راهبmonk الماضينthe ancients أفلاطPlato الحكيمthe sage
راهب الماضين أفلاط الحكيم
منof فريقthe flock الضأنsheep فيin الدهرtime القديمancient
من فريق الضأن في الدهر القديم
The monk of bygone ages, Plato the sage,
The hermit philosopher of past ages
Was of the flock of sheep in ancient times.
Of the ancient flock astray in eras gone
طرفهhis gaze فيin ظلمةdarkness المعقولthe intelligible ضلwent astray
طرفه في ظلمة المعقول ضل
فيin حزونrugged terrain الكونexistence قدindeed أعياgrew exhausted وكلand wearied
في حزون الكون قد أعيا وكل
His gaze strayed in the darkness of abstract thought.
His mind lost in the darkness of abstract thought
In the rugged terrain of existence, he grew weary and spent.
Exhausted in the universe's sadness and fatigue
فكرهhis thought فيin غيرnot محسوسsense-perceptible فتنwas bewitched
فكره في غير محسوس فتن
صدturned away عنfrom كفhand وعينand eye وأذنand ear
صد عن كف وعين وأذن
His thought was bewitched by the imperceptible.
His thoughts seduced by the imperceptible
He turned away from hand, eye, and ear.
Turned away from palm, eye, and ear
قالhe said فيin الموتdeath بداappeared سرsecret الحياهlife
قال في الموت بدا سر الحياه
فيin خمودthe dying out الشمعthe candle يزدادincreases سناهits radiance
في خمود الشمع يزداد سناه
He said: in death, the secret of life was revealed;
He said that in death appears life’s secret
As the candle dies out, its radiance grows.
In the candle's extinguished flame grows its radiance
حكمهhis sway فيover فكرناour thought جدvery عظيمgreat
حكمه في فكرنا جد عظيم
يمحقeffaces الدنياthe world لهhe has جامa goblet منيمsleep-inducing
يمحق الدنيا له جام منيم
His sway over our thought is immense.
His wisdom in our minds most sublime
His sleep-inducing goblet effaces the world.
Obliterating the world, he drinks a chalice of sleep
هوhe شاةa sheep فيin لباسgarb الآدميa human being
هو شاة في لباس الآدمي
وهوand he فيamong الصوفيthe Sufi ذوpossessing بأسmight قويstrong
وهو في الصوفي ذو بأس قوي
He is a sheep in human garb,
He's a sheep in human clothing
And he wields mighty power over the Sufi.
And in Sufi garb, his power is strong
عالمthe world الأشياءthings سماهhe called it الهراءnonsense
عالم الأشياء سماه الهراء
وعلتand rose أفكارهhis thoughts فوقabove السماءthe sky
وعلت أفكاره فوق السماء
He called the world of things nonsense,
The world of things he called delusion
And his thoughts rose above the sky.
And his thoughts ascended above the sky
فعلهhis work تحليلdissolution أجزاءthe parts الحياهlife
فعله تحليل أجزاء الحياه
وجفافand the drying up النبعthe spring منof ماءwater الحياهlife
وجفاف النبع من ماء الحياه
His work is to dissolve the elements of life,
His act is analyzing life’s parts
And drain the spring of the water of life.
And drying up the spring of the water of life
زعمdeemed الخسرانloss ربحاa gain فكرهhis thought
زعم الخسران ربحا فكره
ودعاand called الكونexistence فناءannihilation سحرهhis spell
ودعا الكون فناء سحره
His thought reckoned loss a gain,
He claimed loss as profit in his thinking
And his spell called existence annihilation.
And called the universe the magic of extinction
فكرهhis thought يغفىdozes ورؤياand a dream يخلقcreates
فكره يغفى ورؤيا يخلق
عينهhis eye تبصرsees آلاa mirage يبرقglitters
عينه تبصر آلا يبرق
His thought dozes and creates a dream;
His thoughts slumber and visions he creates
His eye sees a glittering mirage.
