ياO صاحfriend انif شِئتَyou wish تَسلَمto be safe هاكtake these اربعةًfour
يا صاح ان شِئتَ تَسلَم هاك اربعةً
منهاfrom them السلامةُsafety تلقاهاyou find it وتُدرِكُهاand you attain it
منها السلامةُ تلقاها وتُدرِكُها
O friend, if you wish to be safe, take these four:
from them you find safety and attain it.
كلall الفضائلthe virtues منهاfrom them كُوِّنَتwere formed ولذاand therefore
كل الفضائل منها كُوِّنَت ولذا
ماnot سُكِّنَتwere stilled قَطُّever والباريand the Creator مُحرِّكُهاtheir mover
ما سُكِّنَت قَطُّ والباري مُحرِّكُها
All virtues were formed from them, and so
they have never been stilled, and the Creator sets them in motion.
فللعناصرthus, with the elements قدindeed جاءَتthey came موافقةًin agreement
فللعناصر قد جاءَت موافقةً
عَدّاًin number ومعنىًand in meaning فكمso how long ذاthis (emphatic) انتyou تتركُهاyou neglect them
عَدّاً ومعنىً فكم ذا انت تتركُها
For they accord with the elements
in number and meaning—so how long will you neglect them?
طُوبىblessedness لمشتركٍfor one who shares فيin خيرِthe goodness of مِنحَتِهاtheir gift
طُوبى لمشتركٍ في خيرِ مِنحَتِها
وليسَand does not معwith غيرother than ماwhat تهواهُthey desire it يُشركُهاhe joins them
وليسَ مع غير ما تهواهُ يُشركُها
Blessed is one who shares in the goodness of their gift,
and does not join them with anything other than what they desire.
مشيئَةُthe will of الغيرothers فافعَلهاso fulfill it وإِرضَand be content بهاwith it
مشيئَةُ الغير فافعَلها وإِرضَ بها
وعاصِand disobey نفسكyour own self إِمَّاif شِئتَyou wish تَملِكُهاto master it
وعاصِ نفسك إِمَّا شِئتَ تَملِكُها
The will of others: fulfill it and be content with it;
and defy your own self if you wish to master it.
واقنَعand be content بنَزرٍwith a little يسيرٍscant دونrather than مَكثَرةٍabundance
واقنَع بنَزرٍ يسيرٍ دون مَكثَرةٍ
فرَغبةُfor the desire of النفسthe soul فيfor الإِكثارhaving more تُهلِكُهاdestroys it
فرَغبةُ النفس في الإِكثار تُهلِكُها
And be content with very little, rather than abundance;
for the soul's desire for abundance destroys it.
واختَرand choose محلّاًa place وضيعاًlowly والخُضوعَand humility بهِin it
واختَر محلّاً وضيعاً والخُضوعَ بهِ
انif كنتَyou are تُؤثِرُyou prefer سُبلَthe paths of الحقtruth تسلُكُهاyou tread them
ان كنتَ تُؤثِرُ سُبلَ الحق تسلُكُها
And choose a lowly place, and humility there,
if you prefer to tread the paths of truth.
واطلُبand seek مشيئَةَthe will of باريناour Creator ونِعمَتهُand His grace
واطلُب مشيئَةَ بارينا ونِعمَتهُ
فليسfor He does not عنfrom طالبٍa seeker بالحَثِّwith persistence يُمسِكُهاHe withholds it
فليس عن طالبٍ بالحَثِّ يُمسِكُها
And seek our Creator's will and His grace,
for He does not withhold it from one who seeks earnestly.
هذهthese جِهاتٌways يسيرُwalk الحازمونَthe prudent بهاalong them
هذه جِهاتٌ يسيرُ الحازمونَ بها
لكنbut علىfor جاهلٍan ignorant person قدindeed عزَّhas proved difficult مَسلَكُهاtheir path
لكن على جاهلٍ قد عزَّ مَسلَكُها
These are ways along which the prudent walk,
but their path has proved difficult for the ignorant.
Translation model: Sol 6.1