تَخَيُّلٌconceit مِنamong بَنيthe sons of الدُنياthis world غَداhas become عَجَباًa marvel
تَخَيُّلٌ مِن بَني الدُنيا غَدا عَجَباً
لِلمُفكِرينَto thinkers وَكُلُّand all الناسِpeople مَحسورُweary
لِلمُفكِرينَ وَكُلُّ الناسِ مَحسورُ
Conceit among this world's sons has become a marvel
to thinkers, though all mankind is weary.
كَأَنَّas though إِعرابَthe grammatical inflection of أَغرابٍstrangers ثَوَواthey dwelt زَمَناًfor a time
كَأَنَّ إِعرابَ أَغرابٍ ثَوَوا زَمَناً
بِالدَوِّin the open desert فيناamong us بِحُكمِby the rule of النَحوِgrammar مَأسورُheld captive
بِالدَوِّ فينا بِحُكمِ النَحوِ مَأسورُ
As though the inflected speech of strangers who dwelt awhile
in the open desert were held captive among us by grammar's rule.
فَناطِقٌthus a speaker يَسكُنُdwells in الأَمصارَcities مِنfrom among عَجَمٍnon-Arabs
فَناطِقٌ يَسكُنُ الأَمصارَ مِن عَجَمٍ
نُطقَthe speech of اِبنِa son of بَيداءَa wilderness لَمّاnot yet يَحوِهِenclose him سورُa wall
نُطقَ اِبنِ بَيداءَ لَمّا يَحوِهِ سورُ
Thus a non-Arab dwelling in cities speaks
like a son of the wilderness whom no wall has yet enclosed.
وَناظِمٍand a versifier لِعَروضِin the meter of الشِعرِpoetry عَنby عُرُضٍchance
وَناظِمٍ لِعَروضِ الشِعرِ عَن عُرُضٍ
وَماand not يُحِسُّhe senses بِأَنَّthat البَيتَthe verse مَكسورُmetrically broken
وَما يُحِسُّ بِأَنَّ البَيتَ مَكسورُ
And many a versifier composes metered poetry haphazardly,
yet does not realize that the verse is metrically broken.
وَمُغتَدٍand one setting out early بِحِبالِwith the cords of الصَيدِhunting يَنصِبُهاhe sets them
وَمُغتَدٍ بِحِبالِ الصَيدِ يَنصِبُها
كَيماso that يَفيءُmay accrue لَهُto him مِنfrom ذاكَthat مَيسورُsome easy gain
كَيما يَفيءُ لَهُ مِن ذاكَ مَيسورُ
And many a man sets out early with hunting snares, laying them,
so that some easy gain may come to him from that.
Sol 6.1