أَياO ناصِرَNasir (defender of) الدينِal-Din (the faith) اِنفَرَدتyou stood unrivaled بِمَنشأٍwith a composition
أَيا ناصِرَ الدينِ اِنفَرَدت بِمَنشأٍ
مِنof النَثرِprose ماno فيهِin it انتِقادٌgrounds for criticism لِناقِدِfor a critic
مِن النَثرِ ما فيهِ انتِقادٌ لِناقِدِ
O Nasir al-Din, you stand unrivaled in your composition
Of prose in which no critic can find a fault.
قَلائدnecklaces عقيانof pure gold تُحاكيyou rival وَإِنَّهُand indeed it is
قَلائد عقيان تُحاكي وَإِنَّهُ
فَرائدُchoice gems ياقوتٍof ruby لتلكَfor those القَلائِدِnecklaces
فَرائدُ ياقوتٍ لتلكَ القَلائِدِ
With it you rival necklaces of pure gold, and indeed it is
Choice rubies for those necklaces.
فَرائدُchoice gems لَوif كانَتthey were تجسَّدُgiven bodily form نُظِّمَتthey would be strung
فَرائدُ لَو كانَت تجسَّدُ نُظِّمَت
عُقوداًas necklaces لأَجيادِfor the necks of الغَوانيbeautiful women النَّواهِدِbudding-breasted
عُقوداً لأَجيادِ الغَواني النَّواهِدِ
Choice gems that, if given bodily form, would be strung
As necklaces for the necks of budding-breasted beauties.
هُوَit is الأَدَبُliterature الغَضُّtender and fresh الجَنيُّfreshly picked أَتَتcame بِهِwith it
هُوَ الأَدَبُ الغَضُّ الجَنيُّ أَتَت بِهِ
قَريحَةُcreative genius of فكرٍa mind واقِدٍblazing غَيرِnot خامِدِextinguished
قَريحَةُ فكرٍ واقِدٍ غَيرِ خامِدِ
It is literature, tender and freshly picked, brought forth
By the creative genius of a blazing, unquenched mind.
شَفَعتَyou paired بِهاwith them إِحسانَهاits excellence فَكَأَنَّماso it was as though
شَفَعتَ بِها إِحسانَها فَكَأَنَّما
شَفَعتَyou paired الدَراريthe brilliant stars بِالشُموسِwith the suns الخَوالِدِeverlasting
شَفَعتَ الدَراري بِالشُموسِ الخَوالِدِ
You paired its excellence with these, as though
You had paired brilliant stars with everlasting suns.
خَوالدُeverlasting لاnot تبلىwear out عَلىover الدَهرِtime جِدَّةًin freshness
خَوالدُ لا تبلى عَلى الدَهرِ جِدَّةً
إِذاwhen تُليَتthey are recited جاءَتthey come لَكُمto you بِالمَحامِدِwith praise
إِذا تُليَت جاءَت لَكُم بِالمَحامِدِ
Everlasting—their freshness never fades with time;
When recited, they bring you praise.
سِوارٍjourneying by night إِلىto الآفاقِthe horizons يَزهىtake pride بِسَمعِهاin hearing them
سِوارٍ إِلى الآفاقِ يَزهى بِسَمعِها
ذووmasters of النَثرِprose مِنamong نقادِّناour critics وَالقَصائِدِand poems
ذوو النَثرِ مِن نقادِّنا وَالقَصائِدِ
They journey by night to the horizons; proud to hear them are
The 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 an شافِعٍintercessor فيهِin it واحِدِpeerless
فَأَعظِم بِهِ مِن شافِعٍ فيهِ واحِدِ
Shafiʿ has become peerless in learning and excellence;
So how great he is—a peerless intercessor therein!
Sol 6.1