ياO رائِدَseeker of الشِعرpoetry لاdo not تَقرَبapproach مناهِلَهits watering places
يا رائِدَ الشِعر لا تَقرَب مناهِلَه
إِلّاexcept وَراءَbehind دليلٍa guide صادقِsound in النَظَرِdiscernment
إِلّا وَراءَ دليلٍ صادقِ النَظَرِ
O seeker of poetry, do not approach its watering places
unless following a guide of sound discernment.
وَإِنand if حَفِظتَyou memorize فلاthen do not تَحفَظmemorize سوىanything but كلمٍwords
وَإِن حَفِظتَ فلا تَحفَظ سوى كلمٍ
غُرٍّradiant جوامعall-embracing مِثلِlike الآيِthe Qur'anic verses وَالسُوَرِand the surahs
غُرٍّ جوامع مِثلِ الآيِ وَالسُوَرِ
And if you memorize, memorize only words
radiant and rich in meaning, like the verses and surahs.
ماnot كُلُّevery شَيءٍthing تراهyou see it ناضِراًflourishing زَهَرٌa flower
ما كُلُّ شَيءٍ تراه ناضِراً زَهَرٌ
شَتّانَhow great the difference بينَbetween هَشيمِthe dry remains of النَبتِplants وَالزَهَرand flowers
شَتّانَ بينَ هَشيمِ النَبتِ وَالزَهَر
Not everything you see flourishing is a flower;
what a difference between dry plant-stubble and flowers!
ياO طالِبَseeker of الدُرِّpearls بحرُthe sea of الشِعرpoetry ثمَّthere فِقِفso stop
يا طالِبَ الدُرِّ بحرُ الشِعر ثمَّ فِقِف
هذيthese are معادِنُهits mines ملآىfull منof الدُرَرpearls
هذي معادِنُه ملآى من الدُرَر
O seeker of pearls, poetry's sea is there—so stop!
These are its mines, brimming with pearls.
أوتيتَyou were given سُؤلكَyour wish فَاِقرَأso read ماwhat تَخَيَّرَهhe selected it
أوتيتَ سُؤلكَ فَاِقرَأ ما تَخَيَّرَه
منfrom خالِدimmortal الشِعرpoetry سامىSami خالِدُenduring in الأَثَرlegacy
من خالِد الشِعر سامى خالِدُ الأَثَر
You have been granted your wish; read what was chosen
from immortal poetry by Sami, whose legacy endures,
مسجَّلاrecorded فيin كِتابٍa book قيِّمٍvaluable حَفِلٍrichly filled
مسجَّلا في كِتابٍ قيِّمٍ حَفِلٍ
بِقَولِwith the words of كلِّevery طويلِlong in الباعreach ذيpossessing خَطَرِeminence
بِقَولِ كلِّ طويلِ الباع ذي خَطَرِ
recorded in a worthy volume, richly filled
with the verse of every accomplished man of eminence.
نِعَمَhow excellent الكتابُthe book وَماand what أَمسَتwere at evening صحائِفُهits pages
نِعَمَ الكتابُ وَما أَمسَت صحائِفُه
وَأَصبَحتand were at morning تهبُgive الأَيّامَthe days منof غُرَرradiant gems
وَأَصبَحت تهبُ الأَيّامَ من غُرَر
How fine the book—and the gifts its pages, at evening
and morning, bestow upon the days: radiant gems!
خُذtake ماwhat حواهcontains it وَأَغفِلand disregard ماwhat تَجنَّبَهleft it aside
خُذ ما حواه وَأَغفِل ما تَجنَّبَه
وَاِستَغنِand dispense عنwith عاطِلbarren الأَوراقِleaves بِالثَمَرwith the fruit
وَاِستَغنِ عن عاطِل الأَوراقِ بِالثَمَر
Take what it contains, and disregard what it left aside;
and dispense with barren leaves, content with fruit.
ياO قائِلَcomposer of الشِعرpoetry خذtake لِلشِّعرfor poetry أُهبَتَهits equipment
يا قائِلَ الشِعر خذ لِلشِّعر أُهبَتَه
وَطِرand fly بهwith it فيin سماءthe sky of الحُسنِbeauty أَوor فَذَرelse desist
وَطِر به في سماء الحُسنِ أَو فَذَر
O maker of verse, make due preparation for poetry,
and soar with it in beauty's sky—or else desist.
لاdo not تَأخذَنever seize بِتَلابيبِby the collars of الكلامِspeech وَكُنand be
لا تَأخذَن بِتَلابيبِ الكلامِ وَكُن
منagainst أَنيthat it might َرُدَّكsend you back مَدحوراdefeated علىon حَذَرguard
من أَني َرُدَّك مَدحورا على حَذَر
Do not seize speech by the collar, and be
on guard lest it send you back, defeated.
فيin النَثرprose إِنif لمnot تَعُدreturn بِالفَخرِwith glory قافيةٌa rhyme
في النَثر إِن لم تَعُد بِالفَخرِ قافيةٌ
علىto امرىءa man صاغهاhe fashioned it سلوىsolace لِمُفتَخرfor one seeking pride
على امرىء صاغها سلوى لِمُفتَخر
In prose—if a rhyme brings no glory
to the man who fashioned it—lies solace for one who would take pride.
كَمhow often عَربَدَblustered الغِرُّthe novice حولَaround البَيتthe verse يَقرِضُهhe composes it
كَم عَربَدَ الغِرُّ حولَ البَيت يَقرِضُه
وَآبَand returned بعدafter جهادٍa struggle بيِّنَplainly showing الحَصَرspeechlessness
وَآبَ بعد جهادٍ بيِّنَ الحَصَر
How often a novice has blustered around a verse, trying to compose it,
and returned after a struggle, plainly at a loss for words.
شعرُthe poetry of الفَتىthe young man عِرضُهhis honor الثانيthe second فَأَحرِso how fitting بهfor it
شعرُ الفَتى عِرضُه الثاني فَأَحرِ به
أَلّاthat not يشوَّهbe disfigured بِالأَقذارِwith filth وَالوَضَرand grime
أَلّا يشوَّه بِالأَقذارِ وَالوَضَر
A man's verse is his second honor; how fitting it is
that it should not be marred by filth and grime.
فَاِنقُدso critique كلامَكَyour words قبلَbefore الناقِدينَthe critics تحُطyou will safeguard
فَاِنقُد كلامَكَ قبلَ الناقِدينَ تحُط
ثانيthe second of النَفيسَينthe two treasures منfrom لَغوٍidle talk ومنand from هَذَرbabble
ثاني النَفيسَين من لَغوٍ ومن هَذَر
So judge your words before the critics do; you will safeguard
the second of your two treasures from idle talk and babble.
Sol 6.1