لَمّاwhen نَظَمتُI composed الشّعرَthe verse مُمتدِحاًpraising بهِwith it
لَمّا نَظَمتُ الشّعرَ مُمتدِحاً بهِ
لِلفاضِلِfor the virtuous man البحرِيِّal-Bahri جلَّhe is exalted بِفَضلِهِby his merit
لِلفاضِلِ البحرِيِّ جلَّ بِفَضلِهِ
When I composed verse, praising with it
When I composed poetry praising
the virtuous al-Bahri, exalted by his merit,
The eminent al-Buhari, exalted by his merit,
وَجَعَلتُهُand I made it كَالدُرِّlike pearls فيهwithin him منظّماًstrung
وَجَعَلتُهُ كَالدُرِّ فيه منظّماً
وَقَريحَتيand my poetic gift لَيسَتis not تَجودُgenerously yielding بِمِثلِهِwith its like
وَقَريحَتي لَيسَت تَجودُ بِمِثلِهِ
and made it like pearls strung within him,
And made it like a pearl, assembled artfully,
though my poetic gift does not yield its like,
Though my talent cannot equal its like,
قالواthey said رَميتَyou cast الدرَّthe pearls فيinto البَحريal-Bahri الّذيwho
قالوا رَميتَ الدرَّ في البَحري الّذي
لَمdid not يَستَحقْdeserve لَهfor him وَلَيسَand he is not بِأَهلهِworthy of them
لَم يَستَحقْ لَه وَلَيسَ بِأَهلهِ
they said, 'You cast pearls into al-Bahri, who
They said, “You have cast a pearl before one who
did not deserve them and is not worthy of them.'
Is not deserving of it, nor worthy of it.”
فَأَجبتُso I replied إِنَّindeed الدرَّthe pearls هَذاthis أَصلُهُtheir origin
فَأَجبتُ إِنَّ الدرَّ هَذا أَصلُهُ
ولكُلُّand indeed every شيءٍthing قدmay يعودُreturn لأصلِهِto its origin
ولكُلُّ شيءٍ قد يعودُ لأصلِهِ
So I replied, 'Indeed, this is the origin of pearls,
So I replied, “This pearl’s origin
and everything may indeed return to its origin.'
Is the sea, and everything returns to its origin.”
Sol 6.1