العبدُthe servant قدalready وافىhas arrived لِيُنشِدto recite مدحةًa poem of praise
العبدُ قد وافى لِيُنشِد مدحةً
بُنيتwas built قواعدُهاits foundations علىupon التَخفيفbrevity
بُنيت قواعدُها على التَخفيف
This servant has come to recite a panegyric,
The servant has arrived to recite a poem of praise,
whose foundations were laid upon brevity.
whose foundations were laid upon brevity.
وأخافand I fear منfrom تاجTāj (crown) العُلاal-ʿUlā (eminence) تَطويلَهhis prolonging
وأخاف من تاج العُلا تَطويلَه
لَيلاًat night فَأَلحقand so I meet مَلحقthe fate of ابنIbn (son of) خروفKharūf
لَيلاً فَأَلحق مَلحق ابن خروف
Yet I fear that Tāj al-ʿUlā may prolong it
And I fear that Tāj al-ʿUlā will draw things out
into the night—so I append Ibn Kharūf’s addendum.
at night, and I then meet the fate of Ibn Kharūf.