تأدى رجال في التمام وأهله

تأدى رجال في التمام وأهله

فطال المرا واستكشف الحقّ ساتره

فطال المرا واستكشف الحقّ ساتره

Men readied themselves to debate perfection and those who possess it;

A man fulfills his duties and cares for his family

so the dispute grew long, and truth uncovered what concealed it.

The illness dragged on and the truth was revealed from its cover

فقلت لهم قولا وجيزا مخلّصا

فقلت لهم قولا وجيزا مخلّصا

أوائله مشروحة وأواخره

أوائله مشروحة وأواخره

So I offered them a brief, clarifying statement,

So I said to them in brief, purified words

its beginnings explained, and its endings too:

The first parts clear and the last parts

أتمّهمُ فضلا عليهم تعذّرا

أتمّهمُ فضلا عليهم تعذّرا

إذا ما الهوى ناجاه بالعقل ظاهره

إذا ما الهوى ناجاه بالعقل ظاهره

The most perfect of them in virtue is hard for them to attain;

I completed it as a favor to them, out of necessity

whenever desire whispers to him, he supports it with reason.

When passion confronts reason on the surface

له باطن في ظاهر قد تكافيا

له باطن في ظاهر قد تكافيا

فباطنه ملء القلوب وقاهرُه

فباطنه ملء القلوب وقاهرُه

He has an inner self within an outer self, the two in balance;

It has an inner essence along with the outer appearance that matched each other

so his inner self fills hearts and subdues him.

Its essence fills hearts and overpowers them