رأيت كتاب آفات اللسان

رأيت كتاب آفات اللسان

من الأحياء مقطوع اللسان

من الأحياء مقطوع اللسان

I saw the Book of the Afflictions of the Tongue—

I saw the book The Afflictions of the Tongue,

from al-Iḥyāʾ—with its tongue cut out.

from the Ihya, with its tongue cut off.

فقلت ماجرالك تقطعنه

فقلت ماجرالك تقطعنه

وأنت أخو الفصاحة والبيان

وأنت أخو الفصاحة والبيان

I said, “What happened to you, that you cut it off,

So I said, “What happened to you, that you cut it off,

though you are a brother to eloquence and lucid speech?”

though you are kin to eloquence and clear expression?”

فناداني لسان الحال منه

فناداني لسان الحال منه

بأن الشر من هذا أتاني

بأن الشر من هذا أتاني

Then the tongue of its condition called out to me:

Then the tongue of its condition called out to me:

“It was from this tongue that evil befell me.

“Evil came to me from this,

وليس له دواء غير قطع

وليس له دواء غير قطع

أو الأبعاد من إنس وجان

أو الأبعاد من إنس وجان

It has no cure except to cut it off

and there is no remedy for it but severing it

or banish it far from humankind and jinn.

or keeping away from humans and jinn.

وإن قلت سأصمت في اختلاط

وإن قلت سأصمت في اختلاط

فهذا ليس يحصل بالأماني

فهذا ليس يحصل بالأماني

Even if you say, ‘I shall keep silent while mingling,’

And if you say, ‘I shall be silent while mingling,’

that cannot be achieved by wishes alone.

this is not achieved by wishful thinking.

وهل الإحصائده أكبت

وهل الإحصائده أكبت

لهذا الخلق في نار وران

لهذا الخلق في نار وران

Was it anything but its harvests that cast

And was it not its harvests that cast down

these creatures into Fire and the dark stain of sin?

these people into fire [final word unclear]?

وكم من كلمة لم يلق بالا

وكم من كلمة لم يلق بالا

بها شخص رمته بالهوان

بها شخص رمته بالهوان

How many a word has a person paid no heed to,

And how many a word went unheeded

only for it to hurl him into humiliation

by someone whom it cast into humiliation,

في الدنيا وفي الاخرى جميعا

في الدنيا وفي الاخرى جميعا

فهل فطن سميع ذو جنان

فهل فطن سميع ذو جنان

in this world and the Hereafter alike.

in this world and the next alike!

Is there, then, a discerning listener possessed of a heart,

Is there, then, a discerning listener with a heart,

يريد نجاته من قبل هلك

يريد نجاته من قبل هلك

وفوت لادراك له بشان

وفوت لادراك له بشان

who seeks his salvation before destruction

who seeks his salvation before destruction

and irretrievable loss befall him;

and a loss beyond recovery in any way,

يشمر في احتراز عن مناه

يشمر في احتراز عن مناه

ولا يسلك سبيل ذوى التواني

ولا يسلك سبيل ذوى التواني

who bestirs himself to guard against his desires

who girds himself to guard against his desires

and does not tread the path of the indolent?”

and does not tread the path of the negligent?”