قل لمن يرتجي طنين الرباب

قل لمن يرتجي طنين الرباب

عند تغريد طائرات الذباب

عند تغريد طائرات الذباب

Say to one who hopes for the rabab's ringing

Tell those who await the melody of the rebec

amid the warbling of flies in flight:

At the warbling of houseflies

أخلفت خلب البروق أراجي

أخلفت خلب البروق أراجي

ك كما أخلفت بحور السراب

ك كما أخلفت بحور السراب

Rainless flashes of lightning have dashed your hopes,

That lightning has failed my hopes

just as the seas of mirage have done.

Just as mirage pools failed yours

ظامياً ظل يرقب العذب منها

ظامياً ظل يرقب العذب منها

فغدا شارباً كؤوس العذاب

فغدا شارباً كؤوس العذاب

Thirsty, he kept watching for sweet water from them,

Yearning, he kept watching for the sweetness in them

and so ended up drinking cups of torment.

And ended up drinking cups of torment

فاجتنب ما غررت فيه وعرج

فاجتنب ما غررت فيه وعرج

نحو رأي مستخلص كاللباب

نحو رأي مستخلص كاللباب

So shun what you were lured into, and turn

So avoid what has tempted you there, and head

toward a judgment refined like the pure kernel.

Towards a carefully considered opinion like good sense

والتمس غرب باترات من الغر

والتمس غرب باترات من الغر

ب فما خاب حازم الاغتراب

ب فما خاب حازم الاغتراب

And seek the keen edge of cleaving swords from the West,

And seek a land of western winds, for no resolute exile

for one resolved to go abroad has never failed.

Has ever been disappointed

واصدع الهم باهتمام أبي

واصدع الهم باهتمام أبي

لم يهب عزمه ركوب الصعاب

لم يهب عزمه ركوب الصعاب

And shatter care with a proud man's resolve,

And confront anxiety with my father’s concern

whose determination never feared riding through hardships.

His determination did not give in to difficulties

أنف العيش تحت خطة ضيم

أنف العيش تحت خطة ضيم

فرمى طرفه فويق السحاب

فرمى طرفه فويق السحاب

He disdained living under terms of humiliation,

Disdain to live under oppressive circumstances

so he cast his gaze just above the clouds.

So cast your eyes beyond the clouds

ولتجدني متى عزمت رفيقاً

ولتجدني متى عزمت رفيقاً

سائراً مسرعاً أمام الركاب

سائراً مسرعاً أمام الركاب

And whenever you resolve, you shall find me a companion,

And you will always find me, when you are resolved, a companion

traveling swiftly ahead of the caravan.

Walking quickly ahead of the riders

وهو قول عدلت فيه عن الغي

وهو قول عدلت فيه عن الغي

ر ولم أرتكب معمى الخطاب

ر ولم أرتكب معمى الخطاب

And it is a statement in which I have turned away from others,

And this is an utterance in which I have turned from ignorance

and have not resorted to cryptic speech.

And not indulged in meaningless talk

وأنا واصل وراء كتابي

وأنا واصل وراء كتابي

قادم خلفه على الأعقاب

قادم خلفه على الأعقاب

And I am coming in the wake of my letter,

And I, after my book, am a successor

arriving after it, close upon its heels.

Coming behind it, step by step