ياO أحسنfinest الناسpeople نظماًin verse غيرnot مفتقرin need
يا أحسن الناس نظماً غير مفتقر
إلىof شهادةtestimony مثليone like me معwith توحدهhis being unrivaled
إلى شهادة مثلي مع توحده
O finest of men in verse, needing no
O finest of people in poetry uncompromised
testimony from one like me, being unrivaled.
To testify like me though singular he stayed
إنif كانwas خطيmy handwriting كساclothed خطاًa written text كتبتyou wrote لهabout it
إن كان خطي كسا خطاً كتبت له
إليto me حسناًbeauty بداappeared فيin لونhue أسودهits black ink
إلي حسناً بدا في لون أسوده
If my handwriting has clothed a text—about which you wrote
If my writing has dressed a line he wrote
to me—in beauty revealed in the hue of its black ink,
To me it seemed fair in its black facade
فقدthen indeed أتتhave come منكfrom you أبياتverses تعلمنيteach me
فقد أتت منك أبيات تعلمني
نظمthe composing of القريضpoetry الذيwhich يحلوis sweet لمنشدهto its reciter
نظم القريض الذي يحلو لمنشده
then verses have come from you to teach me
For verses have come that teach me
the composing of poetry that is sweet to its reciter.
The rhymed prose which pleases its reciter
أرسلتهاyou sent them تقتضينيdemanding from me ماwhat وعدتI promised بهconcerning it
أرسلتها تقتضيني ما وعدت به
والحرand the noble man حاشاهfar be it from him منfrom إخلافbreaking موعدهhis promise
والحر حاشاه من إخلاف موعده
You sent them to claim from me what I had promised,
I sent them requiring what I had promised
and a noble man—far be it from him to break his promise.
The free never break their promised word
وماand not نسيتI forgot ولكنand yet عاقنيdelayed me ورقpaper
وما نسيت ولكن عاقني ورق
يجيدenhances خطيmy handwriting فآتيهso I furnish it بأجودهwith the finest of it
يجيد خطي فآتيه بأجوده
I have not forgotten, but paper has delayed me—
And I forgot not but paper prevented me
paper that enhances my handwriting, so I may furnish it with my finest.
My writing's refinement, so I'll gift its best
وسوفand will أسرعI hasten فيهwith it الآنnow مجتهداًworking diligently
وسوف أسرع فيه الآن مجتهداً
حتىuntil يوافيكit reaches you بدراًas a full moon فيin مجلدهits binding
حتى يوافيك بدراً في مجلده
And now I shall hasten with it, working diligently,
And now I'll hasten in diligence
until it reaches you, a full moon within its binding,
To send you the full moon in its cover
بأحرفwith letters حسنتbecame beautiful كالوجهlike a face دارcircled بهaround it
بأحرف حسنت كالوجه دار به
مثلlike الحواشيthe margins عذارcheek-down فيupon موردهits rosy cheek
مثل الحواشي عذار في مورده
with letters fair as a face, around which runs,
In letters beautiful as a face housed
like margins, a line of down upon its rosy cheek.
Like margins, pure starlight at its spring
Sol 6.1