أيها القارئون صبرا على ما

أيها القارئون صبرا على ما

تستطيلون من جدال وبيل

تستطيلون من جدال وبيل

O readers, bear patiently with what

O readers, have patience with what

you find overlong in this grievous dispute.

You find lengthy of argument and misery

رب حق بالصمت يخفى ويخفو

رب حق بالصمت يخفى ويخفو

بلجاج ما بين قال وقيل

بلجاج ما بين قال وقيل

Many a truth is hidden by silence, yet comes to light

Many a truth is hidden in silence and obscured

through contention between “he said” and “it was said.”

Between much saying and telling

يا زمانا يسوء من لم يسؤ

يا زمانا يسوء من لم يسؤ

ويسر المسيئ حلف البطول

ويسر المسيئ حلف البطول

O age that harms those who have done no wrong,

O time, evil to him who does not suffer it

and gladdens the wrongdoer, the ally of falsehood!

And easy on the evildoer, sworn to heroism

جئتنا اليوم بالطبيب المداوي

جئتنا اليوم بالطبيب المداوي

للاصحاء وهو جدّ عليل

للاصحاء وهو جدّ عليل

Today you brought us a physician who treats

You came to us today with a physician

the healthy, though he himself is gravely ill.

Who treats the healthy and is quite unwell

زعم الفضل والفضول سواء

زعم الفضل والفضول سواء

واقام الدعوى بغير دليل

واقام الدعوى بغير دليل

He claimed that merit and meddling are alike,

He claimed excellence and intrusiveness alike

and put forward his claim without proof.

And made claims without proof

جير لولا الدليل ما كان فرق

جير لولا الدليل ما كان فرق

قط ما بين عالم وجهول

قط ما بين عالم وجهول

Indeed, without proof there would be no distinction

Without proof, there would be no difference

ever between a scholar and an ignoramus.

Ever between a scholar and an ignorant

لم يميز ما بين قول فصيح

لم يميز ما بين قول فصيح

وركبك ومحكم ودخيل

وركبك ومحكم ودخيل

He did not distinguish between eloquent speech

He did not distinguish eloquent words

and feeble speech, well-wrought speech and foreign expressions.

From your babble, coherent and contrived

فتراه يثغو ويرغو ويلغو

فتراه يثغو ويرغو ويلغو

جامعاً بين ذلة وزليل

جامعاً بين ذلة وزليل

So you see him bleating, bellowing and babbling,

So you see him chatter, murmur and prate

combining humiliation with stumbling.

Combining disgrace and baseness

لم يكن مسندا الى سيويه

لم يكن مسندا الى سيويه

ما ادعاه ولا انتمى للخليل

ما ادعاه ولا انتمى للخليل

He did not attribute to Sibawayh

He did not base what he claimed

what he claimed, nor affiliate himself with al-Khalil.

On Suyuti or align with Al-Khalil

بل رأى كل ما اقول خطاء

بل رأى كل ما اقول خطاء

دون ما حجة ولا تعليل

دون ما حجة ولا تعليل

Rather, he deemed everything I say an error,

But he saw all I say as wrong

without any argument or justification.

Without proof or justification

كل حلو في فم ذي السقم مرّ

كل حلو في فم ذي السقم مرّ

والدجى للاعمى نظير الاصيل

والدجى للاعمى نظير الاصيل

Everything sweet is bitter in a sick man's mouth,

All sweet in the mouth of the sick is bitter

and night's darkness, to the blind, is like late afternoon.

And darkness to the blind is like the original

قد كسته الدعوى من الخزي ثوباً

قد كسته الدعوى من الخزي ثوباً

سايغا ضافيا طويل الذيول

سايغا ضافيا طويل الذيول

His claim has clothed him in a robe of disgrace,

The claim has clothed him in a garment

ample and flowing, with long trailing hems.

Of disgrace, long trailing hems

فلعل البصير ليس يراه

فلعل البصير ليس يراه

بعد حتى يلومه للفضول

بعد حتى يلومه للفضول

So perhaps the clear-sighted man has not seen him

So perhaps the discerning no longer sees him

yet, so as to reproach him for meddling.

Even to blame him for intrusiveness

فاذا كان ذاك فليبلغنه

فاذا كان ذاك فليبلغنه

مع ابيل ما شاء من تعذيل

مع ابيل ما شاء من تعذيل

Then if that is so, let him convey to him,

If that is so, let him convey to him

alongside a monk, whatever rebuke he wishes.

With Abel whatever he wishes of amendment

فهو لحانة ويلحن منه

فهو لحانة ويلحن منه

كل شيء اجملت بالتفضيل

كل شيء اجملت بالتفضيل

For he is a habitual solecist, and errors come from him

For he is unsound and makes unsound

in everything I have summarized by comparison.

All I have honored with preference

يالها خطة تضاحك منها

يالها خطة تضاحك منها

كل باك على دروس الطلول

كل باك على دروس الطلول

What a state of affairs! At it laughs

What a measure you laugh at

every mourner over the fading traces of encampments.

Every weeping for lost lessons

جاهل يدعى الفنون جميعا

جاهل يدعى الفنون جميعا

دون جد لها ولا تحصيل

دون جد لها ولا تحصيل

An ignoramus who claims mastery of all the arts,

An ignorant man claiming all the arts

without earnest effort toward them or acquired learning.

Without effort or attainment

كيف يدري التعريب اذ هو لا يفرق

كيف يدري التعريب اذ هو لا يفرق

بين المعلوم والمجهول

بين المعلوم والمجهول

How can he know translation into Arabic, when he cannot distinguish

How does he know Arabic when he cannot distinguish

between the active voice and the passive?

Between the known and the unknown

كيف يدري الحساب اذ هو لا

كيف يدري الحساب اذ هو لا

يعلم ان الكثير فوق القليل

يعلم ان الكثير فوق القليل

How can he know arithmetic, when he does not

How does he know calculation when he does not

know that the greater amount exceeds the lesser?

Know the great from the little

كيف يدري شيا وما هو شيء

كيف يدري شيا وما هو شيء

ان هذا في حيز المستحيل

ان هذا في حيز المستحيل

How can he know anything, when he himself is nothing?

How does he know anything when this

Indeed, this lies in the realm of the impossible.

Is in the realm of the impossible

ذاك حكم الاله فيما قضاه

ذاك حكم الاله فيما قضاه

وهو يهدي الى سواء السبيل

وهو يهدي الى سواء السبيل

That is God's judgment in what He has decreed,

That is the judgment of God in what He decreed

and He guides to the right path.

And He guides to the right path