حروفُletters الهجاthe alphabet عشرتهاI kept company with them لتكونso that they might be ليfor me
حروفُ الهجا عشرتها لتكون لي
ذخيرةa store خيرٍgoodness للسعادةِfor happiness شاملَةall-embracing
ذخيرة خيرٍ للسعادةِ شاملَة
I kept company with the alphabet's letters, that they might be for me
The letters of speech are ten to be for me
an all-embracing store of goodness for happiness.
A treasure of comprehensive good for bliss
فضمنتهاso I placed within them علماًknowledge وأنشأتُand I fashioned صورةa form
فضمنتها علماً وأنشأتُ صورة
مخلقةfully formed عندin the eyes of المحقِّقthe realized knower كاملَهْcomplete
مخلقة عند المحقِّق كاملَهْ
So I filled them with knowledge and fashioned a form,
I invested them with knowledge and created an image
fully formed, perfect in the eyes of the realized knower.
Perfectly conceived by the verifier
وصوَّرتهاand I shaped them مثلlike الهيولىprime matter لأنهاbecause they
وصوَّرتها مثل الهيولى لأنها
إلىto صورةِthe form الألفاظthe words بالذاتintrinsically قابلهreceptive
إلى صورةِ الألفاظ بالذات قابله
And I shaped them like prime matter, for they
And I pictured them like prime matter for they
are intrinsically receptive to the form of words.
Are fit for the form of words in themselves
فأظهرتُهاso I revealed them للعينِto the eye شمساًa sun منيرةَradiant
فأظهرتُها للعينِ شمساً منيرةَ
علىwith صِفةa quality تفنيeliminates الزوائدَsuperfluities فاضلهexcellent
على صِفة تفني الزوائدَ فاضله
So I revealed them to the eye as a radiant sun,
So I made them a shining sun visible to the eye
with an excellent quality that eliminates excess.
In a condition that eliminates redundancies virtuous
تراهاyou see them إذاwhen خاطبتهاyou address them بذواتهاthrough their own essences
تراها إذا خاطبتها بذواتها
تردُّreturn جوابيmy answer فهيso they are قولspeech وقائلهand a speaker
تردُّ جوابي فهي قول وقائله
You see them, when you address them through their own essences,
You see them if you address them in themselves
return my answer: they are speech and speaker.
Answering me back for they are saying and sayer
فأمنتهاso I trusted them منfrom كلِّevery تحريفٍdistortion لافظٍan utterer
فأمنتها من كلِّ تحريفٍ لافظٍ
وآمنتهاand I secured them منfrom كلِّevery مكرٍdeceit وغائلهand hidden harm
وآمنتها من كلِّ مكرٍ وغائله
So I trusted them to be free of every speaker's distortion,
So I secured them from any distortion of expression
and secured them against every deceit and hidden harm.
And protected them from any deceit and calumniator
يترجمexpresses عماabout what فيin الضميرthe inner mind وجودهاtheir existence
يترجم عما في الضمير وجودها
إذاwhen أفردتare used singly أوor ركبتare combined هيthey باذلهgiving freely
إذا أفردت أو ركبت هي باذله
Their existence expresses what lies in the inner mind;
Translating what is in their existence if
when used singly or combined, they give freely.
I articulated or combined them bestower
بهاthrough them وحايةُunclear; perhaps 'and by the life of' العلمِknowledge عشرتI kept company with ذاتهاtheir essence
بها وحايةُ العلمِ عشرت ذاتها
هيthey الروحthe spirit إلاexcept أنهاthat they فيهwithin it فاصلهmaking divisions
هي الروح إلا أنها فيه فاصله
Through them—by the life of knowledge [uncertain reading]—I kept company with their essence.
Through them the knowledge lived its essence
They are the spirit, yet within it they make divisions.
It is the spirit except that in it there is a separator
تقسمهthey apportion it تقسيمَan apportioning خرِunclear; perhaps 'a free person' ممكنempowered
تقسمه تقسيمَ خرِ ممكن
خبيرwell-versed بماin what ليis mine فهيso they are للخيرِto goodness واصلهconnecting
خبير بما لي فهي للخيرِ واصله
They apportion it as a free [uncertain reading], empowered person would,
Dividing it a division of possible particles
one versed in what is mine; thus they lead to goodness.
Expert in what is for me so it is introducer to good
تراهاyou see them علىin النعيينunclear; perhaps 'specific determination' مهماwhenever تكلمتْspeak
تراها على النعيين مهما تكلمتْ
بهاthrough them ألسنُtongues ماa range-linking particle بينbetween حالٍadorned وعاطلهand unadorned
بها ألسنُ ما بين حالٍ وعاطله
You see them distinctly [uncertain reading], whenever they are uttered
You see them no matter how the tongues speak
by tongues, whether adorned or unadorned.
With them between one halted or halted
إذاwhen ماan emphatic particle أبانتthey make clear فهيso they are أعدلُthe most just شاهدa witness
إذا ما أبانت فهي أعدلُ شاهد
وإنْand if لمdo not تبنmake clear كانتthey are عنaway from الحقِّthe truth عادلهturning aside
وإنْ لم تبن كانت عن الحقِّ عادله
When they make things plain, they are the most just witness,
If they become clear they are the most just witness
and if they do not make things plain, they turn aside from the truth.
And if not clear they are equitable to the truth