مِنfrom بَحرِthe sea of شِعرِكَyour poetry أَغتَرِفI draw
مِن بَحرِ شِعرِكَ أَغتَرِف
وَبِفَضلِand concerning the excellence of عِلمِكَyour learning أَعتَرِفI acknowledge
وَبِفَضلِ عِلمِكَ أَعتَرِف
From the sea of your poetry I draw,
From the sea of your poetry I draw water
And I acknowledge the excellence of your learning.
And by your knowledge I admit
أَنشَدتَنيyou recited to me فَكَأَنَّماso it was as though
أَنشَدتَني فَكَأَنَّما
شَقَقتَyou split open عَنaway from دُرٍّpearls صَدَفshells
شَقَقتَ عَن دُرٍّ صَدَف
You recited to me, and it was as though
You have recited to me as though
You had split shells open to reveal pearls—
You have opened a pearl from an oyster
شِعراًpoetry إِذاwhen ماقِستُهُI compared it (ما emphasizes 'when')
شِعراً إِذا ماقِستُهُ
بِجَميعِagainst all أَشعارِthe poems of السَلَفthe forebears
بِجَميعِ أَشعارِ السَلَف
Poetry—when I compared it
Poetry, when I compare it
Against all the verse of the forebears,
To all the poetry of past ages
قَصَّرنَthey fell short دونَshort of مَداهُits reach تَقbeginning of تقصير, 'falling short'
قَصَّرنَ دونَ مَداهُ تَق
صيرَcompletion of تقصير, 'falling short' الحُروفِthe letters عَنِof الأَلِفalif (the letter ا)
صيرَ الحُروفِ عَنِ الأَلِف
They fell short of its reach, just as
Falls short of its scope however much
Letters fall short of alif.
Letters are shortened from the first letter
Sol 6.1