The Aphorisms (al-Ḥikam)

1. Chapter 20 · Aphorisms 180–192

   ¶ 180⋯
   رُبَّمَاit may be thatرُزِقَis granted, is bestowedالْكَرَامَهَcharism, saintly marvelمَنْone who, whoeverلَمْnot (past negation)تَكْمُلْhas been completedلَهُfor him, in himالِاسْتِقَامَةُuprightness, steadfastness

   It may be that one in whom uprightness has not yet been made complete is granted a charism (karāma).

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2. ¶ 181⋯
   مِنْamong, ofعَلَامَاتِsigns, indicationsاِقَامَةِestablishing, setting (you)الْحَقِّthe Real (God)لَكَfor youفِىinالشَّئِthe thing, the matterاِقَامَتُهُHis keeping (you) establishedاِيَّاكَyou (object)فِيهِin itمَعَtogether with, whileحُصُولِattainment, coming aboutالنَّتَائِجِthe results, fruits

   Among the signs that the Real has established you in a thing is that He keeps you steadfast in it while its fruits come to be.

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3. ¶ 182⋯
   مَنْwhoeverعَبَّرَspeaks out, gives expressionمِنْfromبِسَاطِcarpet, ground, footingاِحْسَانِهِhis own good-doingأَصْمَتَتْهُsilences himالاِسَاءَةُwrongdoing, misdeedوَمَنْand whoeverعَبَّرَspeaks out, gives expressionمِنْfromبِسَاطِcarpet, ground, footingاِحْسَانِgood-doing, beneficenceاللَّهِGodاِلَيْهِtoward himلَمْdoes notيَصْمُتْfall silentاِذَاwhenأَسَاءَهُhe does wrong

   Whoever speaks out from the ground of his own good-doing is silenced when he does wrong; but whoever speaks out from the ground of God's good-doing toward him does not fall silent when he does wrong.

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4. ¶ 183⋯
   تَسْبِقُgo ahead of, precedeأَنْوَارُlightsالْحُكَمَاءِthe sagesأَقْوَالَهُمْtheir words, sayingsفَحَيْثُso whereverصَارَhas come to be, reachedالتَّنْوِيرُthe illuminationوَصَلَarrives, reachesالتَّعْبِيرُthe (verbal) expression

   The lights of the sages go ahead of their words; so wherever the illumination has reached, the expression arrives.

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5. ¶ 184⋯
   كُلُّall, everyكَلَامٍspeech, utterance (root klm)يَبْرُزُcomes forth, emergesوَعَلَيْهِand upon it (bearing)كِسْوَةُgarment, clothingالْقَلْبِthe heartالَّذِىwhich, from whichمِنْهُfrom itبَرَزَit issued, emerged

   All speech that comes forth comes forth clothed in the garment of the heart from which it issued.

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6. ¶ 185⋯
   مَنْwhoeverأُذِنَhas been granted leaveلَهُto himفِىinالتَّعْبِيرِgiving expression (in words)فُهِمَتْis understoodفِىinمَسَامِعِthe hearing, earsالْخَلْقِcreatures, peopleعِبَارَتُهُhis expression, wordingوَجُلِّيَتْand was made clearاِلَيْهِمْto themاِشَارَتُهُhis allusion

   Whoever has been granted leave to give expression, his expression is understood in the hearing of creatures, and his allusion is made clear to them.

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7. ¶ 186⋯
   رُبَّمَاit may be thatبَرَزَتِcome forth, emergeالْحَقَائِقُthe (spiritual) realitiesمَكْسُوفَةَeclipsed, dimmedالْاَنْوَارِlightsاِذَاwhen, ifلَمْnot (past negation)يُؤْذَنْbe given leaveلَكَto youفِيهَاregarding themبِالْاِظْهَارِto make manifest

   It may be that realities come forth with their lights eclipsed, when you have not been given leave to make them manifest.

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8. ¶ 187⋯
   عِبَارَاتُهُمْtheir utterances, expressionsاِمَّاeitherلِفَيَضَانِfrom the overflowing ofوَجْدٍecstasy, ecstatic findingأَوْorلِقَصْدِfrom the intention ofهِدَايَةِguidingمُرِيدٍan aspirantفَالْاَوَّلُso the firstحَالُis the state ofالسَّالِكِينَthe wayfarersوَالثَّانِىand the secondحَالُis the state ofأَرْبَابِthe possessors ofالْمُكْنَةِfirm establishment, masteryوَالْمُحَقِّقِينَand the realized ones

   Their utterances arise either from an overflowing of ecstasy, or from the intention of guiding an aspirant. The first is the state of the wayfarers; the second is the state of those who possess firm establishment and of the realized ones.

