غُذِيتُ بعلم النَحو إِذ دَرَّ لي ثَديا

غُذِيتُ بعلم النَحو إِذ دَرَّ لي ثَديا

فَجسمي بِهِ ينمى وَروحي بِهِ تَحيا

فَجسمي بِهِ ينمى وَروحي بِهِ تَحيا

I was nourished on the science of grammar when its breast yielded milk for me;

I was nurtured with grammar when its breast flowed for me,

so my body grows through it, and through it my spirit lives.

So my body grows by it, and my soul lives by it.

وَقَد طالَ تَضرابي لزيدٍ وَعَمرِهِ

وَقَد طالَ تَضرابي لزيدٍ وَعَمرِهِ

وَما اِقتَرفا ذَنباً وَلا تَبعا غَيّا

وَما اِقتَرفا ذَنباً وَلا تَبعا غَيّا

And my repeated beating of Zayd and his ʿAmr has lasted long,

Long have I parsed for Zayd and his companion,

though they committed no sin and followed no error.

Though they committed no sin, nor followed any misguidance.

وَما نِلتُ مِن ضَربيهما غَيرَ شُهرةٍ

وَما نِلتُ مِن ضَربيهما غَيرَ شُهرةٍ

بِفَنٍ وَما يُجدي اِشتهاري بِهِ شَيّا

بِفَنٍ وَما يُجدي اِشتهاري بِهِ شَيّا

And I gained from beating them nothing but renown

I gained naught from analyzing them except notoriety

in a discipline; yet my renown in it avails me nothing.

In a skill which brings no benefit by making me renowned.

أَلا إِنَّ علمَ النَحو قَد بادَ أَهلُهُ

أَلا إِنَّ علمَ النَحو قَد بادَ أَهلُهُ

فَما أَن تَرى في الحَي مِن بَعدهم حَيّا

فَما أَن تَرى في الحَي مِن بَعدهم حَيّا

Behold, the practitioners of the science of grammar have perished;

Alas! The people of grammar are now extinct,

so after them you see no living soul in the community.

So you see no one alive among them afterwards.

سَأتركه تَركَ الغَزالِ لظله

سَأتركه تَركَ الغَزالِ لظله

وَأُتبِعُه هَجراً وَأُوسِعُه نَأيا

وَأُتبِعُه هَجراً وَأُوسِعُه نَأيا

I shall abandon it as the gazelle abandons its shadow,

I will forsake it, like a deer forsaking its shade,

and follow it with abandonment, lavishing distance upon it.

And I will abandon it, distancing myself from it.

وَأَسمو إِلى الفِقه المُبارَكِ إِنَّهُ

وَأَسمو إِلى الفِقه المُبارَكِ إِنَّهُ

ليُرضيكَ في الأُخرى وَيُحظيك في الدُنيا

ليُرضيكَ في الأُخرى وَيُحظيك في الدُنيا

And I shall rise to blessed jurisprudence, for it

I will ascend to the blessed jurisprudence, for it

surely pleases you in the hereafter and brings you favor in this world.

Will please you in the hereafter and grant you well-being in this life.

وَما الفِقهُ إِلا أَصلُ دينِ محمدٍ

وَما الفِقهُ إِلا أَصلُ دينِ محمدٍ

فَجَرِّد لَهُ عَزماً وَجَدِّد لَهُ سَعيا

فَجَرِّد لَهُ عَزماً وَجَدِّد لَهُ سَعيا

And jurisprudence is nothing but the foundation of Muhammad's religion,

What is jurisprudence but the foundation of Muhammad's faith?

so devote your resolve to it, and renew your efforts for it.

So dedicate strong resolve to it, and renew your effort for it!

وَكُن تابِعاً للشافعيّ وَسالِكاً

وَكُن تابِعاً للشافعيّ وَسالِكاً

طَريقتَه تبلُغ بِه الغايةَ القُصيا

طَريقتَه تبلُغ بِه الغايةَ القُصيا

And be a follower of al-Shafiʿi, and tread

Be a follower of al-Shāfiʿī, adhering

his path: through him you will reach the furthest goal.

To his way, so you may attain the farthest goal.

أَلا يا ابن إدريس قَد اتضحَ الهُدى

أَلا يا ابن إدريس قَد اتضحَ الهُدى

وَكَم غامضٍ أَبدى وَكَم دارسٍ أَحيا

وَكَم غامضٍ أَبدى وَكَم دارسٍ أَحيا

Behold, O son of Idris, guidance has become clear;

Behold! The guidance is now clear, O Ibn Idrīs,

and how many an obscure matter he revealed, and how many an effaced one he revived!

And how much ambiguity it has elucidated, and how many students it has revived!

سمي الرَسول المُصطفى وابن عَمه

سمي الرَسول المُصطفى وابن عَمه

فَناهيك مَجداً قَد سَما الرتبة العليا

فَناهيك مَجداً قَد سَما الرتبة العليا

He is the chosen Messenger's namesake and paternal cousin;

Name the Chosen Prophet and his cousin,

so that is glory enough for you: he has risen to the highest rank!

For indeed they have attained the highest rank of glory.

هُوَ استنبط الأصول فاكتسى بِهِ ال

هُوَ استنبط الأصول فاكتسى بِهِ ال

فقهَ مِن ديباجِ إِنشائِه وَشيا

فقهَ مِن ديباجِ إِنشائِه وَشيا

He derived the principles, and so through him was clothed the

It is he who extracted the principles, and thereby obtained

law in embroidery from the brocade of his composition.

The intricacies of jurisprudence from the brocade of his composition.