1. أَبيتُ بِاللَيلِ غَريبَ الكَرى

    يَأخُذُ مِنّي الدَرسَ وَالكُتبُ

    I spend the night a stranger to sleep;

    Study and books take it from me.

  2. وَقَيِّمُ الحِكمَةِ في أَنمُلي

    يَصوغُ ما يَسكُبُهُ اللُبُّ

    And wisdom’s keeper is between my fingers,

    Fashioning what the mind pours forth.

  3. أَنفِ ضَميري حينَ أَرعَفتُهُ

    أَفرَغَ ما اِستَوعَبَهُ القَلبُ

    The nose of my inner self—when I made it bleed,

    It poured out all the heart had held.

  4. لِسانُ كَفّي حينَ أَنطَقتُهُ

    أَرضاكَ مِنهُ المَنطِقُ العَذبُ

    My palm’s tongue—when I made it speak,

    Its sweet speech pleased you.

  5. مُنَحَّفٌ في خَلقِهِ ذابِلٌ

    مُعَظَّمٌ في فِعلِهِ نَدبُ

    Slender in its form, withered,

    Esteemed for its deeds, valiant.

  6. إِن لَم يَكُن كَالعَضبِ في حَدِّهِ

    فَإِنَّهُ في فِعلِهِ عَضبُ

    If its edge is unlike a keen sword’s,

    Then in its deeds it is indeed a keen sword.

  7. يَنكُسُهُ المَرءُ فَيَعلو بِهِ

    وَرُبَّ نِكسٍ غِبُّهُ نَصبُ

    A man turns it downward and rises through it;

    And many a lowering ends in elevation.

  8. وَمُذ عَرَفنا لَذَّةَ العِلمِ لا

    يَعجِبُنا الحُلوَ وَلا العَذبُ

    And since we have known the delight of learning, neither

    Sweet food nor fresh water delights us.