لَيسَ شَيءٌ مِمّا يُدَبِّرُهُ العا

قِلُ إِلّا وَفيهِ شَيءٌ يُريبُه

There is nothing the wise man undertakes

Unless there is something ambiguous about it

فَأَخو العَقلِ مُمسِكٌ يَتَوَقّى

وَيَخافُ الدُخولَ فيما يَعيبُه

So the brother of reason is cautious

And fears entering into what would shame him

وَأَخو الجَهلِ لا يُقَدِّرُ في الأَم

رِ وَإِن أَشكَلَت عَلَيهِ ضُروبُه

While the brother of ignorance does not estimate

Even if its complexities are obscure to him

راكِبٌ رَدعَهُ كَحاطِبِ لَيلٍ

يُخطِئُ الأَمرَ كُلَّهُ أَو يُصيبُه

A rider whom the night's darkness has led astray

Missing the whole matter or getting it right

تَتَأَتّى لَهُ الأُمورُ عَلى الجَه

لِ إِذا ما أَرادَها وَتُجيبُه

Things come easily to him out of ignorance

When he wants them and they respond to him

وَأَخو العَقلِ بَعد يَنتَتِجُ الرَأ

يَ فَيَرضى وَمَرَّةً يَستَريبُه

While the brother of reason later deduces an opinion

And is satisfied, but sometimes doubts it

وَإِذا صَيَّرَ البَعيدَ قَريباً

عادَ فيهِ فَاِزدادَ بُعداً قَريبُه

When he makes the far near

It goes back, so its nearness increases its farness

فَهوَ الدَهرَ شاخِصُ القَلبِ فِكراً

ما تَقَضّى هُمومُهُ وَكُروبُه

So through life his heart is preoccupied with thoughts

His worries and sorrows are never done