شَرَفَSharaf (honor) الدينِal-Din (of the faith) قَدindeed تَشَرَّفَhas been ennobled قَدريmy rank
شَرَفَ الدينِ قَد تَشَرَّفَ قَدري
بِنظامٍthrough verse يَبأىvaunts itself عَلىabove كُلِّall شِعرِpoetry
بِنظامٍ يَبأى عَلى كُلِّ شِعرِ
Sharaf al-Din, my rank has been ennobled
Through verse that vaunts itself above all poetry.
سِلكُa strand دُرٍّof pearls سَلَكتَyou followed فيهِin it طَريقاًa path
سِلكُ دُرٍّ سَلَكتَ فيهِ طَريقاً
أَعجَزَrendered powerless الناسَpeople فيin نِظامٍverse وَنَثرِand prose
أَعجَزَ الناسَ في نِظامٍ وَنَثرِ
A strand of pearls, in which you have followed a path
That has left people unable to match it, in verse and prose.
لاno عَجيبٌwonder مِنat كَونbeing لَفظِكَyour speech دُرّاًpearls
لا عَجيبٌ مِن كَون لَفظِكَ دُرّاً
أَنتَyou بَحرٌa sea وَالبَحرُand the sea يَرمِيcasts forth بِدُرِّwith pearls
أَنتَ بَحرٌ وَالبَحرُ يَرمِي بِدُرِّ
It is no wonder that your words are pearls:
You are a sea, and the sea casts forth pearls.
هُوَit فَرقٌa distinction ما(emphatic particle) بَينَbetween ضادٍḍād (the letter ض) وَظاءٍand ẓāʾ (the letter ظ)
هُوَ فَرقٌ ما بَينَ ضادٍ وَظاءٍ
وَهوَand it جَمعٌa joining ما(emphatic particle) بَينَbetween زَهرٍblossoms وَزَهرِand blossoms
وَهوَ جَمعٌ ما بَينَ زَهرٍ وَزَهرِ
It distinguishes between ḍād and ẓāʾ,
And it joins blossoms with blossoms.
أَيُّwhat a سِلكٍstrand بِهِthrough it الزَمانُtime تَجلّىhas shone forth
أَيُّ سِلكٍ بِهِ الزَمانُ تَجلّى
أَيُّwhat سِحرٍmagic أَربىexcelled عَلىover كُلِّall سِحرِmagic
أَيُّ سِحرٍ أَربى عَلى كُلِّ سِحرِ
What a strand, through which Time has shone forth!
What magic, surpassing all magic!