إِذا المُشكِلاتُ تَصَدَّينَ لي

إِذا المُشكِلاتُ تَصَدَّينَ لي

كَشَفتُ حَقائِقَها بِالنَظَر

كَشَفتُ حَقائِقَها بِالنَظَر

When difficulties confront me,

When difficult problems confront me,

I uncover their true nature through reflection.

I uncover their true natures through scrutiny.

وَإِن بَرَقَت في مُخَيَلِ الصَوا

وَإِن بَرَقَت في مُخَيَلِ الصَوا

بِ عَمياءُ لا يَجتَليها البَصَر

بِ عَمياءُ لا يَجتَليها البَصَر

And even if it flashes in the cloud-bank of right judgmen—

And if, amid the semblance of right judgment, there flashes

—t, obscure, beyond the eye’s discerning,

A blind perplexity that sight cannot discern,

مُقَنَّعَةً بِغُيوبِ الأُمور

مُقَنَّعَةً بِغُيوبِ الأُمور

وَضَعتُ عَلَيها صَحيحُ الفِكَر

وَضَعتُ عَلَيها صَحيحُ الفِكَر

veiled by the hidden mysteries of affairs,

Veiled in the mysteries of things,

I bring sound thought to bear upon it:

Sound in thought, I bring to bear upon it

لِساناً كَشِقشِقَةِ الأَرحَبي

لِساناً كَشِقشِقَةِ الأَرحَبي

يِ أَو كَالحُسامِ البَتّارِ الذَكَر

يِ أَو كَالحُسامِ البَتّارِ الذَكَر

a tongue like the throat-rumble of an Arḥab—

A tongue like an Arḥabī camel's throat-pouch,

—ī camel, or like a keen, cleaving sword,

Or like a keen, cleaving sword of hard steel;

وَقَلباً إِذا اِستَقطَنتهُ الهُمو

وَقَلباً إِذا اِستَقطَنتهُ الهُمو

مُ أَربى عَلَيها بِزاهي الدُرَر

مُ أَربى عَلَيها بِزاهي الدُرَر

and a heart, whenever it is inhabited by care—

And a heart that, when cares make their home in it,

—s, rises above them with radiant pearls.

Rises above them with radiant pearls.

وَلَستُ بِإِمَّعَةٍ في الرِجالِ

وَلَستُ بِإِمَّعَةٍ في الرِجالِ

أُسائِلُ هَذا وَذا ما الخَبَر

أُسائِلُ هَذا وَذا ما الخَبَر

I am no weak-willed follower among men,

And I am no mindless follower among men,

asking this one and that one, “What is the news?”

Asking this one and that, 'What is the news?'

وَلَكِنَّني مِذربُ الأَصغَرَينِ

وَلَكِنَّني مِذربُ الأَصغَرَينِ

أُبيِّن مَع ما مَضى ما غَبَر

أُبيِّن مَع ما مَضى ما غَبَر

Rather, I am a sharp wielder of the two lesser organs,

But my two smaller organs—tongue and heart—are keen;

making clear, together with what has passed, what remains.

I make clear what remains, along with what has passed.