ذُكِر الأخفشُ القديمُ فقُلنا

ذُكِر الأخفشُ القديمُ فقُلنا

إن للأخفش الحديثِ لفضلا

إن للأخفش الحديثِ لفضلا

The earlier al-Akhfash was mentioned, and we said:

The ancient grammarian was mentioned, so we said

The later al-Akhfash indeed has merit.

That the modern grammarian has more merit

وإذا ما حكمْتُ والرومُ قومي

وإذا ما حكمْتُ والرومُ قومي

في كلام مُعرَّب كنت عدلا

في كلام مُعرَّب كنت عدلا

And when I judge—though the Romans are my people—

And whenever I judge, and my nation are Romans

on Arabized speech, I am impartial.

In arabicized speech, I was just

أنا بين الخصومِ فيه غريبٌ

أنا بين الخصومِ فيه غريبٌ

لا أرى الزورَ للمحاباة أهلا

لا أرى الزورَ للمحاباة أهلا

Among the disputants over it, I am an outsider;

I am a stranger among opponents in it

I do not deem falsehood fit for showing favor.

I do not see falsehood as suitable for patronage

ومتى قلتُ باطلاً لم أُلقَّب

ومتى قلتُ باطلاً لم أُلقَّب

فيلسوفاً ولم أسوّم هِرَقْلا

فيلسوفاً ولم أسوّم هِرَقْلا

Whenever I speak falsely, I am not dubbed

And whenever I spoke falsely I was not titled

a philosopher, nor styled Heraclius.

Philosopher, nor dubbed Heraclius

بدأ النحوُ ناشئاً فغذاه

بدأ النحوُ ناشئاً فغذاه

أحدثُ الأخفشين فانصاتَ كهلا

أحدثُ الأخفشين فانصاتَ كهلا

Grammar began as a youngster, and was nourished by

Grammar began growing, so

the later of the two al-Akhfashes, and gained renown in maturity.

The latest of the two grammarians fed it, and it listened as an adult

وتعاصَى فقاده بيديه

وتعاصَى فقاده بيديه

أحدثُ الأخْفشَين فانقاد رَسْلا

أحدثُ الأخْفشَين فانقاد رَسْلا

It grew unruly; he led it with his own hands—

And it rebelled, so he led it with his hands

the later of the two al-Akhfashes—and it followed gently.

The latest of the two grammarians, so it obeyed, tamed

أيُّهذا المُسائلي بعليٍّ

أيُّهذا المُسائلي بعليٍّ

زادك اللَّهُ بالمعالم جهلا

زادك اللَّهُ بالمعالم جهلا

O you who ask me about Ali,

O questioner with Ali

may God increase your ignorance of landmarks!

May God increase you in landmarks of ignorance

أنت كالمستثير شمساً بنارٍ

أنت كالمستثير شمساً بنارٍ

ولعمري لَلشمسُ للعينِ أجلى

ولعمري لَلشمسُ للعينِ أجلى

You are like one rousing the sun with fire;

You are like one igniting the sun with fire

and by my life, the sun is clearer to the eye.

By my life, the sun is clearer to the eye

لا تسائلْ به سواه من النا

لا تسائلْ به سواه من النا

س تجده بحضرةِ الحفلِ حَفْلا

س تجده بحضرةِ الحفلِ حَفْلا

Ask no other person about him;

Do not ask him except those other than him

you will find him, amid the assembly, an assembly himself.

You will find him in the gathering of the celebration, celebration

قائلاً بالصوابِ يقرع فصّاً

قائلاً بالصوابِ يقرع فصّاً

بجواباته وينطق فصْلا

بجواباته وينطق فصْلا

speaking rightly, striking the joint squarely

Saying the truth, hitting the intolerant

with his answers, and speaking decisively.

With his answers, and speaking segmentation

كلّما شذَّتِ الفروعُ عن الأص

كلّما شذَّتِ الفروعُ عن الأص

لِ ثناها فألحقَ الفرعَ أصلا

لِ ثناها فألحقَ الفرعَ أصلا

Whenever branches stray from the root,

Whenever branches diverged from the origin

he bends them back, joining branch to root.

He bent them, attaching the branch to the origin

وتراهُ تَدينُه كلُّ عوْصا

وتراهُ تَدينُه كلُّ عوْصا

ءَ كما دانَتْ الحليلةُ بَعْلا

ءَ كما دانَتْ الحليلةُ بَعْلا

You see every knotty problem submit to him,

And you see the twisted one submits to him

as a wife submits to a husband.

As the bracelet submitted to its owner

يا ظِماءً إلى الصواب رِدُوه

يا ظِماءً إلى الصواب رِدُوه

يَسْقِكم بالصواب عَلّاً ونهلا

يَسْقِكم بالصواب عَلّاً ونهلا

O you thirsty for sound judgment, come to drink from him;

O thirsty ones, return him to correctness

he will give you sound judgment to drink, draught after draught.

He will give you with correctness a wave and uptake

هو بحرٌ مِنَ البحورِ فراتٌ

هو بحرٌ مِنَ البحورِ فراتٌ

ليس ملحاً وليس حاشاه ضحلا

ليس ملحاً وليس حاشاه ضحلا

He is a sea among seas, sweet-watered,

He is a sea among the seas, Euphrates

not salty, nor—far be it from him—shallow.

