عجبوا لعلمي كيف أكْتُمهُ

عجبوا لعلمي كيف أكْتُمهُ

والشِّعْرُ عني سائرٌ يسْري

والشِّعْرُ عني سائرٌ يسْري

They marveled at my learning—how I conceal it,

They marveled at my knowledge—how I conceal it,

while my poetry ranges abroad, coursing on.

while my poetry travels and spreads.

فأجبْتُهمْ لم أخْفِهِ عَبَثاً

فأجبْتُهمْ لم أخْفِهِ عَبَثاً

لكنْ لمَعْنىً غامِضِ السِّرِّ

لكنْ لمَعْنىً غامِضِ السِّرِّ

I answered them: I did not hide it idly,

So I answered them: I did not conceal it in vain,

but for a purpose whose secret lies obscure.

but for a reason whose secret is obscure.

أجْمَمْتُ عِلم الدين عن طل

أجْمَمْتُ عِلم الدين عن طل

ب الدنيا حِذارَ تضاعُفِ الوِزْرِ

ب الدنيا حِذارَ تضاعُفِ الوِزْرِ

I kept religious learning apart from seek—

I spared religious knowledge from the pursuit

—ing worldly gain, lest the burden of sin multiply.

of this world, fearing a doubling of the burden of sin.

ورأيتُها خُدَعاً مُزَخْرفةً

ورأيتُها خُدَعاً مُزَخْرفةً

فطلبتُخت بزخارفِ الشِّعْرِ

فطلبتُخت بزخارفِ الشِّعْرِ

I saw the world as gilded deceptions,

And I saw it as embellished deceptions,

so I sought it with the embellishments of poetry.

so I sought [it] with poetry’s embellishments.