الشّافِعِيُّ أجلُّ النَّاسِ منزلَةً

الشّافِعِيُّ أجلُّ النَّاسِ منزلَةً

وأعظمُ النَّاسِ في دِينِ الهُدى أثَرا

وأعظمُ النَّاسِ في دِينِ الهُدى أثَرا

Al-Shafi‘i is the most exalted of people in rank,

The Shafi'i is the greatest of men in status,

And the greatest of people in influence on the religion of guidance.

And has the greatest impact in the religion of guidance.

العَدلُ سِيَرتُهُ والصِّدقِ شِمَتُهُ

العَدلُ سِيَرتُهُ والصِّدقِ شِمَتُهُ

والسِّحرُ منظومُةُ والدُّرُّ إنْ نَثَرا

والسِّحرُ منظومُةُ والدُّرُّ إنْ نَثَرا

Justice is his way, and truthfulness his nature.

Justice is his conduct, and truth his mark,

His verse is magic; when he speaks in prose, it is pearls.

His prose is magic, and his verse like pearls scattered.

فقُلْ لِمنْ باعَهُ وابتاعَ كاسِدَهْ

فقُلْ لِمنْ باعَهُ وابتاعَ كاسِدَهْ

أراكَ بِعتْ بخُرْصِ النَّخلَةِ الكَثَرا

أراكَ بِعتْ بخُرْصِ النَّخلَةِ الكَثَرا

So tell whoever sold him and bought his worthless substitute:

Say to the one who sold him and bought his defective wares:

I see you have sold the palm-heart for the palm tree’s frond.

I see you sold the many clustered fruits of the palm tree.