صَاغَfashioned الإمَامُthe imam العَالِمُthe learned scholar ابْنُIbn (son of) الحَاجِبُal-Hajib
صَاغَ الإمَامُ العَالِمُ ابْنُ الحَاجِبُ
دُرَراًpearls مَعَانيهَاtheir meanings كَغَمزِالحَاجِبِlike a wink of the eyebrow
دُرَراً مَعَانيهَا كَغَمزِالحَاجِبِ
The learned imam Ibn al-Hajib fashioned
The Imam, the scholar Ibn Al-Hajib
pearls whose meanings are like a wink of the brow.
Has crafted pearls, their hints like an eyebrow's wink
تَخفىare hidden عَلىfrom الأفهَامِminds مُقْتَضَيَاتُهَاtheir implications
تَخفى عَلى الأفهَامِ مُقْتَضَيَاتُهَا
فَكَأنَّهَاso it is as though they عَنfrom أنto تُرىbe seen فيin حَاجِبِa screen
فَكَأنَّهَا عَن أن تُرى في حَاجِبِ
Their implications elude understanding,
Their implications are hidden from minds
so they seem concealed from sight behind a screen.
As if they refuse to be seen through the eyebrow
فإذاthen, when اللَّبيبُthe discerning man الألْمُعيُّthe quick-witted أجادَهَاmastered them
فإذا اللَّبيبُ الألْمُعيُّ أجادَهَا
قَالَتْit said أناI السِّحرُthe magic الحَلالُthe lawful فَحَاجِso pose riddles بِيwith me
قَالَتْ أنا السِّحرُ الحَلالُ فَحَاجِ بِي
Then, when the discerning, quick-witted man masters them,
But when the brilliant adept masters them
it says, 'I am lawful magic—so pose riddles with me.'
They say, "I am the lawful magic, so debate me"
Sol 6.1