صقيلٌ صقال الطبع لم يُكسَ غيرُهُ

صقيلٌ صقال الطبع لم يُكسَ غيرُهُ

صقالاً ولم يَعْهدهُ مذ قُدَّ مِدْوَسُ

صقالاً ولم يَعْهدهُ مذ قُدَّ مِدْوَسُ

Polished with natural talent's polish—no other has been clothed

Polished by nature, his character was never tainted

in such polish, nor has a file touched it since it was fashioned.

With anything but sincerity, since his first steps

ولو شئت ماطلتُ القوافيَ جريها

ولو شئت ماطلتُ القوافيَ جريها

مدى ما تمادى شأوُها المتنفسُ

مدى ما تمادى شأوُها المتنفسُ

And had I wished, I could have prolonged the rhymes' running

And if I wanted, I could have prolonged the rhymes

as far as their spacious course extended.

As far as their breath would allow

ولكنني أُعطي الكلامَ حقوقَهُ

ولكنني أُعطي الكلامَ حقوقَهُ

وفاءً وحقُّ الشعرِ عندك يُبْخس

وفاءً وحقُّ الشعرِ عندك يُبْخس

But I give speech its due

But I give words their due

out of fidelity, though poetry's due is undervalued in your eyes.

Remaining faithful, though to you poetry is trivial

فذاك وإني أستقي من قريحتي

فذاك وإني أستقي من قريحتي

وأقدحُ إذ غيري من الناس يقبِس

وأقدحُ إذ غيري من الناس يقبِس

So it is, though I draw water from my own poetic gift,

So I draw from my own creativity

and strike fire, while other people borrow fire.

Kindling when others take fire