وَما أَنزَرَ الطَرفَ فيمَن نَرى

وَما أَنزَرَ الطَرفَ فيمَن نَرى

وَلَو أَصبَحوا مِلحَصى أَكثَرا

وَلَو أَصبَحوا مِلحَصى أَكثَرا

And how rare is wit among those we see,

How scarce are those worthy of a glance among all we see,

Even if they should outnumber the pebbles,

Even if they were more numerous than the pebbles of the earth,

سِوى رَجُلٍ ضَمِنَتهُ الطَريقُ

سِوى رَجُلٍ ضَمِنَتهُ الطَريقُ

وَنَحنُ ضُحىً نَقصُدُ العَسكَرا

وَنَحنُ ضُحىً نَقصُدُ العَسكَرا

Except one man whom the road held,

Save for a man whom the road brought together with us,

As we headed for the army camp at midmorning.

As we headed toward Al-Askar in the brightness of the forenoon.

فَقالَ وَأَزكَنَني شاعِراً

فَقالَ وَأَزكَنَني شاعِراً

وَأَزكَنتُهُ فَطِناً مُفكِرا

وَأَزكَنتُهُ فَطِناً مُفكِرا

Then he said, judging me a poet,

He spoke, intuitively perceiving me to be a poet,

While I judged him perceptive and thoughtful:

Just as I perceived him to be sharp-witted and deep in thought.

أَتُنشِدُني بَعضَ ما صُغتَهُ

أَتُنشِدُني بَعضَ ما صُغتَهُ

وَلا تَدَعِ الأَجوَدَ الأَفخَرا

وَلا تَدَعِ الأَجوَدَ الأَفخَرا

“Will you recite to me some of what you have composed?

He asked, "Will you recite to me some of what you have crafted,"

And do not omit the finest, the most splendid.”

"And do not omit the finest and most glorious verse?"

فَأَنشَدتُهُ مِدَحَ البَرمَكِيِّ

فَأَنشَدتُهُ مِدَحَ البَرمَكِيِّ

أَبي الفَضلِ أَعني الفَتى جَعفَرا

أَبي الفَضلِ أَعني الفَتى جَعفَرا

So I recited to him praises of the Barmakid,

So I recited to him the praises of the Barmakid,

Abu al-Fadl—I mean the gallant Jaʿfar.

Abu al-Fadl—by whom I mean the noble youth, Ja'far.

فَأَعجَبَني ظُرفُهُ إِذ يَقولُ

فَأَعجَبَني ظُرفُهُ إِذ يَقولُ

مَديحُكَ دُرٌّ فَهَل دَرَّرا

مَديحُكَ دُرٌّ فَهَل دَرَّرا

His wit delighted me when he said:

I was charmed by his wit when he then remarked:

“Your praise is pearls—did he shower pearls in return?”

"Your praise is a pearl, but did it yield a flow of bounty?"