يَذْهَبُgoesالْخَطَّاطُthe geomancerوَالْعَيَّافُand the augurوَمَاand whatيَقُولُsayأَصْحَابُthe people ofالْأَكْتَافِ1the shoulders
The geomancer and the augur go, and what the shoulder-blade readers say, ➤1.
وَعَرَفْتُand I knewالتَّنْجِيمَastrologyوَالزَّجْرَand auguryوَالطُّرُقَand the waysوَالْفِكَرَ2and the thoughts
And I knew astrology and augury, and the ways and thoughts ➤2.
إِنَّindeedهَذَاthisالْمَالَmoneyلَمْnotأَجْمَعْهُI collected itمِنَfromالْقَصَصِstorytellingوَالتَّكْدِيَةِand begging
Indeed, I did not collect this money from storytelling and begging.
وَمِنِand fromاحْتِيَالِtrickery ofالنَّهَارِthe dayوَمُكَابَدَةِand endurance ofاللَّيْلِthe night
And from the trickery of the day and the endurance of the night.
وَلَاand notيُجْمَعُis collectedمِثْلُهُthe like of itأَبَدًاeverإِلَّاexceptمِنْfromمُعَانَاةِexperiencingرُكُوبِridingالْبَحْرِthe sea
And the like of it is never collected except from the experience of seafaring.
أَوْorمِنْfromعَمَلِwork ofسُلْطَانٍa rulerأَوْorمِنْfromكِيمْيَاءِalchemy ofالذَّهَبِgoldوَالْفِضَّةِand silver
Or from the service of a ruler, or from the alchemy of gold and silver.
وَقَدْand indeedعَرَفْتُI knewالرَّأْسَ4the head (chief)حَقَّrightlyمَعْرِفَتِهِits knowledge
And indeed I knew the head ➤4 rightly in its knowledge.
وَفَهِمْتُand I understoodكَسْرَthe breaking (preparation) ofالْإِكْسِيرِ5the elixirعَلَىuponحَقِيقَتِهِits reality
And I understood the preparation of the elixir ➤5 in its true reality.
وَلَوْلَاand if not forعِلْمِيmy knowledgeبِضِيقِof the narrowness ofصَدْرِكَyour chest (patience)
And if not for my knowledge of the narrowness of your patience.
وَلَوْلَاand if not forأَنْthatأَكُونَI would beسَبَبًاa causeلِتَلَفِfor the destruction ofنَفْسِكَyourself
And if not for being a cause of the destruction of yourself.
لَعَلَّمْتُكَI would have taught youالسَّاعَةَthis hourالشَّيْءَthe thingالَّذِيwhichبَلَغَattainedبِهِby itقَارُونُQarun
I would have taught you this hour the thing by which Qarun attained.
وَبِهِand by itتَبَنَّكَتْbecame richخَاتُونُ6Khatun
And by it Khatun became rich ➤6.
وَاللهِby Godمَاnotيَتَّسِعُexpandsصَدْرُكَyour chestعِنْدِيwith meلِسِرِّfor the secret ofصَدِيقٍa friend
By God, your chest does not expand with me for a friend's secret.
فَكَيْفَso howمَاwhatلَاnotيَحْتَمِلُهُcan bear itعَزْمٌresolveوَلَاand notيَتَّسِعُexpandsلَهُfor itصَدْرٌa chest
So how about what no resolve can bear, and no chest can hold?
وَخَزْنُand the storing ofسِرِّthe secret ofالْحَدِيثِthe talkوَحَبْسُand the keeping ofكُنُوزِtreasures ofالْجَوَاهِرِjewelsأَهْوَنُis easierمِنْthanخَزْنِthe storing ofالْعِلْمِknowledge
And storing the secret of speech and keeping treasures of jewels is easier than storing knowledge.
وَلَوْand ifكُنْتَyou wereعِنْدِيwith meمَأْمُونًاtrustedعَلَىforنَفْسِكَyourself
And if you were trusted with me for yourself.
