ونهج سعت إليك فيه طرائف

ونهج سعت إليك فيه طرائف

فبرزت إذ خافت وخابت سعاته

فبرزت إذ خافت وخابت سعاته

And a path along which rare offerings hastened to you—

A path I took towards you, lined with subtle charms,

so I excelled when its seekers feared and failed.

But when its efforts faltered, it emerged in alarm.

بذلت به الدر المصون لأروع

بذلت به الدر المصون لأروع

تصدق دعوى المادحين هباته

تصدق دعوى المادحين هباته

Through it I offered treasured pearls to a splendid man,

I spent on it a guarded pearl, the finest,

whose gifts confirm the claims of his praisers.

Believing the claims of those who gifted it their praise.

تجنبت مطروق الكلام وهذه

تجنبت مطروق الكلام وهذه

سلافة ما أنشأته وابتداته

سلافة ما أنشأته وابتداته

I avoided well-worn speech, and this is

I avoided the trite, so this is an eloquence

the choicest wine of what I composed and originated.

Pure in its making, flawless in its foundations.

ولم أر مثل الشعر يرجو بغاثه

ولم أر مثل الشعر يرجو بغاثه

مطاراً بجو قد حمته بزاته

مطاراً بجو قد حمته بزاته

And never have I seen the like of poetry: its weak birds seek

Never did I see the like of poetry that hoped for aid

a place to fly in a sky already guarded by its hawks.

Soaring in a sky it heated with its own warmth.

توهم قوم أنه الوزن وحده

توهم قوم أنه الوزن وحده

وقد غاب عنهم سره وسراته

وقد غاب عنهم سره وسراته

Some people imagined it was meter alone,

Some thought it was meter alone,

while its secret and its finest qualities eluded them.

Oblivious to its secret and mysteries.

فذلك لون الماء في العين واحد

فذلك لون الماء في العين واحد

وما يتساوى ملحه وفراته

وما يتساوى ملحه وفراته

So it is with water: its color is the same to the eye,

That is like water's hue, one in the eye,

yet its salt water and its fresh water are not alike.

Not equal in its saltiness and Euphrates.

متى رمت منه رقة وجزالة

متى رمت منه رقة وجزالة

فإن كلامي ماؤه وصفاته

فإن كلامي ماؤه وصفاته

Whenever you seek delicacy and strength in it,

When it exudes gentleness and vigor,

then my speech is its water and its rock.

My words are its water and attributes.

وغير بهيم الخط شعر أقوله

وغير بهيم الخط شعر أقوله

وأوصافكم أوضاحه وشياته

وأوصافكم أوضاحه وشياته

And the poetry I utter is not uniformly black in script,

Unlike the inanity of calligraphy, the poetry I speak

and your qualities are its white blazes and colored markings.

Your virtues are its illumination and features.