اللَه قد خلق الإنسان مرتسِماً

بشبهه وهو عين العاقل الفَهِمِ

God created man in His image

The embodiment of the wise and understanding intellect

وزان عنصرَه بالعقل فهو به

ملكٌ رَقِي في علومٍ أرفعَ الشيم

He balanced his nature with reason, so through it

He is an exalted king in the highest sciences

فالعقل شمسٌ ونور العلم منبثقٌ

منها ومنها ثمار الفضل فافتهم

Reason is a sun, and the light of knowledge radiates

From it, and from it are the fruits of virtue, so comprehend

أو إنه القوسُ فيه العلم منحصرٌ

كالسهم يُصمي معانيه ولم يُصَم

Or it is the bow, and knowledge is confined within it

Like an arrow that hits its meanings, and was not mute

أو إنه صارمٌ في حرب هرطقةٍ

بحكمه الفصل بين اللاء والنَعَم

Or it is a sword in the war against heresy

With its decisive judgement between prosperity and blessing

فالعلم كالحق موجودين من أزلٍ

والجهل كالإثم موصوفين بالعدم

For knowledge, like truth, exists from eternity

And ignorance, like sin, is described as nonexistence

من يَعدَم العلمَ يُظلِمْ عقلُهُ أبداً

حتى تراه شبيهَ الحال في النَعَم

Whoever lacks knowledge, his intellect is ever darkened

Until you see his state is similar in prosperity

كم من نفوسٍ غدت للَه مخلصةً

بالعلم في صفحة القرطاس والقلم

How many souls have become devoted to God

Through knowledge, by the page of paper and pen

إن كان من ثَمْرةٍ رُمنا تألُّهنا

فالعلم أدنى إلى المطلوب من قِدَم

If we wished for spiritual fruits to make us godly

Knowledge is the nearest thing to what we seek

توقَّ يا من غدا بالعلم متصفاً

من شهوةٍ شوَّهت سلمانَ في الأمم

Yearn, O you who will be characterized by knowledge tomorrow

From a desire that distorted Solomon among the nations

فيها فلاسفة اليونان قد جهلوا

فلم يُنِرهُم منيرُ العلم في الظلم

In it were the philosophers of Greece who were ignorant

The light of knowledge did not illuminate them in the darkness

كُفَّت بصائرُهم منها فما انتزحوا

عنها فتشكو بَصيرتْهُم من السَقَم

Their visions were veiled from it, so they were not delivered

From it, so their sight complained of illness

باتوا وفي كل عضوٍ منهمُ خَللٌ

وكلِّ جارحةٍ ضربٌ من الألم

They remained, and in each of their limbs was a defect

And in each faculty a kind of pain

أضحيتُ أدعو بآرسطو وشيعتِه

وسينكا الفاضل المشهور بالحكم

I called upon Aristotle and his followers

And the virtuous Socrates known for his wisdom

فلم يجيبوا ونار العدل تلجمُهُم

إذ كان كلٌّ من الرشد الشديد عمي

But they did not answer, and the fire of justice binds them

For each was completely blind to righteousness

فالنار تُسرِجُ فيهم زيتَ علمهمِ

للخزي لا لتُحلِّي كذْبَ خيرهمِ

The fire brands them with oil of their knowledge

For shame, not to adorn the lies of their virtues

هذي جهم ملأى من فلاسفةٍ

وخائفوا اللَه لم يَلووا على ضَرَم

These are the ashes filled with philosophers

Who feared God but did not twist upon decay

فاحذر وكن عاملاً يا عالماً أبداً

توجَد عظيماً بملك اللَه ذي النعم

So beware and always be a practicing scholar

You will be found great in the possession of God, Owner of Grace

واسنِد إلى مريمٍ ما حزتَ من حكمٍ

فالفضل في غيرها في الناس لم يَقُم

And ascribe to Maryam whatever wisdom you have gained

For virtue in other than her among people did not stand

لها السلامة في دار السلام على

رب السلام وفيها ملتقى السَلَم

For her is safety in the Abode of Peace

For the Lord of Peace, and in it lies harmony

لها عجائب لا تحصى مواقعُها

جليلة القدر والمقدار في الأمم

For her wonders abound, their places

Sublime in worth and quantity among nations

لها منازل في قلبي منازلها

مشيَّداتٌ على إسٍّ من الكرم

She has dwellings in my heart, her dwellings

Erected upon a foundation of generosity

ترى القداسةَ في أعتاب قدرتها

ذكيةَ العَرف والأخلاق والشيم

You see holiness upon the threshold of her power

Clever in honor, morals and virtue

إن تستجر بحمى أذيال سلطتِها

في موقف الدين تنجُ من أذى النِقم

If you seek refuge in the protection of her authority

In religion's stance, you will be saved from the harm of blaming

كأنها الحصن تشتدُّ النفوس به

ما حصنُ بابلَ دع ما عاد للعدم

It is as if she is the fortress, souls grow strong through her

What fortress protected Babylon, leave what returned to nonexistence

هي الصراط وباب اللَه مدخلُه

متى يجد بابَها الشيطان ينهزم

She is the Straight Path, and God's door is its entrance

When will Satan find its door to be defeated?

هي الشفيعة في الدارين فامض لها

إن لم تجدها فقل يا زلةَ القدم

She is the intercessor in both abodes, so go to her

If you do not find her, then say: O misstep of the foot

قرت بها عين مدّاحٍ وخادمِها

إن لم تكوني له البنيانَ ينهدم

The eye of her praiser and servant has rested on her

If you are not for him a building, it will collapse