شَرَفَ الدينِ قَد تَشَرَّفَ قَدري

شَرَفَ الدينِ قَد تَشَرَّفَ قَدري

بِنظامٍ يَبأى عَلى كُلِّ شِعرِ

بِنظامٍ يَبأى عَلى كُلِّ شِعرِ

Sharaf al-Din—my rank has indeed been ennobled

Sharaf al-Din, my standing has indeed been ennobled

by a composition that holds itself above all verse:

by verse that stands proudly above all poetry.

سِلكُ دُرٍّ سَلَكتَ فيهِ طَريقاً

سِلكُ دُرٍّ سَلَكتَ فيهِ طَريقاً

أَعجَزَ الناسَ في نِظامٍ وَنَثرِ

أَعجَزَ الناسَ في نِظامٍ وَنَثرِ

a strand of pearls, in which you have pursued a path

A strand of pearls, in which you followed a path

that has left all people powerless, in verse and prose.

that no one could rival in verse and prose.

لا عَجيبٌ مِن كَون لَفظِكَ دُرّاً

لا عَجيبٌ مِن كَون لَفظِكَ دُرّاً

أَنتَ بَحرٌ وَالبَحرُ يَرمِي بِدُرِّ

أَنتَ بَحرٌ وَالبَحرُ يَرمِي بِدُرِّ

No wonder that your words should be pearls:

No wonder your words are pearls:

you are a sea, and the sea casts forth pearls.

you are a sea, and the sea casts up pearls.

هُوَ فَرقٌ ما بَينَ ضادٍ وَظاءٍ

هُوَ فَرقٌ ما بَينَ ضادٍ وَظاءٍ

وَهوَ جَمعٌ ما بَينَ زَهرٍ وَزَهرِ

وَهوَ جَمعٌ ما بَينَ زَهرٍ وَزَهرِ

It distinguishes between ḍād and ẓāʾ,

It is a distinction between ḍād and ẓāʾ,

yet gathers flower upon flower.

and it is a union between blossoms and blossoms.

أَيُّ سِلكٍ بِهِ الزَمانُ تَجلّى

أَيُّ سِلكٍ بِهِ الزَمانُ تَجلّى

أَيُّ سِحرٍ أَربى عَلى كُلِّ سِحرِ

أَيُّ سِحرٍ أَربى عَلى كُلِّ سِحرِ

What strand is this, through which the age shines forth?

What a strand, through which time shone forth!

What magic is this, surpassing every magic?

What magic, surpassing all magic!