تفنّنتbecame inventive فيin اغتيابيbackbiting me عصبةٌa band عجزتfailed
تفنّنت في اغتيابي عصبةٌ عجزت
عنat دركattaining ماwhat نلتهI attained it بالعلمthrough learning والأدبand literature
عن درك ما نلته بالعلم والأدب
A band grew inventive in maligning me, having failed
A group was emboldened in my absence, though they lacked
To attain what I achieved through learning and literature.
The knowledge and refinement I had attained.
قالواthey said غوِيٌّwayward شديدfierce الفتكviolent harm منطلقٌrushing forth
قالوا غوِيٌّ شديد الفتك منطلقٌ
إلىtoward المآثمsins مغرىenamored بابنةwith the daughter of العنبthe grape
إلى المآثم مغرى بابنة العنب
They said, “He is wayward, fiercely ruthless, rushing
They claimed, "A corrupter! A vicious killer unleashed
Toward sins, enamored of the daughter of the grape.”
To vices, tempted by the grape's daughter."
إنif صحّis true ماwhat زعمواthey claimed والإفكand falsehood ماwhat زعمواthey claimed
إن صحّ ما زعموا والإفك ما زعموا
فكيفthen how ألّفتI composed ماwhat أبدعتI created منof كتبbooks
فكيف ألّفت ما أبدعت من كتب
If what they claimed is true—and what they claimed is falsehood—
If their claim were true - though it's all slander -
How, then, did I compose the books I created?
How could I have composed the books I wrote?
سبعونseventy جزءاvolumes كأزهارlike blossoms السماءthe sky بدتappeared
سبعون جزءا كأزهار السماء بدت
كالشهبlike shooting stars تنقضّplunge down منfrom بعدafar ومنand from كثبnearby
كالشهب تنقضّ من بعد ومن كثب
Seventy volumes appeared like the blossoms of the sky,
Seventy volumes like flowers of heaven appeared
Like shooting stars plunging down from far and near.
Like meteors flashing, coming and going.
فيin كلevery قطرland لهاfor them برجٌa tower تحلthey dwell بهin it
في كل قطر لها برجٌ تحل به
وتأسرُand captivate الخلقhumankind منamong عجمnon-Arabs ومنand among عربArabs
وتأسرُ الخلق من عجم ومن عرب
In every land they have a tower where they dwell,
In every place a constellation in which I dwelt
And captivate humankind, both non-Arabs and Arabs.
And captivated people, Arab and non-Arab.
خصومناour opponents لطفmay He be gentle اللَهGod اللطيفthe Gentle بهمwith them
خصومنا لطف اللَه اللطيف بهم
قدindeed أوغلواthey ventured deep فيinto سهوبsteppes الخرصconjecture والكذبand lies
قد أوغلوا في سهوب الخرص والكذب
Our opponents—may God, the Gentle, be gentle with them—
May God be gentle with our foes, though they
Have indeed ventured deep into the steppes of conjecture and lies.
Lost themselves on the wastes of spite and lies.
تقوّلواthey fabricated lies وأطالواand went on at length فيin تقوّلهمtheir fabrications
تقوّلوا وأطالوا في تقوّلهم
والكلبand the dog ينبحbarks مذعوراterrified منof الكلبthe dog
والكلب ينبح مذعورا من الكلب
They fabricated lies and went on at length in their fabrications;
They prattled on, prolonging their prattle,
And a dog barks, terrified of another dog.
While dogs barked wildly at other dogs.
إنif كانit is فيwithin وسعهمtheir power أنto يبدعواthey create أدباًliterature
إن كان في وسعهم أن يبدعوا أدباً
يبقىendures علىthrough الدهرtime والأزمانand the ages والحقبand the epochs
يبقى على الدهر والأزمان والحقب
If it is within their power to create literature
If it's in their power to create enduring literature
That endures through time, ages, and epochs,
For ages, eras and epochs,
فليصنعواthen let them make مثلthe like of صنعىmy work وهوand it is فيin حللrobes
فليصنعوا مثل صنعى وهو في حلل
منof البدائعmarvels قدindeed صيغتhave been fashioned منfrom الذهبgold
من البدائع قد صيغت من الذهب
Then let them produce the like of my work, which wears robes
Let them do as I did, composing verse
Of marvels that have been fashioned from gold.
In robes of wonders forged from gold.
Sol 6.1