غَرائِزُ لَمّا أُلَّفَت جَمَعَت رَدىً

غَرائِزُ لَمّا أُلَّفَت جَمَعَت رَدىً

وَهَل يَجِدُ الحِلمُ الَّذي يَحفَظُ الخَلَما

وَهَل يَجِدُ الحِلمُ الَّذي يَحفَظُ الخَلَما

Innate qualities, once combined, brought death,

When instincts were created, they gathered harm

and can reason find what will preserve the fat?

And does wisdom find what preserves integrity?

فَلَيتَ الفَتى كَالتُربِ لا يَألَمُ الأَذى

فَلَيتَ الفَتى كَالتُربِ لا يَألَمُ الأَذى

وَكَالماءِ في الهَيجاءِ لا يَأنَفُ الكَلما

وَكَالماءِ في الهَيجاءِ لا يَأنَفُ الكَلما

Would that a young man were like dust, feeling no pain from harm,

If only the youth were like dust, unharmed by injury

and like water in battle, not resenting wounds.

And like water in tumult, unperturbed by speech

وَلَولا حَياةٌ في يَدي خُلتُ أَنمُلي

وَلَولا حَياةٌ في يَدي خُلتُ أَنمُلي

كَأَقلامِ بارٍ غَيرِ مُنكِرَةٍ قَلَما

كَأَقلامِ بارٍ غَيرِ مُنكِرَةٍ قَلَما

Were it not for life in my hand, I would think my fingertips

If not for a life in my hands, I’d be like silent pens

like a pen-sharpener's pens, not objecting to trimming.

Of a virtuous rain, rarely declining to write

وَما سَفَتِ الريحُ الرَغامَ جَهالَةً

وَما سَفَتِ الريحُ الرَغامَ جَهالَةً

وَلا رَكَدَت قُدسٌ وَأَترابُها حِلما

وَلا رَكَدَت قُدسٌ وَأَترابُها حِلما

The wind did not scatter dust out of ignorance,

The wind didn’t blow specks in ignorance

nor did Quds and its peers stand still out of forbearance.

Nor did Jerusalem and its environs stagnate in wisdom

رَأَيتُ سَجايا الناسِ فيها تَظالُمٌ

رَأَيتُ سَجايا الناسِ فيها تَظالُمٌ

وَلا رَيبَ في عَدلِ الَّذي خَلَقَ الظُلما

وَلا رَيبَ في عَدلِ الَّذي خَلَقَ الظُلما

I saw mutual oppression in people's natures,

I saw the flaws of people, among them injustice

and there is no doubt of the justice of the One who created injustice.

And no doubt in the justice of the one who created darkness

إِذا عِلمِيَ الأَشياءَ جَرَّ مَضَرَّةً

إِذا عِلمِيَ الأَشياءَ جَرَّ مَضَرَّةً

إِلَيَّ فَإِنَّ الجَهلَ أَن أَطلُبَ العِلما

إِلَيَّ فَإِنَّ الجَهلَ أَن أَطلُبَ العِلما

If my knowledge of things brings harm

When I know things, it draws harm to me

upon me, then it is ignorance for me to seek knowledge.

For ignorance is that I seek knowledge

وَما رَضيت رَضوى مِنَ الدَهرِ حُكمَهُ

وَما رَضيت رَضوى مِنَ الدَهرِ حُكمَهُ

وَإِن كانَ سَلمى غَيرَ مَرزوقَةٍ سِلما

وَإِن كانَ سَلمى غَيرَ مَرزوقَةٍ سِلما

Radwa was not content with time's judgment,

And I haven’t been pleased with the decree of fate

even though Salma was granted no peace.

Even if my peace is not destined, without peace

عَفا اللَهُ عَن صافي الحِجى مُتَنَبِّهٍ

عَفا اللَهُ عَن صافي الحِجى مُتَنَبِّهٍ

يَرى خَفضَهُ بُؤسي وَيَقظَتَهُ حُلما

يَرى خَفضَهُ بُؤسي وَيَقظَتَهُ حُلما

May God forgive a clear-minded, wakeful man

May God forgive the one of pure intuition, awakened

who sees his ease as misery and his wakefulness as a dream.

Who sees my misery lowered and his calm heightened

فَنا رَوضُهُ مَرعىً وَلا يُسرُهُ غِنىً

فَنا رَوضُهُ مَرعىً وَلا يُسرُهُ غِنىً

وَلا صُبحُهُ أَضحى وَلا لَيلُهُ أَلمى

وَلا صُبحُهُ أَضحى وَلا لَيلُهُ أَلمى

So his garden is no pasture, nor is his prosperity wealth,

So his meadow is my pasture, and wealth doesn’t please him

nor is his morning bright, nor his night dusky.

Nor is his dawn his sunset, or his night painful