لَيسَis not البَلاغَةُeloquence مَعنىًan idea
لَيسَ البَلاغَةُ مَعنىً
فيهِin it الكَلامُspeech يَطولُgrows long
فيهِ الكَلامُ يَطولُ
Eloquence is not an idea
Eloquence is not prolonged speech
on which speech runs long,
Wherein excess words have place,
بَلrather صَوغُshaping مَعنىًmeaning كَثيرٍabundant
بَل صَوغُ مَعنىً كَثيرٍ
يَحويهِcontains it لَفظٌwording قَليلُbrief
يَحويهِ لَفظٌ قَليلُ
but the shaping of abundant meaning
But to pack myriad thoughts
contained in few words.
In a few words choice and chaste.
فَالفَضلُthus excellence فيin حُسنِbeauty of لَفظٍwording
فَالفَضلُ في حُسنِ لَفظٍ
يَقِلُّis scant فيهِin it الفُضولُsuperfluity
يَقِلُّ فيهِ الفُضولُ
Thus excellence lies in fine wording
Better by far the briefest phrase
with little that is superfluous.
That surplus wording lays to waste
يَظُنَّهُthinks it الناسُpeople سَهلاًeasy
يَظُنَّهُ الناسُ سَهلاً
وَماand there is no إِلَيهِto it سَبيلُpath
وَما إِلَيهِ سَبيلُ
People think it easy,
Than devious wording that obscures
yet there is no path to it.
The meaning to the reader’s taste.
وَالعَيُّand ineloquence مَعنىًmeaning قَصيرٌshort
وَالعَيُّ مَعنىً قَصيرٌ
يَحويهِcontains it لَفظٌwording طَويلُlong
يَحويهِ لَفظٌ طَويلُ
And ineloquence is scant meaning
For the best sense is often that
contained in lengthy wording.
Which utters least in paraphrase.
Sol 6.1