والنَّفْسُand the soul عادِمَةُlacking الكَمَالِperfection وإنَّماand only
والنَّفْسُ عادِمَةُ الكَمَالِ وإنَّما
بالبَحْثِthrough searching عنfor عِلْمِknowledge of الحقائِقِrealities تَكْمُلُbecomes complete
بالبَحْثِ عن عِلْمِ الحقائِقِ تَكْمُلُ
And the soul lacks perfection, and only
The soul is imperfect in its essence, yet
through seeking knowledge of realities does it become complete.
It is perfected through seeking knowledge of truths.
والمَرْءُand a man مِثْلُlike النَّصْلِa blade فيin إصْدائِهِits rusting
والمَرْءُ مِثْلُ النَّصْلِ في إصْدائِهِ
والجَهْلُand ignorance يُصْدِيcauses rust والتَّفَهُّمُand understanding يَصْقُلُpolishes
والجَهْلُ يُصْدِي والتَّفَهُّمُ يَصْقُلُ
And a man is like a blade in its rusting;
A person is like a sapling in its trunk,
ignorance causes rust, and understanding polishes.
Ignorance makes it barren, understanding makes it fruitful.
مُتَلألِئٌgleaming يَثْنِيturns back العيونَthe eyes نَوَاكِساًdowncast
مُتَلألِئٌ يَثْنِي العيونَ نَوَاكِساً
كالشَمْسِlike the sun تَعْكِسُturns back لَحْظَthe gaze of مَنْwhoever يَتَأَمَّلُlooks closely
كالشَمْسِ تَعْكِسُ لَحْظَ مَنْ يَتَأَمَّلُ
Gleaming, it turns eyes downward,
Radiant, dazzling the eyes of the beholder,
like the sun, which turns back the gaze of whoever looks closely.
Like the sun reflecting the gaze of one who contemplates.
لاnot يَتَّقِيwards off رَمَدَeye inflammation النَّوَائِبِcalamities ناظِرٌan eye
لا يَتَّقِي رَمَدَ النَّوَائِبِ ناظِرٌ
يُجْلَىis cleansed بِمِرْوَدِwith the kohl-stick of صَفْحَتَيْهِits two faces وَيُكْحَلُand is lined with kohl
يُجْلَى بِمِرْوَدِ صَفْحَتَيْهِ وَيُكْحَلُ
No eye wards off the eye-soreness of calamities
The one who sees is protected from the rheum of misfortunes,
when cleansed and kohled with the kohl-stick of its two faces.
His eyesight is cleared by the collyrium of its pages.
وكأنَّand as though راحَتَهُhis palm الذِراعُal-Dhirāʿ (the Foreleg) إِفاضَةًin outpouring
وكأنَّ راحَتَهُ الذِراعُ إِفاضَةً
وكأنَّماand as though الأنْوَاءُthe rain-bearing stars منهاof it الأنْمُلُthe fingertips
وكأنَّما الأنْوَاءُ منها الأنْمُلُ
And his palm seems al-Dhirāʿ in its outpouring,
His palm is like a torrent pouring forth,
and the rain-bearing stars seem its fingertips.
And it seems the fingers are rivulets flowing from it.
تَتَصَوَّرُtake shape الأكوانُthe worlds فيin حَوْبَائِهِhis soul
تَتَصَوَّرُ الأكوانُ في حَوْبَائِهِ
فكأنَّso as though خاطِرَهُhis mind الصَّقِيْلَpolished سَجَنْجَلُa mirror
فكأنَّ خاطِرَهُ الصَّقِيْلَ سَجَنْجَلُ
The worlds take shape within his soul,
The universes are depicted in its lines,
so his polished mind seems a mirror.
As if his imaginative mind is the burnishing steel.
وإذاand when رَأَتْكَsee you الشُّهْبُthe bright stars مُزْمِعَintent on غَزْوَةٍa campaign
وإذا رَأَتْكَ الشُّهْبُ مُزْمِعَ غَزْوَةٍ
وَدَّتْwish جميعاًall together أنَّهاthat they لكfor you جَحْفَلُa mighty host
وَدَّتْ جميعاً أنَّها لك جَحْفَلُ
And when the bright stars see you intent on a campaign,
When meteors see you preparing for conquest,
they all wish they were a mighty host for you.
They all retreat, for they know you are their conqueror.
ولوِand if الأمورُaffairs جَرَتْproceeded علىaccording to مِقْدَارِهاtheir due measure
ولوِ الأمورُ جَرَتْ على مِقْدَارِها
حَمَلَwould bear السِّلاحَarms لكَfor you السِّماكُal-Simāk الأعْزَلُthe Unarmed
حَمَلَ السِّلاحَ لكَ السِّماكُ الأعْزَلُ
And if affairs proceeded according to their due measure,
If matters proceeded according to your worth,
al-Simāk the Unarmed would bear arms for you.
Even the unarmed fish would take up arms for you.
Sol 6.1