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9. ¶ 188⋯
   الْعِبَارَاتُverbal expressions, utterancesقُوتٌfood, sustenanceلِعَائِلَةِfor the dependentsالْمُسْتَمِعِينَthe listenersوَلَيْسَand there is notلَكَfor youاِلَّاexceptمَاwhatأَنْتَyou (yourself)لَهُof itآكِلٌeating, one who eats

   Spoken expressions are food for the listeners, who are dependents, and nothing of it is yours except what you yourself eat.

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10. ¶ 189⋯
    رُبَّمَاsometimes, perhapsعَبَّرَexpressed, spoke ofعَنِabout, ofالْمَقَامِthe stationمَنِone whoاسْتَشْرَفَglimpsed from above/afarعَلَيْهِupon it (overlooking)وَرُبَّمَاand sometimesعَبَّرَexpressed, spoke ofعَنْهُabout itمَنْone whoوَصَلَarrived, attainedاِلَيْهِat itوَذَلِكَand that (matter)مُلْتَبِسٌambiguous, confusedاِلَّاexceptعَلَىfor, toصَاحِبِpossessor ofبَصِيرَةٍinner sight

    Sometimes one who has only glimpsed a station from afar speaks of it, and sometimes one who has arrived at it speaks of it; and the two are hard to tell apart, except for one possessed of inner sight.

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11. ¶ 190⋯
    لَاnotيَنْبَغِىit is fittingلِلسَّالِكِfor the wayfarerأَنْthat (he)يُعَبِّرَgive expression, speakعَنْabout, ofوَارِدَاتِهِhis inrushesفَانَّfor indeedذَلِكَthat (speaking)يُقِلُّlessens, diminishesعَمَلَهَاtheir working, effectفِىinقَلْبِهِhis heartوَيَمْنَعُهُand keeps him fromوُجُودَfinding, attainingالصِّدْقِsincerity, truthfulnessمَعَwithرَبِّهِhis Lord

    It is not fitting for the wayfarer to give expression to his inrushes, for that lessens their working in his heart and keeps him from finding sincerity with his Lord.

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12. ¶ 191⋯
    لَاdo not (prohibition)تَمُدَّنَّstretch out (emphatic)يَدَكَyour handاِلَىtowardالْأَخْذِtaking, receivingمِنَfromالْخَلَائِقِcreated beings, creaturesاِلَّاexcept, unlessأَنْthat (verbal)تَرَىyou see, perceiveأَنَّthatالْمُعْطِىَthe Giverفِيهِمْin / through themمَوْلَاكَyour Master (God)فَاِذَاso whenكُنْتَyou areكَذَلِكَlike that, thusفَخُذْthen takeمَاwhateverوَافَقَكَagrees with youالْعِلْمُ(sacred) knowledge, the Law

    Do not stretch out your hand to take from created beings unless you see that the Giver acting through them is your Master. Once you are like that, take whatever [sacred] knowledge agrees with you in taking.

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13. ¶ 192⋯
    رُبَّمَاit may be thatاسْتَحْيَاis ashamed, feels shameالْعَارِفُthe knower (gnostic)أَنْto (that)يَرْفَعَraise, lay beforeحَاجَتَهُhis needالَىto, beforeمَوْلَاهُhis Master (God)لِاكْتِفَائِهِbecause of his contentmentبِمَشِيئَتِهِwith His willفَكَيْفَhow thenلَاnotيَسْتَحِىis ashamedأَنْto (that)يَرْفَعَهَاraise it, lay itالَىto, beforeخَلِيقَتِهِHis creatures, creation

    It may be that the knower is ashamed to lay his need before his Master, being content with His will; how then should he not be ashamed to lay it before His creatures?

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Translations, word glosses and term notes are AI-generated (Claude) and marked as such; no published translation is reproduced.Word analysis is automatic (CAMeL Tools), guided by the text's vowelling. How this text was established.