أَرَىI see سَيْفَthe sword of إِبْرَاهِيمَIbrahim بَيْنِيbetween me وَبَيْنَهُand between it
أَرَى سَيْفَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ
مُنَاسَبَةٌan affinity عِنْدَupon اعْتَبِارِconsidering الْمُنَاسِبِwhat corresponds
مُنَاسَبَةٌ عِنْدَ اعْتَبِارِ الْمُنَاسِبِ
I see, between myself and Ibrahim's sword,
an affinity, when their resemblance is considered.
بَشَرْتُI scraped away حُرُوفَthe letters of الْكَتْبِthe writing عِنْدَwhen الْتِبَاسِهَاtheir being unclear
بَشَرْتُ حُرُوفَ الْكَتْبِ عِنْدَ الْتِبَاسِهَا
وَتَبْشُرُand scrape away حَدَّاهُits two edges حُرُوفُthe flanks of الْكَتَائِبِthe battalions
وَتَبْشُرُ حَدَّاهُ حُرُوفُ الْكَتَائِبِ
I scraped away written letters when they were unclear;
and its two edges scrape away the flanks of battalions.
مَاwhat لِيis with me أًعُذِّبُI torment نَفْسِيmy soul فِيin مَطَامِعِهَاits ambitions
مَا لِي أًعُذِّبُ نَفْسِي فِي مَطَامِعِهَا
وَالنَّفْسُand the soul تُزْريscorns بِتَهْذِيٍبِيat my disciplining وَتَهْذِيand babbles بِيabout me
وَالنَّفْسُ تُزْري بِتَهْذِيٍبِي وَتَهْذِي بِي
Why do I torment my soul over its ambitions,
while the soul scorns my disciplining and babbles about me?
وَإِذَاand when اسْتَعَنْتًI sought help عَلَىagainst دَهْرٍtime بِتَجْرِبَةٍthrough experience
وَإِذَا اسْتَعَنْتً عَلَى دَهْرٍ بِتَجْرِبَةٍ
تَأبَىrejects الْمَقاديرُthe decrees of fate تَجْرِيبِيmy experiments وَتَجْرِيand runs بِيwith me
تَأبَى الْمَقاديرُ تَجْرِيبِي وَتَجْرِي بِي
And when I seek experience's aid against time,
fate rejects my experiments and carries me along.