاتof the fugitives بالثقلِby weight
حابس للآبقات بالثقلِ
And the soft, weak body is the
The soft, weak body is the one
restrainer of the fugitives by its weight.
That imprisons the fugitives with its weight.
والروحand the spirit أباقةprone to fleeing لخفتهاbecause of its lightness
والروح أباقة لخفتها
تطيرit flies فيin جوهاits air وتستعليand rises aloft
تطير في جوها وتستعلي
And the spirit is ever fugitive, owing to its lightness;
And the soul is a fugitive due to its lightness,
it flies in its air and rises aloft.
It flies in its atmosphere and rises high.
والناسand people بالزئبقwith mercury الغرورdeceptive وبالand with the
والناس بالزئبق الغرور وبال
كبريتsulfur والأوساخand filth فيin شغلِoccupation
كبريت والأوساخ في شغلِ
And people, with deceptive mercury and with
And the people with the mercury of arrogance and the
sulfur and filth, are preoccupied.
Sulfur and filth of occupation.
قدindeed تركواthey abandoned النورthe light يستضيءis illuminated بهby it الthe
قد تركوا النور يستضيء به ال
ساريnight traveler وسارواand they traveled فيin ظلمdarkness الجهلِignorance
ساري وساروا في ظلم الجهلِ
They have forsaken the light that illuminates the
They have abandoned the light to illuminate
night traveler, and traveled through the darkness of ignorance.
The sublime, and walked in the darkness of ignorance.
Sol 6.1