أَرَى سَيْفَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ

أَرَى سَيْفَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ

مُنَاسَبَةٌ عِنْدَ اعْتَبِارِ الْمُنَاسِبِ

مُنَاسَبَةٌ عِنْدَ اعْتَبِارِ الْمُنَاسِبِ

I see, between me and Ibrahim’s sword,

I see the sword of Abraham between me and it

a kinship, when affinities are considered.

A concord when the concordant is considered

بَشَرْتُ حُرُوفَ الْكَتْبِ عِنْدَ الْتِبَاسِهَا

بَشَرْتُ حُرُوفَ الْكَتْبِ عِنْدَ الْتِبَاسِهَا

وَتَبْشُرُ حَدَّاهُ حُرُوفُ الْكَتَائِبِ

وَتَبْشُرُ حَدَّاهُ حُرُوفُ الْكَتَائِبِ

I scraped away letters of script when they were unclear;

I gave good news to the letters of the book when they were confused

and its two edges scrape the flanks of battalions.

And the edges of books give good news to the letters

مَا لِي أًعُذِّبُ نَفْسِي فِي مَطَامِعِهَا

مَا لِي أًعُذِّبُ نَفْسِي فِي مَطَامِعِهَا

وَالنَّفْسُ تُزْري بِتَهْذِيٍبِي وَتَهْذِي بِي

وَالنَّفْسُ تُزْري بِتَهْذِيٍبِي وَتَهْذِي بِي

Why do I torment my soul over its ambitions,

Why should I torture myself for its desires?

while my soul scorns my discipline and babbles about me?

While the soul mocks my discipline and makes fun of me

وَإِذَا اسْتَعَنْتً عَلَى دَهْرٍ بِتَجْرِبَةٍ

وَإِذَا اسْتَعَنْتً عَلَى دَهْرٍ بِتَجْرِبَةٍ

تَأبَى الْمَقاديرُ تَجْرِيبِي وَتَجْرِي بِي

تَأبَى الْمَقاديرُ تَجْرِيبِي وَتَجْرِي بِي

And when I seek experience’s aid against time,

And if I seek help against fate with experience

fate’s decrees reject my testing and sweep me along.

Fate refuses my testing and does with me as it wills