لَأَجْرَيْتُI would have made flowالْأَرْوَاحَthe spiritsفِيinالْأَجْسَادِthe bodiesوَأَنْتَwhile youتُبْصِرُsee
I would have made spirits flow into bodies while you watched.
إِذْsinceكُنْتَyou wereلَاnotتَفْهَمُهُunderstand itبِالْوَصْفِby descriptionوَلَاand notتُحِقُّهُrealize itبِالذِّكْرِby mention
Since you did not understand it by description, nor realize it by mention.
وَلَكِنِّيbut Iسَأُلْقِيwill castعَلَيْكَupon youعِلْمَthe knowledge ofالْإِدْرَاكِperceptionوَسَبْكَand the smelting ofالرُّخَامِmarbleوَصَنْعَةَand the craft ofالْفُسَيْفِسَاءِmosaic
But I will cast upon you the knowledge of perception, the smelting of marble, and the craft of mosaic.
وَأَسْرَارَand the secrets ofالسُّيُوفِthe swordsالْقَلَعِيَّةِQal'iyyah (Damascus steel)وَعَقَاقِيرَand the tempering materials ofالسُّيُوفِthe swordsالْيَمَانِيَّةِ7Yemeni
And the secrets of Qal'iyyah swords, and the tempering materials of Yemeni swords ➤7.
وَعَمَلِand the making ofالْفِرْعَوْنِيِّthe Pharaonic workوَصَنْعَةِand the craft ofالتَّلْطِيفِthe subtle preparationعَلَىinوَجْهِهِits proper manner
And the making of Pharaonic work and the craft of subtle preparation in its proper manner.
إِنْifأَقَامَنِيHe keeps meاللهُGodمِنْfromصَرْعَتِيmy seizure (illness)هَذِهِthis
If God keeps me from this seizure of mine.
وَلَسْتُand I am notأَرْضَاكَsatisfied with youوَإِنْeven ifكُنْتَyou areفَوْقَaboveالْبَنِينَthe sons
And I am not satisfied with you, even if you are above the sons.
وَلَاand notأَثِقُI trustبِكَin youوَإِنْeven ifكُنْتَyou areلَاحِقًاjoiningبِالْآبَاءِthe fathers
And I do not trust you, even if you are joining the fathers.
لِأَنِّيbecause Iلَمْdid notأُبَالِغْexaggerateفِيinمِحْنَتِكَyour ordeal
Because I did not exaggerate in your ordeal.
إِنِّيindeed IقَدْhaveلَابَسْتُI have mixed withالسَّلَاطِينَthe sultans
Indeed I have mixed with the sultans.
Footnotes
- 1.أصحاب الأكتاف: هم الذين يزجرون الطير ويتكهنون بطرق الطير وظهوره، وقراءة الأكتاف من عظام الكتف للاستدلال على الغيب.
People of the shoulders: those who divine by bird flight and augury, and reading shoulder blades to infer the unseen.
- 2.الطرق والفكر: أنواع من الكهانة والعرافة، وربما الطرق على الرمل والفكر في النجوم.
Ways and thoughts: types of divination and soothsaying, perhaps sand divination and astrological thinking.
- 4.الرأس: يعني رأس الكيمياء، أو رئيس الصنعة.
The head: means the chief of alchemy, or the master of the craft.
- 5.كسر الإكسير: إعداد الإكسير وتركيبه، وهو حجر الفلاسفة.
The breaking of the elixir: preparing and composing the elixir, which is the philosopher's stone.
- 6.قارون: هو قارون الذي آتاه الله كنوزًا، وخاتون: لقب نساء الملوك في بعض العصور، ويقال إنها امرأة عظيمة ملكت بفضل هذا العلم.
Qarun: is the one whom God gave treasures, and Khatun is a title for queens in some eras, said to be a great woman who achieved wealth through this knowledge.
- 7.السيوف القلعية: منسوبة إلى قلعة، على الأرجح قلعة دمشق، والسيوف اليمانية: منسوبة إلى اليمن، ومعروفة بجودتها.
Qal'iyyah swords: attributed to Qal'ah, likely Damascus, and Yemeni swords attributed to Yemen, known for their quality.