سَلِمَتْ بِنْتُ خاطِرِ ابْنِ سُلَيْمٍ

سَلِمَتْ بِنْتُ خاطِرِ ابْنِ سُلَيْمٍ

فَأَبَتْ باحترازِهِ أَنْ تُنَالا

فَأَبَتْ باحترازِهِ أَنْ تُنَالا

The daughter of Ibn Sulaym's thought remained safe,

so, through his vigilance, she refused to be attained.

وعهدناهُ ليسَ يُحْسِنُ شِعْرًا

وعهدناهُ ليسَ يُحْسِنُ شِعْرًا

غَيْرَ أَنْ صادَفَ المَقَالَ فَقَالا

غَيْرَ أَنْ صادَفَ المَقَالَ فَقَالا

And we have known him to be unskilled in poetry,

save that he chanced upon the words and spoke.

ولئِنْ جاءَ دونَ مجدِكَ يَسْعَى

ولئِنْ جاءَ دونَ مجدِكَ يَسْعَى

فلَهُ العُذْرُ واضحاً يَتَلاَلا

فلَهُ العُذْرُ واضحاً يَتَلاَلا

And even if he came striving but fell short of your glory,

he has an excuse, clear and brightly gleaming.

طُلْتَ عن دِهْنِهِ فَقَصَّرَ عَجْزًا

طُلْتَ عن دِهْنِهِ فَقَصَّرَ عَجْزًا

ولقد بالَغَ الثَّنَا وَأَطالا

ولقد بالَغَ الثَّنَا وَأَطالا

You towered beyond his understanding, so he fell short through inability,

and indeed he lavished praise and prolonged it.