His eyes see though they do not flash
حرمwas denied المسكينthe poor fellow حبlove العملaction
حرم المسكين حب العمل
فقفاso he pursued معدومهhis nonexistent object لاnot يأتلىslackens
فقفا معدومه لا يأتلى
The poor fellow was denied the love of action,
He denied the poor the love of work
So he tirelessly pursued his nonexistent object.
So his feet remain unmoving and idle
منكراdenying فيin الكونthe world مالاwhat is not يفقدabsent
منكرا في الكون مالا يفقد
خالقاcreating فيin الكونthe world ماwhat لاnot يشهدis seen
خالقا في الكون ما لا يشهد
Denying in the world what is never absent,
Denying in the universe what cannot be lost
Creating in the world what is never seen.
Creating in the universe what cannot be witnessed
عالمthe world الإمكانpossibility للحيfor the living وطنa homeland
عالم الإمكان للحي وطن
عالمthe world الأعيانessences للميتfor the dead حسنbeautiful
عالم الأعيان للميت حسن
The world of possibility is home to the living;
The world of potency a home for the living
The world of essences is beautiful to the dead.
The world of entities goodness for the dead
ظبيهhis gazelle منfrom خفةnimbleness لاnot يجفلbolts
ظبيه من خفة لا يجفل
غيرnot خطارstrutting لديهwith him الحجلthe partridge
غير خطار لديه الحجل
His gazelle does not bolt with nimble speed;
A gazelle of such lightness he does not startle
For him, the partridge does not strut.
Without forethought or consideration near him
لمdid not يلألئglitter عندهwith him قطرdrops الندىdew
لم يلألئ عنده قطر الندى
طيرهhis birds ماnot فيهin them صوتa voice قدhas شداsung
طيره ما فيه صوت قد شدا
For him, the dewdrops never glittered;
No drops of dew gather around him
His birds have no voice raised in song.
His bird has no voice that chants
حبةa seed فيin أرضهhis soil تأبىrefuses النماءgrowth
حبة في أرضه تأبى النماء
وفراشand a moth عندهwith him يقليabhors الضياءthe light
وفراش عنده يقلي الضياء
A seed in his soil refuses to grow,
No seed in his ground will grow
And his moth abhors the light.
No moth around him kindles light
فيin وغىthe battle العالمthe world نكسa coward محجمholding back
في وغى العالم نكس محجم
مشفقfearful راهبناour monk لاdoes not يقدمadvance
مشفق راهبنا لا يقدم
In the world's battle, he is a coward who hangs back;
In the tumult of the world, our hermit shrinks
Our monk is fearful; he does not advance.
His heart aroused by a dormant fire
قلبهhis heart يعشوgropes لنارtoward a fire خامدهextinguished
قلبه يعشو لنار خامده
صورتpictured عيناهhis two eyes دنياa world هاجدهslumbering
صورت عيناه دنيا هاجده
His heart gropes toward an extinguished fire;
His eyes envision a bowing world
His eyes pictured a slumbering world.
He flew from the nest to the highest summit
طارflew منfrom عشa nest إلىto الأوجthe zenith العليlofty
طار من عش إلى الأوج العلي
ثمthen لمdid not يرجعreturn إلىto العشthe nest الخليempty
ثم لم يرجع إلى العش الخلي
He flew from a nest to the lofty zenith,
Then did not return to the empty nest
Then did not return to the empty nest.
Some people were ruined by this intoxication
هلكperished أقوامpeoples بهذاthrough this الثملintoxication
هلك أقوام بهذا الثمل
حرمواthey were denied بالنومthrough sleep ذوقthe taste العملaction
حرموا بالنوم ذوق العمل
Peoples perished through this intoxication;
Deprived by sleep of the taste of work
Through sleep, they were denied the taste of action.
Partial English translation: 39 of 40 Arabic lines translated.