كل من بالناس يختلطُ

كل من بالناس يختلطُ

في مهاوي الجهل يختبطُ

في مهاوي الجهل يختبطُ

Whoever mingles with people

He who mingles with people

Stumbles blindly in the abysses of ignorance.

Falls into pits of ignorance

وهو لاهي القلب مشتغل

وهو لاهي القلب مشتغل

بسواه والسوى غلط

بسواه والسوى غلط

And, heedless of heart, is occupied

While his heart is heedless

With what is other than Him—and otherness is error.

Of the right path and wanders astray

أنتجت فرط الكلام له

أنتجت فرط الكلام له

خلطة إذ أمره فرط

خلطة إذ أمره فرط

Excessive speech has been bred in him

Excessive talk made him

By mingling, for his conduct is out of bounds.

Mix nonsense when his matter exceeded bounds

وكثير القول يكثر من

وكثير القول يكثر من

مثله الزلات والسقط

مثله الزلات والسقط

And one given to much speech—from

And the one of abundant words increases

His like come many slips and blunders.

From the likes of him slips and lapses

إن يخالط غيره اشتغلت

إن يخالط غيره اشتغلت

فكرة منه فتنضغط

فكرة منه فتنضغط

If he mingles with another, preoccupied

If he associates with others, his

Is his thought, which is then constricted.

Thoughts become preoccupied and constricted

وإذا ما الغير خاطبه

وإذا ما الغير خاطبه

شغله بالغير يشترط

شغله بالغير يشترط

And whenever another addresses him,

And when others address him

Attention to that other is required of him.

He becomes busy with them, stipulating conditions

فمتى يصحو لحالته

فمتى يصحو لحالته

وحجاه ليس ينضبط

وحجاه ليس ينضبط

So when will he awaken to his state,

So when will he wake up to his state

While his reason remains ungoverned?

And restrain himself, no longer being chaotic?

حار حتى لا يعي أبداً

حار حتى لا يعي أبداً

وهو بالأغيار مرتبط

وهو بالأغيار مرتبط

He is bewildered, till he understands nothing at all,

Perplexed, never realizing

And he is bound to others.

While bound to strangers

دائر لا زال في هممٍ

دائر لا زال في هممٍ

لكلام الناس يلتقط

لكلام الناس يلتقط

Roaming, forever caught up in pursuits,

Wandering, never ceasing

He gathers up people's talk.

In aspirations to gather people's talk

ضجت الأسواق منه وقد

ضجت الأسواق منه وقد

ملت الخانات والربط

ملت الخانات والربط

The markets have cried out against him, and

The markets were noisy because of him; he had

The inns and lodges have grown weary.

Filled the inns and halting places

لا يغر المرء رقته

لا يغر المرء رقته

إذ به ذو القبض ينبسط

إذ به ذو القبض ينبسط

Let no man be deceived by his gentleness,

A man's tenderness does not deceive

For through him, one in constriction opens up.

When the firm-handed stretches out to grasp him

إن فيه الخبث مكتمن

إن فيه الخبث مكتمن

والرضى في ضمنه السخط

والرضى في ضمنه السخط

Indeed, malice lies hidden within him,

Indeed, malice lies hidden in him

And within his contentment lies discontent.

While satisfaction is contained in his discontent

وهو بين الناس مرتفع

وهو بين الناس مرتفع

وهو عند الله منهبط

وهو عند الله منهبط

He is exalted among people,

He is elevated among people

Yet brought low in God's sight.

While abased before God

لا يرى إلا ولمته

لا يرى إلا ولمته

قد علاها الشيب والشمط

قد علاها الشيب والشمط

He is only ever seen with his locks

He sees only his youth

Already covered with white and grizzled hair.

Now overtaken by gray hair and wrinkles

وتدانت منه حفرته

وتدانت منه حفرته

وثواب الله منحبط

وثواب الله منحبط

And his grave has drawn near to him,

And his grave has drawn near to him

And his reward from God has come to nothing.

While God's reward is forfeited

والذي في الإنفراد له

والذي في الإنفراد له

حالة طوبى له وسط

حالة طوبى له وسط

And he who, in solitude, possesses

But he who in seclusion finds

A spiritual state—blessed is he!—is well-balanced.

A state of bliss - centered, balanced

ساكن منها بمنزلة

ساكن منها بمنزلة

دونها الأصقاع والخطط

دونها الأصقاع والخطط

He dwells, through it, in a station

Dwelling therein in a station

Beneath which lie regions and districts.

With deserts and wilds beneath him

قد صحا من سكر خلطته

قد صحا من سكر خلطته

عارف بالله منتشط

عارف بالله منتشط

He has awakened from the intoxication of his mingling,

Awakened from the drunkenness of mixing

A knower of God, full of vigor.

Knowing God, vivified

لا يدانيه سواه وهل

لا يدانيه سواه وهل

عسل يشبهه الأَقَط

عسل يشبهه الأَقَط

No other comes near him—and can

None can compare with him - can

Dried curds resemble honey?

Any honey equal citron?

قدموا الحرف البسيط وقد

قدموا الحرف البسيط وقد

أخروا ما معه النقط

أخروا ما معه النقط

They placed the undotted letter first, and indeed

They have presented simple words while

Placed what bears dots last.

Putting off what bears diacritics