يا طالبَ العليا احترسْ

يا طالبَ العليا احترسْ

أن تصطفي عذالَها

أن تصطفي عذالَها

O seeker of greatness, beware

O seeker of the heights, beware

of choosing its detractors.

Lest you choose their thorns

إنَّ الأمورَ رجالُها

إنَّ الأمورَ رجالُها

فاطلبْ لتلكَ رجالَها

فاطلبْ لتلكَ رجالَها

Indeed, undertakings depend on their men;

For matters, it is men who steer them

so seek the men suited to those tasks.

So seek out steersmen for them

وألزمهمُ فلطالما

وألزمهمُ فلطالما

وقتَ اليمينِ شمالها

وقتَ اليمينِ شمالها

And keep close to them, for many a time

And hold them fast, for oft

the right hand has been shielded by its left.

The right hand's time is the left's.

واجعلْ لنفسكَ غايةً

واجعلْ لنفسكَ غايةً

تهِبِ النفزسَ كمالها

تهِبِ النفزسَ كمالها

And set yourself a goal

And set yourself an aim

that grants the soul its perfection.

To spur the charger to perfection.

وأمتْ أموركَ في الفؤا

وأمتْ أموركَ في الفؤا

دِ فموتها أحيى لها

دِ فموتها أحيى لها

And put your affairs to death within the heart;

And perfect you affairs in the dark

for their death brings them fuller life.

For its death quickened it to life

واخشَ الدسائسَ من عدا

واخشَ الدسائسَ من عدا

تكَ واحذرنَّ فعالها

تكَ واحذرنَّ فعالها

And fear the intrigues of your enemies,

And beware the snares of foes

and beware of their workings.

And guard against their deeds.

تجدِ القنابلَ كالحجا

تجدِ القنابلَ كالحجا

رِ وقدْ ترى أعمالها

رِ وقدْ ترى أعمالها

You will find bombs like stones,

You'll find that cannonballs like stones

yet you may see what they can do.

And yet you see their work.

والماءُ يطفي النارَ لكن

والماءُ يطفي النارَ لكن

لا يطيقُ خيالها

لا يطيقُ خيالها

And water puts out fire, but

And water quenches fire but

cannot withstand its phantom.

Cannot endure its image.