أضحىbecame وزيراًa minister أبوAbu (father of) يَعْلىYa‘la وحُقَّand it was fitting لهfor him
أضحى وزيراً أبو يَعْلى وحُقَّ له
بعدafter المشارطِthe lancets والمقراضِand the scissors والجلَمِand the shears
بعد المشارطِ والمقراضِ والجلَمِ
Abu Ya‘la has become a minister—and rightly so—
Abu Ya'la has now become vizier, as was his right,
After the lancets, the scissors, and the shears.
After the inkstand and the pen and the pumice-stone.
قدindeed قالsaid قومٌsome people وغاظتهمand it enraged them كتابتُهhis writing
قد قال قومٌ وغاظتهم كتابتُه
لوif شئتYou willed ياO ربِّmy Lord ماnot علَّمتَYou taught بالقلمِby the pen
لو شئت يا ربِّ ما علَّمتَ بالقلمِ
Some people have said, enraged by his writing:
Some people spoke evil of his writing to me, saying:
Had You willed, O my Lord, You would not have taught by the pen.
"If only You had not, O Lord, taught writing with the pen!"
Sol 6.1