وَجَدْتُ الحلمَ ينصرني على مَنْ

وَجَدْتُ الحلمَ ينصرني على مَنْ

أسُلّ لحربه ظُبةَ الحُسامِ

أسُلّ لحربه ظُبةَ الحُسامِ

I have found that forbearance grants me victory over one

I found dreams to support me against those

for battle with whom I draw the keen sword’s edge.

Whose swords I sharpen for war,

ولي كَلِمٌ كأنّ اللّفْظَ منها

ولي كَلِمٌ كأنّ اللّفْظَ منها

يَرُشّ السمعَ منه بالسّهامِ

يَرُشّ السمعَ منه بالسّهامِ

And I have words whose utterance seems

And I have words that are as though their utterance

to shower the ear with arrows.

Showers the hearing with arrows,

ولكنّي أكفكفها بِحِلْمٍ

ولكنّي أكفكفها بِحِلْمٍ

يُلاثُ البُرْدُ منه على شمامِ

يُلاثُ البُرْدُ منه على شمامِ

But I restrain them with forbearance,

But I restrain them with wisdom

whose cloak is wound about Shamām.

That freezes anger into cold metal,

ولستُ أُعيدُ من حَنَقٍ عليه

ولستُ أُعيدُ من حَنَقٍ عليه

مخاطبةً لتجديد الخصامِ

مخاطبةً لتجديد الخصامِ

Nor do I, out of anger at him, repeat

And I do not repeat in resentment against him

an exchange of words to rekindle the quarrel.

Words that would rekindle quarrel,

ويقصرُ في الحقيقة كلُّ شيءٍ

ويقصرُ في الحقيقة كلُّ شيءٍ

ثَنَيْتَ جمِيعَهُ غَيْرَ الكَلامِ

ثَنَيْتَ جمِيعَهُ غَيْرَ الكَلامِ

And in truth, everything grows shorter

For in truth everything falls short

when you fold it all over—except speech.

Except gentle words that soothe and calm.