كُنَّا نَقيِسُ النحوَ فيما مضى

كُنَّا نَقيِسُ النحوَ فيما مضى

على لسانِ العربِ الأولِ

على لسانِ العربِ الأولِ

We used to measure grammar in times gone by

We used to measure grammar in days gone by

Against the speech of the earliest Arabs,

On the tongue of the first Arabs

حتى أتى قومٌ يَقيسُونَه

حتى أتى قومٌ يَقيسُونَه

على لغيِ أشياخِ قُطر بلِ

على لغيِ أشياخِ قُطر بلِ

Until people came who measured it

Until a people came who measured it

Against the dialects of Quṭrabbul's elders.

On the language of the elders of Qatar

فجاءنا قومٌ يَقيسونَهُ

فجاءنا قومٌ يَقيسونَهُ

على لسانِ النبطِ الأرذلِ

على لسانِ النبطِ الأرذلِ

Then people came to us who measured it

Then came a people who measured it

Against the speech of the basest Nabataeans.

On the tongue of the most vile Nabateans

فكلُّهمْ يعمل في نقضِ ما

فكلُّهمْ يعمل في نقضِ ما

به يصابُ الحقُّ لا يأتَلي

به يصابُ الحقُّ لا يأتَلي

So each of them works to undo that

And so they all worked to destroy what

Through which truth is attained, sparing no effort.

With it truth is attained not tainted

إن الكسائيَّ وأصحابهُ

إن الكسائيَّ وأصحابهُ

يرقَونَ في النحوِ إلى أسفلِ

يرقَونَ في النحوِ إلى أسفلِ

Indeed, al-Kisāʾī and his companions

Verily Al-Kisa'i and his companions

Ascend in grammar—to the bottom.

Sink in grammar to the lowest depths