الخب ميالٌ مع الشبهات

الخب ميالٌ مع الشبهات

وأسيرها في القيد والإفلات

وأسيرها في القيد والإفلات

The cunning man is ever drawn to suspicions,

The deceiver leans toward dubious matters,

their captive alike in bondage and release.

and is their captive, in bondage and release.

يلقي الجميل تأولاً عن باله

يلقي الجميل تأولاً عن باله

ويرى القبيح بأيسر الزلات

ويرى القبيح بأيسر الزلات

Through specious interpretation he casts all goodness from his mind,

He dismisses the good from his mind through interpretation,

yet sees ugliness in the slightest slips.

and sees ugliness in the slightest slips.

وتهزه للسوء طيشاً نفسه

وتهزه للسوء طيشاً نفسه

مع عجزه لتلون الخطرات

مع عجزه لتلون الخطرات

His own soul, in its folly, spurs him toward evil,

And his soul rashly stirs him toward evil,

though he is powerless against his shifting thoughts.

helpless as his passing thoughts shift.

ويطير للزور الملفق سمعه

ويطير للزور الملفق سمعه

ويعده من محكم الآيات

ويعده من محكم الآيات

His ear flies eagerly to fabricated lies,

And his hearing flies toward fabricated falsehood,

and he counts them among the decisive signs.

and he counts it among the unequivocal verses.

وبورح في الخبر الشريف مشككاً

وبورح في الخبر الشريف مشككاً

لكثيف ما يطوي من الظلمات

لكثيف ما يطوي من الظلمات

He goes about casting doubt on the plain report,

And [verb unclear], casting doubt on the noble report,

so dense is the darkness he harbors within.

because of the dense darkness he harbors.

والخير يهمله ويحفظ ضده

والخير يهمله ويحفظ ضده

وينام طي ترقب العثرات

وينام طي ترقب العثرات

He neglects the good and keeps its opposite in mind,

He neglects goodness and remembers its opposite,

and sleeps absorbed in watching for stumbles.

and sleeps enfolded in expectation of stumbles.

يزهو إذا سمع المذمة طوره

يزهو إذا سمع المذمة طوره

لكريم طور شامخ الدرجات

لكريم طور شامخ الدرجات

His temper exults whenever he hears disparagement

He exults, in his own fashion, on hearing disparagement

of a noble man whose bearing towers in rank.

of one noble in bearing, lofty in rank.

ويرد عن مدح الأماجد وجهه

ويرد عن مدح الأماجد وجهه

لؤماً وفي الأمر اختلاف جهات

لؤماً وفي الأمر اختلاف جهات

He turns his face away from praising the glorious,

And he turns his face from praise of the illustrious,

out of baseness, though the matter admits differing viewpoints.

out of baseness—and the matter has differing aspects.

يعمى إذا برزت حقائق ذاته

يعمى إذا برزت حقائق ذاته

ولغيره يحتاط بالهفوات

ولغيره يحتاط بالهفوات

He goes blind when the truths of his own nature emerge,

He grows blind when the truths of his own self emerge,

yet scrutinizes every slip in others.

but watches others closely for their lapses.

ولخبثه ينسى عظائم فعله

ولخبثه ينسى عظائم فعله

ويآخذ الأمجاد بالكلمات

ويآخذ الأمجاد بالكلمات

In his malice he forgets the enormity of his own deeds,

And in his malice he forgets the enormities of his conduct,

and takes the glorious to task over mere words.

and censures the noble over words.

متمكنٌ بزعومه وبدينه

متمكنٌ بزعومه وبدينه

متلون الحركات والسكنات

متلون الحركات والسكنات

Entrenched in his pretensions and his creed,

Steadfast by his own claims, yet in his religion

fickle in every movement and repose,

fickle in movement and repose.

والمستحيل يراه شيئاً ممكناً

والمستحيل يراه شيئاً ممكناً

ويرى إستحالة ممكن العادات

ويرى إستحالة ممكن العادات

he regards the impossible as something possible,

And he sees the impossible as something possible,

and what common experience allows as impossible.

and deems what is ordinarily possible impossible.

فهواه في نظر المحقق دينه

فهواه في نظر المحقق دينه

عبد الهوى في المحو والإثبات

عبد الهوى في المحو والإثبات

Thus, to the discerning, his whim is his religion:

Thus his whim, in the discerning person's view, is his religion;

a slave to desire in negation and affirmation.

he is a slave to desire in erasure and affirmation.

ويرى يزيد أبا يزيد بلحظه

ويرى يزيد أبا يزيد بلحظه

وبمثلها يلقيه في الدركات

وبمثلها يلقيه في الدركات

At a glance he takes Yazid for Abu Yazid,

And with a glance he sees Yazid as Abu Yazid,

and by equating them casts him into the lowest depths.

and with another like it casts him into the lowest depths.