Not salty, nor is its coast shallow

قلْ له يا مقوّمي وسمِيّي

قلْ له يا مقوّمي وسمِيّي

وكنِيِّي ومَن غدا ليَ شَكْلا

وكنِيِّي ومَن غدا ليَ شَكْلا

Say to him: O my corrector and my namesake,

Say to him, my straightener, my namer

and sharer of my byname, and one who has become my peer:

And my nicknamer, and he who became a form for me

قد أردْتُ الإطنابَ فيك فقالتْ

قد أردْتُ الإطنابَ فيك فقالتْ

ليَ غاياتُك البعيدة مهلا

ليَ غاياتُك البعيدة مهلا

I wished to praise you at length, but was told

I wanted prolongation in you, but

by your far-distant attainments, "Hold back."

My distant limits said to me, "Wait!"

ورأيتُ اليسيرَ يكفي من الحَلْ

ورأيتُ اليسيرَ يكفي من الحَلْ

يِ إذا النصلُ كان مثلكَ نصلا

يِ إذا النصلُ كان مثلكَ نصلا

And I saw that a little adornment suffices

And I saw the little suffices from jewelry

when the blade is such a blade as you.

When the blade is like you, a blade

لك من نفسك الحُلِيُّ اللواتي

لك من نفسك الحُلِيُّ اللواتي

أنفت أن يكون حلْيُكَ نَحْلا

أنفت أن يكون حلْيُكَ نَحْلا

You have within yourself those ornaments

You have, from your own self, the bracelets that

that disdain to have your adornment be a gift.

Refused that your jewelry be bees

ولعمري ما أنت كالسيف صقلاً

ولعمري ما أنت كالسيف صقلاً

حين نَنْضُوك بل مضاء وصقلا

حين نَنْضُوك بل مضاء وصقلا

By my life, you are swordlike not merely in polish

By my life, you are not like the polished sword

when we unsheathe you, but in keenness and polish.

When we hone you, but a hone and polish

منظريٌّ لناظرٍ مَخْبَريُّ

منظريٌّ لناظرٍ مَخْبَريُّ

لمُريغٍ لديك نقضاً وفتلا

لمُريغٍ لديك نقضاً وفتلا

Fine in appearance to the beholder, fine in substance

Observant for an observer, experiential

to one seeking unravelling and twisting at your hands.

For a wavering, with you refutation and unraveling

ذو أفاعٍ لمن يُعاديك صُمٍّ

ذو أفاعٍ لمن يُعاديك صُمٍّ

كائنات لمن يواليك نحْلا

كائنات لمن يواليك نحْلا

You have deaf vipers for those who oppose you,

Of intents for who opposes you, deaf

which are bees for those who befriend you.

Creatures for who befriends you, bees

تقلسُ الأرْيَ والسّمامَ وناهي

تقلسُ الأرْيَ والسّمامَ وناهي

كَ بهذا وذا شفاءً وخبلا

كَ بهذا وذا شفاءً وخبلا

They disgorge honey and venom; sufficient

You straighten the twisted and defective and prohibit

are this and that for you, as healing and madness.

Him from this and that, a cure and madness

فدعِ الشكرَ لي فلم أكسُك المد

فدعِ الشكرَ لي فلم أكسُك المد

حَ سليباً ولم أُحَلِّك عُطْلا

حَ سليباً ولم أُحَلِّك عُطْلا

So spare me your thanks: I have not clothed you in praise

So leave gratitude to me, for I did not dress you

when stripped, nor adorned you when bare.

With praise falsely, nor deck you with accolades

أنت مَنْ لم يزلْ يُحلَّى ويُكْسَى

أنت مَنْ لم يزلْ يُحلَّى ويُكْسَى

كلَّ مدحٍ فلستَ تُوسم غُفْلا

كلَّ مدحٍ فلستَ تُوسم غُفْلا

You are one who has always been adorned and clothed

You are one who has not ceased to be adorned and dressed

with every praise; you are not branded "unmarked."

In every praise, so you are not ascribed heedlessness

وحرامٌ عليّ عِرضُك بَسْلٌ

وحرامٌ عليّ عِرضُك بَسْلٌ

أبداً ما رأيتَ عِرضيَ بَسْلا

أبداً ما رأيتَ عِرضيَ بَسْلا

And your honor is sacred to me, inviolable,

And it is forbidden upon me, your honor disgraced

always, so long as you regard my honor as inviolable.

Never have I seen my honor disgraced

فالزمِ الصّدْق إنه للفريقَي

فالزمِ الصّدْق إنه للفريقَي

نِ نجاةٌ والخَتْلُ يجزيك خَتلا

نِ نجاةٌ والخَتْلُ يجزيك خَتلا

So hold fast to truth: for both parties it is

So stick to the truth, it is for both parties

salvation; deceit repays you with deceit.

Salvation, and betrayal rewards you betrayal

وخفِيُّ الحديثِ يَنْمِي فيُحيِي

وخفِيُّ الحديثِ يَنْمِي فيُحيِي

بعدما ماتت الضغائن ذحلا

بعدما ماتت الضغائن ذحلا

Secret talk grows and revives

And the secretive conversation grows, so it enlivens

a vendetta after resentments have died.

After enmities died down, humbled