قالواthey said أَلَمdid … not? تَكنِهِcall him by his kunyah (honorific name) فَقُلتُso I said لَهُمto them
قالوا أَلَم تَكنِهِ فَقُلتُ لَهُم
ذَلِكَthat عِيٌّineloquence إِذاwhen وَصَفناهُwe describe him
ذَلِكَ عِيٌّ إِذا وَصَفناهُ
They said, “Did you not use his honorific name?” I told them:
They asked, "Did you not call him by a title?" I answered them:
“That is ineloquence when we describe him.”
"That would be a failure of speech were we to describe him."
لايَتَوَقّىdoes not take precautions أَبوAbu (father of) العَشائِرِal-Asha'ir (the clans) مِنagainst
لايَتَوَقّى أَبو العَشائِرِ مِن
لَبسِconfusion of مَعانيqualities الوَرىhumankind بِمَعناهُwith his own character
لَبسِ مَعاني الوَرى بِمَعناهُ
Abu al-Asha'ir need not guard against
Abu al-'Asha'ir does not hesitate to
others’ qualities being confused with his own.
Clothe the virtues of all mankind within his own virtue.
أَفرَسُthe finest horseman مَنthose whom تَسبَحُswim الجِيادُthe steeds بِهِwith him
أَفرَسُ مَن تَسبَحُ الجِيادُ بِهِ
وَلَيسَand are not إِلّاexcept الحَديدَiron أَمواهُwaters
وَلَيسَ إِلّا الحَديدَ أَمواهُ
The finest horseman borne by swimming steeds,
The greatest horseman whom the steeds bear swimming,
and their waters are nothing but iron.
Where there are no waters to be found but iron.
Sol 6.1