إياك والأخباب لا تركن لهم

إياك والأخباب لا تركن لهم

في فسحة الخلوات والخلوات

في فسحة الخلوات والخلوات

Beware the vile; do not incline toward them

Beware the deceivers; do not rely on them

in the wide reaches of retreats and seclusions.

in the spaciousness of solitude and solitude.

يبدون صدقاً من فسادٍ هل ترى

يبدون صدقاً من فسادٍ هل ترى

ماء الحياة بلذغة الحيات

ماء الحياة بلذغة الحيات

They parade truthfulness born of corruption—do you see

They show truthfulness born of corruption—do you see

the Water of Life in the bite of snakes?

the water of life in the bite of serpents?

دعهم على ماهم عليه فإنهم

دعهم على ماهم عليه فإنهم

رهن المصائب في قيود شتات

رهن المصائب في قيود شتات

Leave them in the state they are in, for they are

Leave them as they are, for they

hostages to calamity, shackled in disarray.

are hostage to calamities, in shackles of disunity.

مهما توطد أمرهم فارقب لهم

مهما توطد أمرهم فارقب لهم

محفاً فهم في قبضة النكبات

محفاً فهم في قبضة النكبات

However firmly their cause is established, await for them

However firmly their affairs are established, expect for them

utter obliteration; they are in calamity’s grip.

ruin, for they are in calamities' grasp.

وعليك بالأخيار فأصبحهم وكن

وعليك بالأخيار فأصبحهم وكن

في ركبهم مع ثروة الساقات

في ركبهم مع ثروة الساقات

Cleave to the good, accompany them, and be

And keep to the virtuous; accompany them, and be

in their caravan, among the multitude bringing up the rear.

in their caravan, with the wealth of those at the rear.

فالخير في الأخيار لم يبرح لهم

فالخير في الأخيار لم يبرح لهم

إلفاً أليف تمكنٍ وثبات

إلفاً أليف تمكنٍ وثبات

For goodness among the good has never ceased to be theirs—

For goodness among the virtuous has always remained their

a close, familiar companion, firmly rooted and steadfast.

close companion, familiar with firmness and constancy.

فاصفح إذ عثروا وإن هم أذنبوا

فاصفح إذ عثروا وإن هم أذنبوا

فاسمح سماح موافقٍ وموات

فاسمح سماح موافقٍ وموات

So pardon them when they stumble, even if they sin,

So pardon them when they stumble; and if they sin,

and show forbearance—an indulgence gracious and accommodating.

then grant the pardon of one agreeable and accommodating.

إن الكرام إذا سترت عيوبهم

إن الكرام إذا سترت عيوبهم

بذلوا لك الأرواح في الشدت

بذلوا لك الأرواح في الشدت

For when you conceal the faults of noble people,

Indeed, when you conceal the faults of the noble,

they offer you their very lives in times of hardship.

they offer their lives for you in hardships,

وغدو عبيدك في تقلبهم وإن

وغدو عبيدك في تقلبهم وإن

هم في الحقيقة خلص السادات

هم في الحقيقة خلص السادات

They become your servants throughout their changing fortunes, though

and become your slaves in their comings and goings, though

in truth they are the choicest of masters.

in truth they are the choicest of masters.

وبقيد طاعتك انبرت أحياؤهم

وبقيد طاعتك انبرت أحياؤهم

في مشهد التسليم كالأموات

في مشهد التسليم كالأموات

Bound in obedience to you, their living selves come forward

And, bound by obedience to you, their living ones come forward

in the scene of surrender like the dead.

in the scene of surrender, like the dead.

يكفي الكريم جميل صنعك مرةً

يكفي الكريم جميل صنعك مرةً

والخب لا يرضيه بذل مئات

والخب لا يرضيه بذل مئات

One gracious deed from you suffices the noble man,

A single act of kindness from you suffices for the noble,

while hundreds of offerings will not satisfy the rogue.

but giving hundreds does not satisfy the deceiver.

وأخو النزاهة لا يرى لخليله

وأخو النزاهة لا يرى لخليله

عيباً فأنعم بالنزيه الذات

عيباً فأنعم بالنزيه الذات

A person of integrity sees no fault in his friend—

And the man of integrity does not see in his friend

how excellent is one whose very essence is pure!

a fault—how excellent is one pure of character!

فاستجل بالنيات دربك من رقي

فاستجل بالنيات دربك من رقي

قة إنما الأعمال بالنيات

قة إنما الأعمال بالنيات

So illumine your path with intentions, from this subtle—

So illuminate your path through intentions, drawing on the subtle

—maxim: “Deeds are only by intentions.”

teaching: 'Deeds are only according to intentions.'