إِنَّما أَحفَظُ المَديحَ بِعَيني

إِنَّما أَحفَظُ المَديحَ بِعَيني

لا بِقَلبي لِما أَرى في الأَميرِ

لا بِقَلبي لِما أَرى في الأَميرِ

I memorize praise with my eye alone,

I memorize praise with my eyes,

I commit praise to memory with my eyes alone,

Not with my heart, because of what I see in the prince:

Not with my heart, for what I see in the prince

Not with my heart, for what I behold in the Prince

مِن خِصالٍ إِذا نَظَرتُ إِلَيها

مِن خِصالٍ إِذا نَظَرتُ إِلَيها

نَظَمَت لي غَرائِبَ المَنثورِ

نَظَمَت لي غَرائِبَ المَنثورِ

Qualities that, when I look upon them,

Of qualities, when I look upon them,

Are noble traits that, whenever I gaze upon them,

Turn the marvels of prose into verse for me.

Compose for me the wonders of prose

String together for me the wonders of scattered speech.