خذ العلم عن قرب ونكّب عن البعدِ

خذ العلم عن قرب ونكّب عن البعدِ

ففي القرب أشياء تدل على الرشد

ففي القرب أشياء تدل على الرشد

Take knowledge from what is near, and turn away from what is distant.

Seek knowledge from up close, turn away from distance,

For nearby are things that point to right guidance.

For in closeness are things that guide to righteousness.

خذ الحجر المنبوذ في الطرق والثرى

خذ الحجر المنبوذ في الطرق والثرى

وصيّره ماء تستريح من الكدّ

وصيّره ماء تستريح من الكدّ

Take the stone discarded on the roads and in the soil,

Take the discarded stone on roads and land,

And turn it into water; you will find relief from toil.

And make it water, to rest from toil.

لها جريان بارك الله فيهما

لها جريان بارك الله فيهما

إذا اجتمعا صارا على هيئة الزبدِ

إذا اجتمعا صارا على هيئة الزبدِ

It has two currents—may God bless them both.

It has two flows, may God bless them,

When they unite, they take the form of foam.

When together, they take the form of foam.

وثالثها فرد وإن جلّ ذكره

وثالثها فرد وإن جلّ ذكره

ولا بد للاثنين من ذلك الفردِ

ولا بد للاثنين من ذلك الفردِ

And its third is a single one, though its renown is great.

And the third is singular, though lofty is its mention,

And the two cannot do without that single one.

The two cannot be without that one.

ولا بد من حلّ وعقد كلاهما

ولا بد من حلّ وعقد كلاهما

وكل الذي ترجوه في الحلّ والعقدِ

وكل الذي ترجوه في الحلّ والعقدِ

And both dissolution and coagulation are indispensable.

Dissolving and binding are needed for both,

And all you hope for lies in dissolution and coagulation.

And all that you hope for in dissolving and binding.

فهذا وعهد الله جملة سرنا

فهذا وعهد الله جملة سرنا

حكيناه للأخ المقيم على العهدِ

حكيناه للأخ المقيم على العهدِ

This, by God's covenant, is the sum of our secret.

This, by God's covenant, is the essence of our secret,

We have recounted it to the brother who remains true to the covenant.

We have told it to the brother who keeps his vow.