صاحِبْkeep company with أُوليthose possessing الذَّوقِspiritual taste واغْنَمْand gain منfrom مجالِسِهِمْtheir gatherings
صاحِبْ أُولي الذَّوقِ واغْنَمْ من مجالِسِهِمْ
أسرارَthe secrets of أوقاتِهِمْtheir moments إنif كنتَyou are ذاpossessing نَظَرِinsight
أسرارَ أوقاتِهِمْ إن كنتَ ذا نَظَرِ
Keep company with those of spiritual taste, and gain from their gatherings
The secrets of their moments, if you possess insight.
واجعلْand give لقلبِكَfor your heart عيناًan eye فيin محاضِرِهِمْtheir assemblies
واجعلْ لقلبِكَ عيناً في محاضِرِهِمْ
تَطوفُroams بالصِّدقِwith sincerity بينbetween السَّمْعِhearing والبَصَرِand sight
تَطوفُ بالصِّدقِ بين السَّمْعِ والبَصَرِ
And give your heart an eye in their assemblies,
To roam in sincerity between hearing and sight.
هذيthis الفَلاةُthe wilderness بهاin it الأَحجارُthe stones طافِحَةًoverflowing
هذي الفَلاةُ بها الأَحجارُ طافِحَةً
رَطيبَةٌmoist وكَمينُand the latent potential of القَدْحِstriking fire فيin حَجَرِa stone
رَطيبَةٌ وكَمينُ القَدْحِ في حَجَرِ
This wilderness is brimming with stones,
Moist, while the power to strike fire lies hidden in a stone.
فإنْfor if تَراهاyou perceive them بلمْسٍby touch كلَّهاall of them اتَّحَدَتْbecame alike
فإنْ تَراها بلمْسٍ كلَّها اتَّحَدَتْ
ونكْتَةَand a tap of القدحِstriking fire تُبْديreveals كامِنَthe hidden الشَّرَرِsparks
ونكْتَةَ القدحِ تُبْدي كامِنَ الشَّرَرِ
For if you perceive them by touch, they are all alike,
And a fire-striking tap reveals the hidden sparks.
فاقْدَحْso strike fire بزَنْدِwith the fire-striker of خُشوعٍhumble reverence فيin محاضِرِهِمْtheir assemblies
فاقْدَحْ بزَنْدِ خُشوعٍ في محاضِرِهِمْ
قلوبَهُمْtheir hearts لتَرَىso you may see جَلْجالَةَthe reverberation of الأَثَرِthe effect
قلوبَهُمْ لتَرَى جَلْجالَةَ الأَثَرِ
So strike with the fire-striker of humble reverence in their assemblies
Their hearts, to witness the resounding effect.
وإنand if سمعْتَyou heard وماand did not حقَّقْتَyou verified أوor نظَرَتْlooked
وإن سمعْتَ وما حقَّقْتَ أو نظَرَتْ
عيْناكَyour two eyes وهماًin delusion جَهِلْتَyou failed to know الخُبْرَfirsthand knowledge بالخَبَرِthrough hearsay
عيْناكَ وهماً جَهِلْتَ الخُبْرَ بالخَبَرِ
And if you hear without verifying, or gaze
With your eyes deluded, hearsay leaves you ignorant of firsthand knowledge.
كمhow many منof بَعيدٍa distant one رآهُمْsaw them قربَnear رُتبَتِهِhis rank
كم من بَعيدٍ رآهُمْ قربَ رُتبَتِهِ
ياAh رُبَّhow often فيin الماءِthe water تبدوappears صُورَةُthe image of القَمَرِthe moon
يا رُبَّ في الماءِ تبدو صُورَةُ القَمَرِ
How many a distant one has seen them near his own rank!
Ah, how often the moon's image appears in water!
Sol 6.1