أَياO ناصِرَNasir الدينِal-Din اِنفَرَدتyou are unrivaled بِمَنشأٍin a composition
أَيا ناصِرَ الدينِ اِنفَرَدت بِمَنشأٍ
مِنof النَثرِprose ماnot فيهِin it انتِقادٌfaultfinding لِناقِدِfor a critic
مِن النَثرِ ما فيهِ انتِقادٌ لِناقِدِ
O Nasir al-Din, you are unrivaled in a composition
of prose in which no critic can find a fault.
قَلائدnecklaces عقيانpure gold تُحاكيyou emulate وَإِنَّهُand indeed it
قَلائد عقيان تُحاكي وَإِنَّهُ
فَرائدُrare gems ياقوتٍof ruby لتلكَfor those القَلائِدِnecklaces
فَرائدُ ياقوتٍ لتلكَ القَلائِدِ
You emulate necklaces of pure gold, and indeed it is
rare rubies for those necklaces.
فَرائدُrare gems لَوif كانَتthey were تجسَّدُgiven bodily form نُظِّمَتwould be strung
فَرائدُ لَو كانَت تجسَّدُ نُظِّمَت
عُقوداًas necklaces لأَجيادِfor the necks of الغَوانيbeauties النَّواهِدِfull-breasted
عُقوداً لأَجيادِ الغَواني النَّواهِدِ
Gems that, if given bodily form, would be strung
as necklaces for the necks of full-breasted beauties.
هُوَit الأَدَبُliterature الغَضُّfresh الجَنيُّnewly gathered أَتَتcame بِهِwith it
هُوَ الأَدَبُ الغَضُّ الجَنيُّ أَتَت بِهِ
قَريحَةُnatural talent فكرٍof a mind واقِدٍblazing غَيرِnot خامِدِextinguished
قَريحَةُ فكرٍ واقِدٍ غَيرِ خامِدِ
It is literature, fresh and newly gathered, brought forth
by the natural gift of a mind aflame, not extinguished.
شَفَعتَyou doubled بِهاwith it إِحسانَهاits excellence فَكَأَنَّماso it is as though
شَفَعتَ بِها إِحسانَها فَكَأَنَّما
شَفَعتَyou paired الدَراريthe brilliant stars بِالشُموسِwith the suns الخَوالِدِeverlasting
شَفَعتَ الدَراري بِالشُموسِ الخَوالِدِ
With it you doubled its excellence, as though
you paired the brilliant stars with everlasting suns.
خَوالدُeverlasting ones لاnot تبلىwear out عَلىover الدَهرِtime جِدَّةًin freshness
خَوالدُ لا تبلى عَلى الدَهرِ جِدَّةً
إِذاwhenever تُليَتrecited جاءَتthey came لَكُمto you بِالمَحامِدِwith praises
إِذا تُليَت جاءَت لَكُم بِالمَحامِدِ
Everlasting, their freshness does not wear away with time;
whenever recited, they bring you praise.
سِوارٍtraveling by night إِلىto الآفاقِthe horizons يَزهىtakes pride بِسَمعِهاin hearing them
سِوارٍ إِلى الآفاقِ يَزهى بِسَمعِها
ذووmasters of النَثرِprose مِنamong نقادِّناour critics وَالقَصائِدِand poems
ذوو النَثرِ مِن نقادِّنا وَالقَصائِدِ
Traveling by night to the horizons, they are heard with pride
by masters of prose and verse among our critics.
غَداhas become شافِعShafiʿ فيin العلمِlearning وَالفَضلِand excellence واحِداًpeerless
غَدا شافِع في العلمِ وَالفَضلِ واحِداً
فَأَعظِمso how great بِهِhe is مِنas a شافِعٍShafiʿ فيهِtherein واحِدِpeerless
فَأَعظِم بِهِ مِن شافِعٍ فيهِ واحِدِ
Shafiʿ has become peerless in learning and excellence;
so how great he is—Shafiʿ, unrivaled therein!
Sol 6.1