بَلَوت عَليّاً الفراء فيما

بَلَوت عَليّاً الفراء فيما

تَعاطى مِن مُسابَقة البَيان

تَعاطى مِن مُسابَقة البَيان

I tested Ali al-Farra in what

I tested Ali in eloquence

he undertook—a contest of eloquence.

And in competing with words

وَكُنت أَظنه تبراً نضاراً

وَكُنت أَظنه تبراً نضاراً

زَكيَّ الخُبر عِندَ الامتحان

زَكيَّ الخُبر عِندَ الامتحان

And I had thought him pure, unminted gold,

I thought him to be fresh clay

sound upon assay when put to the test.

Pure in knowledge at testing

فَإِذ أَفرغته في نار خُبرٍ

فَإِذ أَفرغته في نار خُبرٍ

طَلَبت فَلَم أَجد غَيرَ الدُخان

طَلَبت فَلَم أَجد غَيرَ الدُخان

So when I poured him into the assaying fire,

But when I fired him in the kiln of experience

I searched, but found nothing but smoke.

I sought but found only smoke