فَجرَنا يَنابيعَ الكَلامِ وَبَحرَهُ

فَجرَنا يَنابيعَ الكَلامِ وَبَحرَهُ

فَأَصبَحَ فيهِ ذو الرِوايَةِ يَسبَحُ

فَأَصبَحَ فيهِ ذو الرِوايَةِ يَسبَحُ

We made the springs of speech and its sea gush forth;

Our dawn brought forth fountains of speech and its sea,

so the reciter began swimming in it.

So he who would tell tales began to swim in it.

وَما الشِعرُ إِلّا شِعرُ قَيسٍ وَخِندَفٍ

وَما الشِعرُ إِلّا شِعرُ قَيسٍ وَخِندَفٍ

وَقَولُ سِواهُم كُلفَةٌ وَتَمَلُّحُ

وَقَولُ سِواهُم كُلفَةٌ وَتَمَلُّحُ

And poetry is nothing but the poetry of Qays and Khindaf;

Poetry is naught but verse of Qays and Khindif,

and the speech of others is strained effort and affected wit.

While all else besides is affectation and embellishment.