إذاif عاينتyou behold فيin الإنشاliterary composition حلاهمtheir graces
إذا عاينت في الإنشا حلاهم
تراهمyou see them بالنجومto the stars الزهرradiant أشبهmost similar
تراهم بالنجوم الزهر أشبه
If you behold their graces in literary composition,
When you see their compositional elegance
you find them most like the radiant stars.
You find them like stars strewn with flowers
وإنand if سابقتهمyou race against them علماًin knowledge وفضلاَand in merit
وإن سابقتهم علماً وفضلاَ
فأنتthen you are إذاwhen نطقتyou speak سكيتthe last-finishing horse حلبهof the race
فأنت إذا نطقت سكيت حلبه
And if you race against them in knowledge and merit,
And if you surpass them in knowledge and merit
then, when you speak, you are the last-finishing horse in the race.
When you speak, the mute of Aleppo are hushed
وماand not ابنson of الصيرفيal-Ṣayrafī (the money changer) إذاwhen أتاهمhe comes to them
وما ابن الصيرفي إذا أتاهم
يساويis worth عندهمin their eyes فيin الفضلmerit حبهa grain
يساوي عندهم في الفضل حبه
Nor is Ibn al-Ṣayrafī, when he comes to them,
The money-changer's son is naught to them
worth a grain of merit in their eyes.
Despite his love, in virtue or esteem
Sol 6.1