نَفْسِهُhimselfوَإِرَادَتِهُand his will(۱)فَاسْتَعْمَلَهَاso he used it(۲)فِيْمَاin whatيَنْفَعُهُbenefits himوَكَفَّهَاand he refrained itعَمَّاfrom whatيَضُرُّهُharms him
Himself and his will. So he used it in what benefits him and refrained it from what harms him.
وَفِيAnd inذَٰلِكَthatتَفَاوَتَتْvaried(۳)مَعَارِفُthe knowledgeالنَّاسِof peopleوَهِمَمِهِمand their ambitionsوَمَنَازِلِهِمand their stations.
And in that, the knowledge of people, their ambitions, and their stations varied.
فَأَعْرِفُهُمْSo I know themمِنْwhoكَانَwasعَارِفًاknowledgeableبِأَسْبَابِabout the causesالسَّعَادَةِof happinessوَالشَّقَاوَةِand miseryوَأَرْشَدْتُهُمْand guided themمِنْwhoآثَرَpreferredهَذِهِthisعَلَىoverهَذِهِthis.
So I know who was knowledgeable about the causes of happiness and misery, and I guided them who preferred this over that.
كَمَاJust likeأَنَّthatأَسْفَهَتُهُمْI made them foolishمِنْfromعَكْسِthe oppositeالْأَمْرِmatter.
Just like I made them foolish from the opposite matter.
وَالْمَعَاصِيAnd sinsتَخُونُbetrayالْعَبْدَthe servantأَحْوَجَmost needyمَاwhenكَانَhe wasإِلَىtoنَفْسِهِhimselfفِيinتَحْصِيلِobtainingهَذَاthisالْعِلْمِknowledgeوَإِيْثَارِand preferenceالْحَظِّthe luckالأَشْرَفِnobleالْعَالِيِhighالدَّائِمِlastingعَلَىoverالْحَظِّthe luckالْخَسِيسِmeanالْأَدْنَىlowerالْمُنْقَطِعِcut off.
And sins betray the servant when he was most needy of himself in obtaining this knowledge, and in preferring the noble and lasting luck over the mean and cut-off luck.
فَتَحْجُبُهُSo it prevents himالذُّنُوبُthe sinsعَنْfromكَمَالِcompletenessهَذَاthisالْعِلْمِknowledge[٤٣/ب]وَعَنْand fromالِاشْتِغَالِengagingبِمَاin whatهُوَisأَوْلَىmore worthyبِهِof himوَأَنْفَعَand more beneficialلَهُto himفِيinالْدَّارَيْنِthe two abodes.
So the sins prevent him from the completeness of this knowledge, and from engaging in what is more worthy of him and more beneficial to him in the two abodes.
فَإِذَاSo if(٤)وَقَعَhe fallsفِيinمَكْرُوهٍan undesirable event,وَاحْتَاجَand needsإِلَىtoالتَّخَلُّصِget ridمِنْهُof it,خَانَهُhis heart betrays himقَلْبُهُhis heartوَنَفْسُهُand his soulوَجَوَارِحُهُand his limbs,وَكَانَand he wasبِمَنْزِلَةٍin the position ofرَجُلٍa manمَعَهُwith himسَيْفٍa swordقَدthat hasغَشِيَهُbeen covered byالْجَرَبِthe rust,(٥)وَلَزِمَand he clingsقِرَابهُto its hilt(٦)بِحَيْثٍin such a wayلَاthat notيَنْجَذِبَbe drawnمَعَwithصَاحِبِهِits ownerإِذَاifجَذَبَهُhe pulls it,فَعَرَضَthen an enemyلَهُfor himعَدُوٌّa foeيُرِيدُwho wantsقَتْلَهُto kill him,فَوَضَعَthen he putsيَدَهُhis handعَلَىonقَائِمِthe grip ofسَيْفِهِhis swordوَاجْتَهَدَand he strivedلِيُخْرِجَهُto draw it out,فَلَمْbut it did notيُخْرِجْcome outمَعَهُwith him,فَدَهَمَهُso the enemy attacked him,الْعَدُوُّthe enemy,وَظَفِرَand he prevailedبِهِover him.
So if he falls into an undesirable event and needs to get rid of it, his heart betrays him, as well as his soul and limbs. And he is in the position of a man with a sword that has been covered by rust, and he clings to its hilt in such a way that it cannot be drawn with its owner when he pulls it. Then an enemy who wants to kill him comes upon him, so he puts his hand on the grip of his sword and strives to draw it out, but it does not come out with him, and the enemy attacks him and prevails over him.
(۱)لِtoوَإِرَادَتِهِhis willلَهَاis for it.(۲) ز: وَاسْتَعْمَلَ(2) alternative: and he used it.(۳)(3) alternate: varied.(٤) ف(4) (but)وَإِذَاand if.(٥)(5) rust.الْجَرَبُthe rust that covers the sword.جَرَبٌ(6) from Ibn Al-‘Arabi: a sword covered with rust, meaning it remained stuck until it turned red and cannot be removed except by heat.وَالْمَحَلُّ الْمُبَرَّدُAnd the other tool is the cooled one.وَلَعَلَّAnd perhapsكَلِمَةًthe wordالْجَرَبُrustأَشْكَلَتْhas confusedفَاسْتُبْدِلَتْso it was replacedبِهَاwith itفِيinطthe floor ofالْمَدْنِيِّthe civilوَعَبْدُand Abdulالظَّاهِرthe apparent oneوَغَيْرِهُمَاand others with it: the 'rust.'كَمَاasحُذِفُواthey omittedوَيَجْرَبُand 'rust' appearing after several lines.
(1) To: and his will is for it. (2) Alternative: and he used it. (3) alternate: varied. (4) (but) and if. (5) rust. The rust that covers the sword. (6) from Ibn Al-‘Arabi: a sword covered with rust, meaning it remained stuck until it turned red and cannot be removed except by heat. And the other tool is the cooled one. And perhaps the word rust has confused so it was replaced with it in the floor of the civil and Abdul the apparent one and others with it: the 'rust.' As they omitted 'and rust' appearing after several lines.