طُرُقُ العُلكا مَجهولَةٌ فَكَأَنَّها

طُرُقُ العُلكا مَجهولَةٌ فَكَأَنَّها

صُمُّ العَدائِدِ ما لَها أَجذارُ

صُمُّ العَدائِدِ ما لَها أَجذارُ

The paths of the heavens are unknown, as though they were

The paths of life are hidden as if they were

surd numbers that have no roots.

Deaf roots with no foundation in the earth;

وَالعَقلُ أَنذَرَنا بِما هُوَ كائِنٌ

وَالعَقلُ أَنذَرَنا بِما هُوَ كائِنٌ

في الدَهرِ ثُمَّ تَشَعَّبَ الإِنذارُ

في الدَهرِ ثُمَّ تَشَعَّبَ الإِنذارُ

And reason warned us of what is to come

And reason warned us of what was to come

in time; then the warning branched out.

Then warnings spread and branched out far and wide.

أَعذَرتَ طِفلَكَ سالِكاً نَهجَ الهُدى

أَعذَرتَ طِفلَكَ سالِكاً نَهجَ الهُدى

وَلِذاكَ في طَلَبِ العُلا إِعذارُ

وَلِذاكَ في طَلَبِ العُلا إِعذارُ

You circumcised your child, following the path of guidance;

You excused your child walking the path of right,

and for that, in seeking eminence, there is justification.

So seeking the heights had justification.

وَنُحاذِرُ الأَشياءَ بعدَ يَقينِنا

وَنُحاذِرُ الأَشياءَ بعدَ يَقينِنا

أَن لا يَرُدُّ الكائِناتِ حِذارُ

أَن لا يَرُدُّ الكائِناتِ حِذارُ

And we guard against things, even after knowing for certain

And we're wary of things even after certainty

that caution does not avert what comes to pass.

That no caution can stop what is destined to be.

بِالصَمتِ يُدرِكُ طامِرٌ ما رامَهُ

بِالصَمتِ يُدرِكُ طامِرٌ ما رامَهُ

وَتَخيبُ مِنهُ بَعوضَةٌ مِهذارُ

وَتَخيبُ مِنهُ بَعوضَةٌ مِهذارُ

Through silence a flea attains what it sought,

With silence Tamir grasps what he hopes to attain,

while a chattering mosquito fails to obtain it.

While from him a bothersome fly is driven away.