ويك اتئد فالحق في الدنيا أحقّ

ويك اتئد فالحق في الدنيا أحقّ

فيما علمنا مثلُ هذا ما سبقْ

فيما علمنا مثلُ هذا ما سبقْ

Take heed, be deliberate: truth has the stronger claim in this world.

Truth appears most truthful in life,

As far as we know, nothing like this has come before.

As we've known before this, unmatched.

هذا كتاب أدهش الألباب في

هذا كتاب أدهش الألباب في

ترصيفهِ وسبى البصائر واسترقْ

ترصيفهِ وسبى البصائر واسترقْ

This is a book that has astonished minds by

This book astounds all minds

its arrangement, taken discerning minds captive, and enslaved them.

In its composition, captivates insight and steals away.

إن كان بعض القوم يزعم أنه

إن كان بعض القوم يزعم أنه

يحكيه فالإنسان أفلح إن صدقْ

يحكيه فالإنسان أفلح إن صدقْ

If anyone among the people claims that he

If some claim it merely narrates,

matches it, that man has succeeded—if he tells the truth.

Humans will succeed if truthful.

هيهات يوجد في الوضوحِ نظيره

هيهات يوجد في الوضوحِ نظيره

أو أن يضاهيه سواه ولو نطقْ

أو أن يضاهيه سواه ولو نطقْ

Its equal in clarity could never be found,

Never shall its clarity be found

nor could another rival it, even if it spoke,

In another, though it speak.

أو أن يجىء فتى ببعض صفاته

أو أن يجىء فتى ببعض صفاته

لو كان بحراً في البراعةِ وانفلقْ

لو كان بحراً في البراعةِ وانفلقْ

nor could a youth produce some of its qualities,

Nor shall any youth come with some

even if he were a sea of mastery and split asunder.

Of its traits, even if an ocean in eloquence that splits.

هذا هو القول الحقيقيّ الذي

هذا هو القول الحقيقيّ الذي

يُعنَى به سواه حبرٌ في ورق

يُعنَى به سواه حبرٌ في ورق

This is the genuine discourse that

This is the true saying, attended to

merits attention; all else is ink on paper.

Beyond it, ink on paper.

لو أن بطليموس عاين وضعه

لو أن بطليموس عاين وضعه

قبْل المجسطى ما تجاذبه الأرق

قبْل المجسطى ما تجاذبه الأرق

If Ptolemy had beheld its composition

Had Ptolemy witnessed its composition

before the Almagest, sleeplessness would not have tugged at him.

Before Almagest, insomnia would not pull him.

أو أن فيثاغُرْثَ أبصر حسنه

أو أن فيثاغُرْثَ أبصر حسنه

يوماً لكلله من الخجل العرقْ

يوماً لكلله من الخجل العرقْ

Or if Pythagoras had seen its beauty

Or had Pythagoras seen its beauty one day,

one day, the sweat of shame would have crowned him.

Shame would have sweated him.

جمعت معانيه الدقائق كلها

جمعت معانيه الدقائق كلها

ومن المحاسن إن معناها أدقّ

ومن المحاسن إن معناها أدقّ

Its meanings have gathered every subtlety,

Its refined meanings collected together,

and one of its beauties is this: their meaning is subtler still.

And its beauties, their implications most exact.

نظرت إليه بنو الزمان وأنعموا

نظرت إليه بنو الزمان وأنعموا

عوذتهُ بالناس منهم والفلقْ

عوذتهُ بالناس منهم والفلقْ

The sons of the age gazed upon it and generously bestowed

The people of eras gazed upon it, enjoyed

a charm to guard it from themselves, with al-Nas and al-Falaq.

I sought refuge for it from them and daybreak.

إن كان قبل الطبع رقَّ لطافةً

إن كان قبل الطبع رقَّ لطافةً

في وضعه لا ريب فهو أرقّ

في وضعه لا ريب فهو أرقّ

If, before printing, it was fine through the grace

If before printing, it was delicate in

of its composition, it is doubtless finer still.

Its composition, no doubt, it is most delicate.

رقمت عليه يد الزمان وأرخت

رقمت عليه يد الزمان وأرخت

بشرى فنافر طبعه بالطبع رقْ

بشرى فنافر طبعه بالطبع رقْ

The hand of time inscribed upon it and recorded its date:

The hand of time has moved over it and announced

Good tidings! So vie: its nature has grown delicate through printing.

Good tidings, so its nature by nature flowed gently.