يا سائلي بالضعيف خُذْ خبراً

يا سائلي بالضعيف خُذْ خبراً

قوّاهُ أنّي بأمرِه خابِرْ

قوّاهُ أنّي بأمرِه خابِرْ

O you who ask me about al-Da‘if (the weak one), take this report:

O you who ask about the weak one, listen,

my knowledge of his affairs lends it strength.

Make him stronger, I am well aware of his situation,

إن كنتَ في شعرِه تشكّ فقد

إن كنتَ في شعرِه تشكّ فقد

أثْبتّ دعواهُ أنه شاعِرْ

أثْبتّ دعواهُ أنه شاعِرْ

If you doubt his poetry, then

If you doubt his poetry, know

I have confirmed his claim that he is a poet.

That he has proven he is a poet,

يُريك وهو البسيطُ دائرةً

يُريك وهو البسيطُ دائرةً

يُنقَلُ منها الطويلُ والوافِرْ

يُنقَلُ منها الطويلُ والوافِرْ

He shows you a circle, though he is the simple one (al-Basit),

He shows you, in the Basit meter, a circle

from which al-Tawil (the Long) and al-Wafir (the Ample) are copied.

From which the Tawil and the Wafir are derived.