أَمّا البَليغُ فَإِنّي لا أُجادِلُهُ

أَمّا البَليغُ فَإِنّي لا أُجادِلُهُ

وَلا العَيِيُّ بَغى لِلحَقِّ إِبطالا

وَلا العَيِيُّ بَغى لِلحَقِّ إِبطالا

As for the eloquent man, I do not debate him,

The eloquent man, I do not argue with him

Nor the inarticulate man who seeks to nullify the truth.

Nor does the tired man seek to invalidate the truth

فَنَحنُ في لَيلِ غِيٍّ لَيسَ مُنكَشِفاً

فَنَحنُ في لَيلِ غِيٍّ لَيسَ مُنكَشِفاً

لَم يَفتَقِد عارِضاً بِالجَهلِ هَطّالا

لَم يَفتَقِد عارِضاً بِالجَهلِ هَطّالا

For we are in a night of error that has not lifted;

We are in a dark night that is not illuminated

It has not lacked a rain cloud pouring down ignorance.

He did not lack an aspect due to ignorance that prolonged

وَالنَفسُ كَالسَبَبِ المَدودِ تَجمَعُهُ

وَالنَفسُ كَالسَبَبِ المَدودِ تَجمَعُهُ

فَيَستَكِفُّ وَإِن أَرسَلتَهُ طالا

فَيَستَكِفُّ وَإِن أَرسَلتَهُ طالا

And the soul is like a stretched cord: you gather it,

And the self is like a rope that is pulled

And it coils up; but if you let it loose, it lengthens.

So it stiffens even if you let it loose for long

كَذاتِ شَنفٍ أَرادَت بَعدَهُ خِدَماً

كَذاتِ شَنفٍ أَرادَت بَعدَهُ خِدَماً

وَنَظمَ دُرٍّ وَكانَت قَبلُ مِعطالا

وَنَظمَ دُرٍّ وَكانَت قَبلُ مِعطالا

Like a woman with an earring who then desired anklets,

Like the owner of luxury who wanted servants after it

And a string of pearls, though once she was unadorned.

And it wove pearls yet it was idle before

وَقَد شَرِبتَ نُمَيراً فَاِجتَرَأتَ بِهِ

وَقَد شَرِبتَ نُمَيراً فَاِجتَرَأتَ بِهِ

فَلِم حَمَلتَ مِنَ الصَهباءِ أَرطالا

فَلِم حَمَلتَ مِنَ الصَهباءِ أَرطالا

And you have drunk clear, sweet water and grown bold through it;

And you drank wine so you dared with it

Why, then, did you carry ratls of tawny wine?

Why then did you carry so much weight from the blond one

لا خَيلَ مِثلُ قَوافي الشِعرِ جائِلَةً

لا خَيلَ مِثلُ قَوافي الشِعرِ جائِلَةً

أَبقى عَلى الدَهرِ أَعناقاً وَآطالا

أَبقى عَلى الدَهرِ أَعناقاً وَآطالا

No roaming steeds can rival the rhymes of poetry

No horses like the rhymes of poetry roaming

In the endurance of their necks and flanks through the ages.

Remaining for ages necks and long

إِن يَنقُلُ الحَتفُ عَن عاداتِهِ

إِن يَنقُلُ الحَتفُ عَن عاداتِهِ

فَما تَزالُ مَعانيهُنَّ أَبطالا

فَما تَزالُ مَعانيهُنَّ أَبطالا

If death shifts from its accustomed ways,

If circumstances move away from its norms

Their meanings still remain champions.

Its meanings will still remain mighty