كلُّeveryone منwho قاسcompared نبيّاًa prophet بسواهwith someone other than him
كلُّ من قاس نبيّاً بسواه
فيin سجاياهhis character traits ففضَّthen may He shatter اللهGod فاهhis mouth
في سجاياه ففضَّ الله فاه
Everyone who compares a prophet with anyone else
in his character—may God shatter his mouth!
أبتrefused العصمةinfallibility أنthat يشتبهاthe two be alike
أبت العصمة أن يشتبها
ليسthere is no بينbetween النّجمthe star والشّمسand the sun اشتباهresemblance
ليس بين النّجم والشّمس اشتباه
Infallibility forbids the two to be alike;
there is no resemblance between the star and the sun.
ليسis not غادa dawn traveler فيin سناthe radiance of عصمتهhis infallibility
ليس غاد في سنا عصمته
مثلlike سارa night traveler فيin دياجيرthe deep darkness of هواهhis desire
مثل سار في دياجير هواه
One traveling at dawn in the radiance of his infallibility is not
like one traveling by night in the darkness of his desire.
أنبياءُthe prophets of اللهGod أنوارthe lights of الهدىguidance
أنبياءُ الله أنوار الهدى
منwhoever رأىsaw نورهمtheir light نالattained هداهhis guidance
من رأى نورهم نال هداه
God's prophets are the lights of guidance;
whoever sees their light attains his own guidance.
كيفhow لاnot يهديguides نبيٌّa prophet أمةًa people
كيف لا يهدي نبيٌّ أمةً
لصفاءto the purity of الوردthe drinking water واللهwhile God اصطفاهchose him
لصفاء الورد والله اصطفاه
How could a prophet not guide a people
to pure water, when God has chosen him?
ظهرتappeared أسرارهمtheir inner secrets عنfree from كَدَرٍmurk
ظهرت أسرارهم عن كَدَرٍ
فهيso they are فيduring نومthe sleep of النّهيthe minds ذاتُpossessed of انتباهwakefulness
فهي في نوم النّهي ذاتُ انتباه
Their inner secrets appeared free of murk,
so they are wakeful while minds sleep.
حفظsafeguarded اللهGod لهمfor them أنفسَهُمtheir souls
حفظ الله لهم أنفسَهُم
فهيso they لاdo not تطمحaspire إلاَّexcept لرضاهfor His pleasure
فهي لا تطمح إلاَّ لرضاه
God safeguarded their souls for them,
so they aspire only to His pleasure.
وكساand He clothed أفكارهمtheir thoughts معرفةًknowledge
وكسا أفكارهم معرفةً
عَظُمَتgrew exalted هِمَّتُهَاtheir aspiration عمَنabove anyone سواهother than Him
عَظُمَت هِمَّتُهَا عمَن سواه
And He clothed their thoughts in knowledge;
their aspiration rose above anyone other than Him.
والذيand what نرويهwe recount it فيin أخبارهمthe accounts about them
والذي نرويه في أخبارهم
كانwas قدalready صدقهaffirmed it منthe one who قدalready رواهnarrated it
كان قد صدقه من قد رواه
And what we relate in the accounts of them
had already been affirmed by the one who narrated it.
منwhoever حماهprotected him اللهGod أكدارthe impurities of الهوىdesire
من حماه الله أكدار الهوى
لاnot يراهHe sees him أبداًever حيثwhere نهاهHe forbade him
لا يراه أبداً حيث نهاه
The one God has shielded from the murk of desire—
He never sees him where He has forbidden him to be.
أثبتestablished الإِجماعconsensus فيناamong us طهرهمtheir purity
أثبت الإِجماع فينا طهرهم
فهلso is المخطىءthe one in error إلاَّexcept منthe one who نفاهdenied it
فهل المخطىء إلاَّ من نفاه
Consensus among us has established their purity;
so who is mistaken but the one who denies it?
وحديثand the account of الهمِّthe intent فيin تأويلهits interpretation
وحديث الهمِّ في تأويله
أوجهreadings قدalready سفرتunveiled عنfrom مجتلاهits manifest meaning
أوجه قد سفرت عن مجتلاه
And in interpreting the account of intent,
there are readings that have unveiled its clear meaning.
ذاكthat طورa state جلَّis too exalted أنto يدركهgrasp it
ذاك طور جلَّ أن يدركه
غيرone not معصومinfallible فدعso leave aside قولthe speech of الشِّفاهthe lips
غير معصوم فدع قول الشِّفاه
That is a state too exalted to be grasped
by anyone not infallible; so abandon the talk of lips.
تتعبgrow weary الأرجلthe feet فيin إحضارهاtheir swift running
تتعب الأرجل في إحضارها
ثمّthen لاdo not تبلغreach مقدارthe stature of الجباهthe foreheads
ثمّ لا تبلغ مقدار الجباه
The feet grow weary in their swift running,
then still do not reach the stature of foreheads.
Translation model: Sol 6.1