أَدَبٌ يُهَروِلُ خَلفَهُ السَمعُ

وَتَرَسُّلٌ يَقتادُهُ السَجعُ

Literature races ahead pursued by hearing

While rhymed prose saunters led on by rhyme

وَبَديهَةٌ ما إِن يُغَيِّرُها

زَلَلٌ إِذا هِيَ حَثَّها الطَبعُ

And impromptu wit it does not change

When thoughts bubble up spontaneously from one's nature

وَمُكاتَباتٌ ما يَمُرُّ لَها

فَصلٌ وَلَيسَ لِبَرقِها لَمعُ

Correspondence passes by without

Any lightning flash of eloquence

لِمُهَذَّبٍ تَعلو أَنامِلُهُ

ما إِن يَثورُ لِنَظمِهِ نَقعُ

For the refined writer, the fruits of his labor

Ripen though no discord mars the verse’s harmony

مِن كُلِّ هِملاجٍ لِحافِرِهِ

في شَعبِ كُلِّ مُلِمَّةٍ صَدعُ

Against all stubborness of its terrain

Through every rugged mountain pass it breaks

إِن شاءَ ضُرّاً فَهوَ يُنتِجُهُ

أَولا فَكُلُّ نِتاجِهِ نَفعُ

Injurious if need be, but its yield is blessing

For all it produces profits humankind