دعِleave alone الشعرَpoetry ماnot كلَّevery امرئٍman يذكرونهُthey mention him
دعِ الشعرَ ما كلَّ امرئٍ يذكرونهُ
ببيتينِfor two verses أوor شيءٍsomething منof القولِspeech قوالُa skilled poet
ببيتينِ أو شيءٍ من القولِ قوالُ
Leave poetry alone: not every man they mention
Leave poetry alone, not everyone you mention
For two verses or a little speech is a skilled poet.
With a couplet or some words is equal
ولوand if تخلقُare created الأشعارُpoems فيin الرأسِthe head لمnot يكنbe
ولو تخلقُ الأشعارُ في الرأسِ لم يكن
برأسكَin your head إلاexcept القفرُwasteland والشعرُand poetry أغوالُghouls
برأسكَ إلا القفرُ والشعرُ أغوالُ
And if poems were created in the head, there would be
If poems came to mind as easily as ideas
Nothing in your head but wasteland, and poetry would be ghouls.
Your mind would be empty, and poetry cheap
رأيتكَI found you وزّاناًa weigher فلفظكَfor your wording كلّهُall of it
رأيتكَ وزّاناً فلفظكَ كلّهُ
قناطيرُquintals (large weights) لكنَّbut المعانيthe meanings مثقالُa mithqal (a small weight)
قناطيرُ لكنَّ المعاني مثقالُ
I found you a weigher, for all your words
I've seen you versify, so your words are perfect
Weigh quintals, but the meanings only a mithqal.
But the meaning has no weight, the rhymes don't stick
وهبand suppose للحصىfor the pebbles شيئاًsomething تغربلهُyou sift them بهِwith it
وهب للحصى شيئاً تغربلهُ بهِ
فهلso is there لكلامfor speech كالحجارةِlike stones غربالُa sieve
فهل لكلام كالحجارةِ غربالُ
And suppose there is something with which you sift pebbles—
If you sift random stones will you find gold
Is there, then, a sieve for speech like stones?
Are words that lack meaning worth the effort?
Sol 6.1