إِذا المُشكِلاتَ تَصَدَّينَ لِي

إِذا المُشكِلاتَ تَصَدَّينَ لِي

كَشَفتُ حَقائِقُها بِالنَظَر

كَشَفتُ حَقائِقُها بِالنَظَر

Whenever difficulties confront me,

When obstacles block my path

When difficulties rise to confront me,

I uncover their realities through reflection.

I uncover their facts by observing

I unveil their truths through deep insight,

وَإِن بَرَقَت في مَخيلِ الظُنو

وَإِن بَرَقَت في مَخيلِ الظُنو

نِ عَمياءَ لا يَجتَليها البَصَر

نِ عَمياءَ لا يَجتَليها البَصَر

And if they flash in the cloud of conjecture,

Even if suspicions flash in imagination's eye

And if they flash within the clouds of doubt—

blind, beyond the discernment of sight,

Blind, impervious to sight's illumination

Blind, obscure to the naked eye,

مُقَنَّعَةٌ بِغُيوبِ الأُمورِ

مُقَنَّعَةٌ بِغُيوبِ الأُمورِ

وَضَعتُ عَلَيها صَحيحَ الفِكَر

وَضَعتُ عَلَيها صَحيحَ الفِكَر

veiled in the mysteries of affairs,

Cloaked in affairs' unknowns

Masked by the mysteries of hidden affairs—

I apply sound thought to them.

I place upon them sound thinking

I apply to them the soundness of thought.

مَعي أَصمَعَ كَظَبا المُرهِفا

مَعي أَصمَعَ كَظَبا المُرهِفا

تِ أَفري بِهِ عِن بَناتِ السِيَر

تِ أَفري بِهِ عِن بَناتِ السِيَر

I have something keen as the edges of sharpened swords,

With me, a deaf old camel, worn out

I possess a wit as sharp as the honed

with which I lay bare the daughters of chronicles:

I let it loose among the daughters of the caravan route

Blades, with which I sever the toughest knots,

لِساناً كَشَقشَقَةِ الأَرحَبِي

لِساناً كَشَقشَقَةِ الأَرحَبِي

يِ أَو كَالحُسامِ اليَماني الذَكَر

يِ أَو كَالحُسامِ اليَماني الذَكَر

a tongue like an Arhabi camel’s throat-pouch,

A tongue like the chatter of Arhabi

A tongue like the roar of a noble camel,

or like a Yemeni sword of hard steel;

Or like the famed Yemeni sword

Or like the virile Yemeni sword,

وَقَلباً إِذا اِستَنطَقَتهُ الهُمومُ

وَقَلباً إِذا اِستَنطَقَتهُ الهُمومُ

مُ أَربى عَلَيها بِواهي الذَرَر

مُ أَربى عَلَيها بِواهي الذَرَر

and a heart which, when cares make it speak,

And a heart - when worries interrogate it

And a heart that, when concerns bid it speak,

surpasses them with a flowing shower of pearls [uncertain reading].

I water it with the most delicate dew

Outstrips them with a torrent of eloquence.

وَلَستُ بِإِمَّعَةٍ في الرِجا

وَلَستُ بِإِمَّعَةٍ في الرِجا

لِ أَسائِلُ هَذا وَذا ما الخَبَر

لِ أَسائِلُ هَذا وَذا ما الخَبَر

And I am no unthinking follower among men,

I'm not helpless in hoping

I am no aimless follower among the ranks

asking this one and that, “What is the news?”

I ask this one and that one "what's new?"

Of men, asking this one and that, "What is the news?"

وَلكِنَّني مُذرِبُ الأَصغَرَينِ

وَلكِنَّني مُذرِبُ الأَصغَرَينِ

أُبَيِّنُ مَع ما مَضى ما غَبَر

أُبَيِّنُ مَع ما مَضى ما غَبَر

But I am keen in the two lesser organs, tongue and heart;

Rather I'm a young explorer

Rather, I am sharp of the two smallest parts,

I make clear what remains, along with what has passed.

I elucidate what's past and what's obscure

Elucidating what has passed and what is yet to come.