لَيسَ شَيءٌ مِمّا يُدَبِّرُهُ العا

لَيسَ شَيءٌ مِمّا يُدَبِّرُهُ العا

قِلُ إِلّا وَفيهِ شَيءٌ يُريبُه

قِلُ إِلّا وَفيهِ شَيءٌ يُريبُه

Nothing that the wise man devises

There is nothing the wise man undertakes

is without something in it that makes him doubt.

Unless there is something ambiguous about it

فَأَخو العَقلِ مُمسِكٌ يَتَوَقّى

فَأَخو العَقلِ مُمسِكٌ يَتَوَقّى

وَيَخافُ الدُخولَ فيما يَعيبُه

وَيَخافُ الدُخولَ فيما يَعيبُه

So the man of reason holds back, guarding himself,

So the brother of reason is cautious

and fears entering into what would discredit him.

And fears entering into what would shame him

وَأَخو الجَهلِ لا يُقَدِّرُ في الأَم

وَأَخو الجَهلِ لا يُقَدِّرُ في الأَم

رِ وَإِن أَشكَلَت عَلَيهِ ضُروبُه

رِ وَإِن أَشكَلَت عَلَيهِ ضُروبُه

And the man of ignorance does not weigh the matter,

While the brother of ignorance does not estimate

even when its various forms perplex him.

Even if its complexities are obscure to him

راكِبٌ رَدعَهُ كَحاطِبِ لَيلٍ

راكِبٌ رَدعَهُ كَحاطِبِ لَيلٍ

يُخطِئُ الأَمرَ كُلَّهُ أَو يُصيبُه

يُخطِئُ الأَمرَ كُلَّهُ أَو يُصيبُه

He plunges headlong, like a gatherer of firewood at night,

A rider whom the night's darkness has led astray

getting the whole matter wrong, or getting it right.

Missing the whole matter or getting it right

تَتَأَتّى لَهُ الأُمورُ عَلى الجَه

تَتَأَتّى لَهُ الأُمورُ عَلى الجَه

لِ إِذا ما أَرادَها وَتُجيبُه

لِ إِذا ما أَرادَها وَتُجيبُه

Things come easily to him despite his ignorance,

Things come easily to him out of ignorance

whenever he desires them, and they answer him.

When he wants them and they respond to him

وَأَخو العَقلِ بَعد يَنتَتِجُ الرَأ

وَأَخو العَقلِ بَعد يَنتَتِجُ الرَأ

يَ فَيَرضى وَمَرَّةً يَستَريبُه

يَ فَيَرضى وَمَرَّةً يَستَريبُه

And the man of reason afterward works out an opinion,

While the brother of reason later deduces an opinion

and is satisfied with it, yet at times doubts it.

And is satisfied, but sometimes doubts it

وَإِذا صَيَّرَ البَعيدَ قَريباً

وَإِذا صَيَّرَ البَعيدَ قَريباً

عادَ فيهِ فَاِزدادَ بُعداً قَريبُه

عادَ فيهِ فَاِزدادَ بُعداً قَريبُه

And when he makes the distant near,

When he makes the far near

he revisits it, and what was near to him grows farther away.

It goes back, so its nearness increases its farness

فَهوَ الدَهرَ شاخِصُ القَلبِ فِكراً

فَهوَ الدَهرَ شاخِصُ القَلبِ فِكراً

ما تَقَضّى هُمومُهُ وَكُروبُه

ما تَقَضّى هُمومُهُ وَكُروبُه

So forever his heart is transfixed in thought;

So through life his heart is preoccupied with thoughts

his worries and griefs never cease.

His worries and sorrows are never done