أَرانِيَ مِنهاجَ الهُدى فَسَلَكتُهُ

أَرانِيَ مِنهاجَ الهُدى فَسَلَكتُهُ

وَلَم تَتَشَعَّب في الضَلالِ مَذاهِبي

وَلَم تَتَشَعَّب في الضَلالِ مَذاهِبي

It showed me the path of guidance, and I followed it,

The path of guidance appeared before me, so I followed it,

And my ways did not branch off into error.

And my ways did not diverge into misguidance.

وَخَبَّرَ أَنَّ الجَهلَ لَيسَ بِآيِبٍ

وَخَبَّرَ أَنَّ الجَهلَ لَيسَ بِآيِبٍ

إِلَيَّ وَأَنَّ الحُلمَ لَيسَ بِعازِبِ

إِلَيَّ وَأَنَّ الحُلمَ لَيسَ بِعازِبِ

And it declared that folly would not return

He informed me that ignorance is not becoming of me,

To me, and that forbearance would not depart.

And that forbearance is never out of reach for me.

فَأَفصَحَ مِن بَعدِ العُجومَةِ مادِحي

فَأَفصَحَ مِن بَعدِ العُجومَةِ مادِحي

وَأَعجَمَ مِن بَعدِ الفَصاحَةِ عائِبي

وَأَعجَمَ مِن بَعدِ الفَصاحَةِ عائِبي

So my praiser grew eloquent after being inarticulate,

So after incoherence, my praiser became eloquent,

And my detractor grew inarticulate after being eloquent.

And after eloquence, my blamer became inarticulate.

وَرَدَّ إِلى خَيرِ الأَنامِ مَدائِحي

وَرَدَّ إِلى خَيرِ الأَنامِ مَدائِحي

فَحَلَّت مَحَلَّ العِقدِ مِن جيدِ كاعِبِ

فَحَلَّت مَحَلَّ العِقدِ مِن جيدِ كاعِبِ

And it directed my praises toward the best of humankind,

And I returned my praises to the best of mankind,

So they took a necklace’s place on a maiden’s neck.

So it took the place of necklaces around the neck of the unweaned camel.