وكتابٍ صَغُرَتْ أَجزاؤُهُ

وكتابٍ صَغُرَتْ أَجزاؤُهُ

وَهُوَ قد حازَ الحديثَ الأَكْبَرَا

وَهُوَ قد حازَ الحديثَ الأَكْبَرَا

And a book whose parts are small,

And a book whose parts have been made small

Yet it has encompassed the greatest discourse.

Yet it has gained the greatest discourse

أَيُّ مَجْمُوعٍ على رَوْضٍ إِذَا

أَيُّ مَجْمُوعٍ على رَوْضٍ إِذَا

هَزَّهُ رِيحُ نشيدٍ عَطَّرا

هَزَّهُ رِيحُ نشيدٍ عَطَّرا

What a collection upon a meadow—when

What anthology upon a meadow when

A breeze of song stirs it, it spreads fragrance!

The wind of a song makes it sway and imparts fragrance?

كلما يطلبهُ من طَرَفٍ

كلما يطلبهُ من طَرَفٍ

فيه قد سَطَّرَهُ مَنْ من سطَّرا

فيه قد سَطَّرَهُ مَنْ من سطَّرا

Whatever one seeks from any quarter

Whenever sought from a perspective

Its writer has already set down within it.

In it, it has been inscribed by the inscriber

فتحقَّقْ عندما تَقْرأُهُ

فتحقَّقْ عندما تَقْرأُهُ

أَنَّ كُلَّ الصَّيْدِ في جَوْفِ الفَرَا

أَنَّ كُلَّ الصَّيْدِ في جَوْفِ الفَرَا

So be certain, when you read it,

So realize when you read it

That all the game is in the wild ass's belly.

That all game is in the belly of the unique

شَرَّفَتْهُ راحَةٌ مُزْنِيَّةٌ

شَرَّفَتْهُ راحَةٌ مُزْنِيَّةٌ

أَنْبَتَتْ في جانِبَيْهِ زَهَرَا

أَنْبَتَتْ في جانِبَيْهِ زَهَرَا

A rain-cloud palm has graced it,

It has been ennobled by a gentle rest

Making blossoms grow on both its sides.

That sprouted flowers on its sides

يا عَليُّ بْنُ خُلَيْف دَعْوَةٌ

يا عَليُّ بْنُ خُلَيْف دَعْوَةٌ

يحسُدُ الشَّمْسُ عليها القَمَرا

يحسُدُ الشَّمْسُ عليها القَمَرا

O Ali son of Khulayf—a call

O Ali son of Khalif, an invocation

For which the sun envies the moon.

That the sun envies over the moon

أَعَجيبٌ يا أَخا البَحْرِ إِذا

أَعَجيبٌ يا أَخا البَحْرِ إِذا

نَظَمَتْ كفَّاكَ منه جَوْهَرا

نَظَمَتْ كفَّاكَ منه جَوْهَرا

Is it strange, O brother of the sea, when

A wonder, O brother of the sea, if

Your two palms have strung jewels from it?

Your palms have strung jewels from it