فكمand how much قدindeed حوىit has contained منof فضلexcellence قولspeech محبرfinely adorned
فكم قد حوى من فضل قول محبر
ومنand of نثرprose مصقاعan eloquent orator ومنand of نظمverse ذيone possessed of فهمunderstanding
ومن نثر مصقاع ومن نظم ذي فهم
And how much excellent, finely adorned speech it contains,
How much virtue this speech embodies,
And prose by an eloquent orator, and verse by one of understanding,
Both prose and poetry of understanding,
ومنand of خبرan account حلوsweet طريفnovel and delightful جمعتهI gathered it
ومن خبر حلو طريف جمعته
علىover قدمthe antiquity of الأيامthe days للعربconcerning the Arabs والعجمand non-Arabs
على قدم الأيام للعرب والعجم
And sweet, delightful accounts that I gathered,
And pleasant, elegant stories it contains,
From days of old, concerning Arabs and non-Arabs.
Collected over days for Arab and non-Arab.
يرنحmakes sway أعطافيmy sides إذاwhen ماemphatic particle قرأتهI read it
يرنح أعطافي إذا ما قرأته
كماjust as رنحتmade sway شرابهاher drinkers إبنةthe daughter الكرمthe grapevine
كما رنحت شرابها إبنة الكرم
It makes my sides sway whenever I read it,
My limbs tremble when I read it,
Just as the daughter of the vine made her drinkers sway.
Like the daughter of the vine trembled because of drunkenness.
ولوand if أتنيunclear; probably 'that I' أنصفتهI did it justice فيin محبتيmy love
ولو أتني أنصفته في محبتي
لجلدتهI would bind it جلديmy skin وصندقتهand I would encase it عظميmy bones
لجلدته جلدي وصندقته عظمي
And if I did it justice in my love,
If I were to be fair to it in my love,
I would bind it in my skin and fashion its case from my bones.
I would skin it and take its bones as my own.
عزيزhard to bear علىfor فضليmy generosity بألاthat I should not أطيعهobey it
عزيز على فضلي بألا أطيعه
علىin بذلهgiving it freely للطائفينto those making their rounds علىaround العلمknowledge
على بذله للطائفين على العلم
It is hard on my generosity that I should not heed it,
It is dear to my virtue that I not obey it,
In giving it freely to those who circle about knowledge.
Despite its generosity to those seeking knowledge.
ولوand if أننيthat I أسطيعI am able منfrom فرطthe excess of حبهlove for it
ولو أنني أسطيع من فرط حبه
لماthen it would not زالdepart منfrom كفىmy palm ولاnor غابbe absent عنfrom كمىmy sleeve
لما زال من كفى ولا غاب عن كمى
And if I could—so intense is my love for it—
And if I could, out of excessive love,
It would never leave my palm, nor be absent from my sleeve.
It would not leave my palm, or disappear from my grasp.
Sol 6.1