1. أَرَى سَيْفَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ

    مُنَاسَبَةٌ عِنْدَ اعْتَبِارِ الْمُنَاسِبِ

    I see, between myself and Ibrahim's sword,

    an affinity, when their resemblance is considered.

  2. بَشَرْتُ حُرُوفَ الْكَتْبِ عِنْدَ الْتِبَاسِهَا

    وَتَبْشُرُ حَدَّاهُ حُرُوفُ الْكَتَائِبِ

    I scraped away written letters when they were unclear;

    and its two edges scrape away the flanks of battalions.

  3. مَا لِي أًعُذِّبُ نَفْسِي فِي مَطَامِعِهَا

    وَالنَّفْسُ تُزْري بِتَهْذِيٍبِي وَتَهْذِي بِي

    Why do I torment my soul over its ambitions,

    while the soul scorns my disciplining and babbles about me?

  4. وَإِذَا اسْتَعَنْتً عَلَى دَهْرٍ بِتَجْرِبَةٍ

    تَأبَى الْمَقاديرُ تَجْرِيبِي وَتَجْرِي بِي

    And when I seek experience's aid against time,

    fate rejects my experiments and carries me along.