يَقولونَ سيفُ الدِّينِ من أجلِ عقلهِ

يَقولونَ سيفُ الدِّينِ من أجلِ عقلهِ

جَفاكَ فلا تأَمَنْ غوائلَ حقده

جَفاكَ فلا تأَمَنْ غوائلَ حقده

They say, “Sayf al-Din, owing to his intelligence,

They say that Saif al-Din, for the sake of his intellect

has shunned you, so do not feel safe from the perils of his hatred.”

Has abandoned you, so do not feel safe from the pitfalls of his hatred

فقلت لهم يا قومُ ما أنا جاهلٌ

فقلت لهم يا قومُ ما أنا جاهلٌ

فأدخلَ بينَ السيفِ عمداً وغمدهِ

فأدخلَ بينَ السيفِ عمداً وغمدهِ

I said to them, “O people, I am not so foolish

I said to them "O people, I am not ignorant

as to come deliberately between the sword and its sheath.”

So as to deliberately put my neck between the sword and its sheath"