Sol 6.1

  1. إِنَّ أُولي العِلمِ بِما في الفِتَن

    تَهَيَّبوها مِن قَديمِ الزَمَن

    Indeed, those who know what trials hold

    have dreaded them since ancient times.

  2. فَاستَعصَموا اللَهَ وَكانَ التُقى

    أَوفى لَهُم فيها مِنَ اَوفى الجُنَن

    So they sought refuge in God, and piety was

    a surer defense for them therein than the surest shields.

  3. وَاِجتَمَعوا في حُسنِ تَوفيقِهِ

    وَاِفتَرَقوا في كُلِّ سَعيٍ حَسَن

    They were united in His gracious guidance,

    and went their separate ways in every worthy endeavor.

  4. فَعالِمٌ مُستَمجِدٌ عامِلٌ

    يَسلُكُ بِالناسِ سَواءَ السُنَن

    One is a scholar, seeking honor and acting on his knowledge,

    who leads people along the straight paths.

  5. يَنثُرُ مِن فيهِ لَهُم جَوهَراً

    مِن عِلمِهِ لَيسَ لَهُ مِن ثَمَن

    He scatters jewels for them from his mouth,

    from his knowledge, beyond all price.

  6. يَقسِمُهُ طُلّابُهُ بَينَهُم

    قِسمَةَ تَعديلٍ بِقَدرِ الفِطَن

    His students divide it among themselves,

    in fair shares, according to their understanding.

  7. وَبُهمَةٌ مُختَرِطٌ سَيفَهُ

    يَغمِدُهُ في هامِ أَهلِ الوَثَن

    Another is a fearless warrior, drawing his sword,

    sheathing it in the heads of idol-worshippers.

  8. يَلبَسُ مِن إيمانِهِ لَأمَةً

    فَضفاضَةً يَغنى بِها عَن مِجَن

    He wears a coat of armor made of his faith,

    ample, leaving him no need of a shield.

  9. وَحابِسٌ في بَيتِهِ نَفسَهُ

    مُعتَزِلٌ مُستَمسِكٌ بِالسُنَن

    Another confines himself within his house,

    withdrawn, holding fast to the sacred traditions.

  10. يَأخُذُ مِن دُنياهُ قوتاً لَهُ

    مُقتَنِعاً مِثلَ عِذارِ الرَسَن

    He takes from his worldly life sustenance for himself,

    content with as little as a halter's cheek-strap.

  11. قَد جَعَلَ البَيتَ كَقَبرٍ لَهُ

    وَبُردُهُ فيهِ لَهُ كَالكَفَن

    He has made his house like a grave for himself,

    and his cloak within it is like a shroud for him.

  12. فَهوَ خَفيفُ الظَهرِ لَكِنَّهُ

    أَثقَلُ في ميزانِهِ مِن حَضَن

    His back is lightly laden, yet he is

    weightier in his scales than Ḥaḍan.

  13. وَهارِبٌ شُحّاً عَلى دينِهِ

    إِلى البَراري وَرُؤوسِ القُنَن

    Another flees, jealously guarding his faith,

    to the wilderness and the mountain peaks.

  14. يَأنَسُ بِالوِحدَةِ في بيدِها

    أَكثَرَ مِن تَأنيسِهِ بِالسَكَن

    He finds solace in solitude amid their deserts,

    more than he finds comfort in company.

  15. لا يَرهَبُ الأُسدَ وَمَن لَم يَخُن

    سَيِّدَهُ في عَهدِهِ لَم يُخَن

    He fears no lions; and whoever has not betrayed

    his Master in his covenant will not be betrayed.

  16. وَتائِبٌ مِن ذَنبِهِ مُشفِقٌ

    يَبكي بُكاءَ الواكِفاتِ الهُتُن

    Another repents of his sin, fearful,

    weeping like rain-clouds pouring steadily.

  17. تَخالُهُ بَينَ يَدَي رَبِّهِ

    في ظُلَمِ اللَيلِ كَمِثلِ الغُصُن

    You would think him, before his Lord,

    in the darkness of night, like a branch.

  18. إِن مَهَّدَ الناسُ لِدُنياهُمُ

    شَمَّرَ في تَمهيدِهِ لِلجَنَن

    If people prepare for their worldly life,

    he girds himself in preparation for the Gardens.

  19. كَأَنَّما الأَرضُ لَهُ أَيكَةٌ

    وَهوَ بِها قُمرِيَّةٌ في فَنَن

    As though the earth were a grove to him,

    and he within it a turtledove upon a bough.

  20. وَصامِتٌ في قَلبِهِ مِقوَلٌ

    بِالذِكرِ لِلَّهِ طَويلٌ لَسِن

    Another is silent, yet within his heart is a tongue,

    long and eloquent in the remembrance of God.

  21. قَد نَوَّرَ اللَهُ لَهُ قَلبَهُ

    بِالذِكرِ في السِرِّ لَهُ وَالعَلَن

    God has illumined his heart for him

    through remembrance of Him, in secret and in public.

  22. فَإِن يَبِن بِالفِكرِ عَن صَحبِهِ

    فَجِسمُهُ بَينَهُمُ لَم يَبِن

    So if in thought he parts from his companions,

    his body remains among them, not apart.

