Claude 2

  1. يا جلالَ العَصرِ عِلماَ

    وَجمالَ العصر حِلما

    O majesty of the age in knowledge,

    And beauty of the age in wisdom,

  2. يا أبَا بكرٍ وَمَن مِث

    لُ أبي بَكرٍ مُسَمَّى

    O Abu Bakr, and who is named

    Like Abu Bakr,

  3. إن يَفُق غيرَه نَثراً

    مثلُ ما فاقَه نَظما

    If another surpasses him in prose,

    He surpasses the like of what surpassed him in verse,

  4. فلقد فاقَه عِلماً

    ولقد فاقَهُ فَهمَا

    For he surpassed him in knowledge,

    And he surpassed him in understanding,

  5. سيدي يشكو إليكُم

    منكمُ خِدنٌ مُعَمَّى

    My master complains to you

    Of one of you who is purblind,

  6. قد لَقاكُم ولِقاكُم

    بمُناهُ يَتَسَمَّى

    Who met you and met

    You with his best behavior,

  7. ثمَّ مُذ فارَقتُموهُ

    لم يَذُق للنَّومِ طَعما

    Then since he left you

    He hasn't tasted the flavor of sleep,

  8. ومُناه لَثمُ أكوا

    سٍ مِنَ آدابكَ لَثما

    And he licks the wounds

    Of sorrow from your manners,

  9. تَتَعاطاني منَ انوا

    عِها ما يُرشَفُ ظَلمَا

    You both handle me as if I

    Was spreading darkness,

  10. علَّ أن تُجنوهُ ما لم

    يَكُ قد يُدرِكُ شَمَّا

    Unless you think that he

    Won't attain high rank,

  11. لا سوى ذلكَ يَرجو

    لا أرى في ذَاكَ وَصما

    He hopes for nothing else

    I don't see any blemish in that,

  12. فَغَدا يُتحِمُ الأخ

    طارَ إحجاماً وقُدما

    So he started bearing the pain

    Of denial and advancing,

  13. ليس بِالشَّاعرِ يَستَن

    دي أكُفَّ الناسِ لُؤما

    He's no poet to be

    Rebuffed by the vilest people,

  14. فإذا ما مَنَحوهُ

    فهزُ السادةُ قِدما

    So if they favor him,

    The gentlemen tap their feet,

  15. وإذا هُم حَرَموهُ

    ملأَ الآفاقَ شَتما

    And if they deprive him,

    He fills the horizons with insults,

  16. ليس مِن ذا الصنفِ بل يَد

    عونَه الشَّهمَ الأشَمَّا

    He's not of that kind, but the bold

    And resolute urge him on,

  17. حلَّ في بابكمُ واس

    مَهُ للبَوَّابِ سَمَّى

    He knocked on your door, and gave

    His name to the doorman,

  18. قد أعارَ السَّمعَ مني

    بعد لِينِ القولِ صَرما

    He turned a deaf ear,

    After the gentleness of my words,

  19. فتَوَلَّى أخرَس النُّط

    قِ أصَمَّ السَّمعِ أعمى

    So the most silent of creatures turned away,

    The deafiest to hearing, blindest to sight,

  20. وفضاءُ الأرضِ في عي

    نِه كالدِّرهَمِ غَمَّا

    And the expanse of the earth in his eyes

    Was like a dirham gone blind,

  21. آسفاً مما لَقاهُ

    عاضِضاً كَفَّهُ نَدما

    Grieving at what he faced,

    Biting his hand in regret,