  23. وَإِن لَغَوا جَليسٌ لَهُم

    لَم يَلِجِ اللَغوُ لَهُ في أُذُن

    And if they chatter while he sits with them,

    no idle talk enters his ear.

  24. في مَلَكوتِ اللَهِ سُبحانَهُ

    تَجولُ أَلبابُ لُبابِ الفِطَن

    Within God's dominion—glory be to Him—

    roam the minds of the keenest-witted.

  25. فَهُم خُصوصُ اللَهِ في أَرضِهِ

    حَقّاً بِهِم تُدرَأُ عَنّا المِحَن

    They are God's chosen ones upon His earth;

    truly, through them afflictions are warded off from us.

  26. سَمَوا بِفَضلِ اللَهِ نَحوَ الَّتي

    مَن حَلَّ في جيرَتِها قَد أَمِن

    They rose, by God's grace, toward the abode

    in whose neighborhood whoever settles is secure.

  27. وَنَزَّهوا الأَنفُسَ عَن مَنزِلٍ

    نازِلُهُ مُستَوفِزٌ لِلظَعَن

    They kept their souls aloof from a dwelling

    whose lodger is poised to depart.

  28. وَضَمَّروا الخَيلَ لِيَومٍ بِهِ

    يُنكَبَ مَن يَركَبُ فَوقَ الهُجُن

    They made their horses lean for a day on which

    those riding atop fine-bred camels are brought low.

  29. فَلَيتَني كُنتُ لَهُم خادِماً

    وَلَيتَني إِذ لَم أَكُن لَم أَكُن

    Would that I had been a servant to them,

    and since I was not, would that I had never existed!

  30. وَمَن سِواهُم فَرِجالٌ رَجَوا

    أَن يَعبُروا البَحرَ بِغَيرِ السُفُن

    All others are men who hoped

    to cross the sea without ships.

  31. وَإِنَّما قَصَّرَ بي عَنهُمُ

    حُبّي لِدارٍ مُلِئَت بِالفِتَن

    And only this kept me short of them:

    my love for an abode filled with trials.

  32. لا غارَتِ الدُنيا وَلا أَنجَدَت

    فَالعاقِلُ الحُرُّ بِها مُمتَحَن

    May the world neither descend to lowlands nor climb to highlands!

    For in it the wise, free man is put to trial.

  33. تَميلُ لِلأَحمَقِ مِن أَهلِها

    وَهيَ عَلى عاقِلِهِم تَضطَغِن

    It inclines toward the fool among its people,

    yet harbors rancor against their wise man.

  34. يا عَجَباً مِن غَفلَتي بَعدَ أَن

    نادانِيَ الشَيبُ أَلا فَارحَلَن

    How astonishing my heedlessness, after

    gray hair called to me: “Take heed, then depart!

  35. وَأَدرِكِ الفائِتَ مِن قَبلِ أَن

    يَفجَأَكَ المَوتُ فَلا تُنظَرَن

    And recover what you have missed before

    death takes you unawares and you are given no respite.”

  36. أَقبَحُ مَن تَرمُقُهُ مُقلَةٌ

    مُبصِرَةٌ شَيخٌ خَليعُ الرَسَن

    The ugliest person beheld by an eye

    that sees is an old man with his halter cast off.

  37. تَقتادُهُ الدَهرَ دَواعي الهَوى

    إِلى الصِبا مِثلَ اِقتِيادِ البُدُن

    The promptings of desire lead him all his days

    to youthful folly, as sacrificial camels are led.

  38. يَأمُلُ آمالَ فَتىً يافِعٍ

    كَأَنَّهُ لَيسَ بِشَيخٍ يَفَن

    He cherishes the hopes of a youth coming of age,

    as though he were not a decrepit old man.

  39. لَيسَ جَمالُ الشَيخِ إِلّا التُقى

    وَالمَحوُ لِلسوءِ بِفِعلٍ حَسَن

    An old man's only beauty is piety

    and effacing evil through a good deed.

  40. شُغِلتُ بِالوَصفِ وَلَو أَنَّني

    أُشغَلُ بِالمَوصوفِ كُنتُ الفَطِن

    I have been absorbed in description; had I

    been absorbed in what is described, I would have been discerning.

  41. وَلَم أَبِع رُشداً بِغَيٍّ وَلَم

    أَرضَ بِعَقلي مِثلَ هَذا الغَبَن

    Nor would I have sold right guidance for error, nor

    accepted so ruinous a bargain for my reason.

  42. إِنّا إِلى اللَهِ لَقَد حاقَ بي

    ما يُورِثُ الخِزيَ غَداً وَالحَزَن

    Indeed, we are bound for God! I have truly been beset

    by what will bring disgrace and sorrow tomorrow.

  43. وَالحَمدُ لِلَّهِ فَفي كَفِّهِ

    مَنحٌ لِمَن شاءَ وَفيها المِنَن

    And praise be to God, for in His hand

    are gifts for whomever He wills, and in it are bounties.

  44. وَهوَ الَّذي أَرجو فَإِن لَم يَكُن

    عِندَ رَجائي فيهِ طَولاً فَمَن

    He is the One I hope in; and if He is not

    bountiful when I place my hope in Him, then who is?