أَمَا كفَى السيفَ حتَّى جرَّدَ القلما

أَمَا كفَى السيفَ حتَّى جرَّدَ القلما

يوماً يُريق مِداداً أو يُريق دَمَا

يوماً يُريق مِداداً أو يُريق دَمَا

Was the sword not enough for him, that he unsheathed the pen?

Has the sword not shed enough blood, that the pen must also

One day he spills ink, or spills blood.

One day spill ink or spill blood?

فالموتُ إن أَسَر الهيجاءَ مقتَحِماً

فالموتُ إن أَسَر الهيجاءَ مقتَحِماً

والسحرُ إن نَثَر الآياتِ أَو نَظما

والسحرُ إن نَثَر الآياتِ أَو نَظما

So he is death when he takes the battle captive, charging in,

For if death seizes the passionate with spears,

And magic when he sets forth marvels in prose or verse.

Or if sorcery scatters verses or poems,

ربُّ القوافي الذي تأبى قريحتُه

ربُّ القوافي الذي تأبى قريحتُه

إلا ابتداعاً ولا يَرضَى بما عَلِما

إلا ابتداعاً ولا يَرضَى بما عَلِما

The master of rhymes, whose poetic gift refuses

The Lord of rhymes, whose genius refuses

Anything but original creation, and he is not content with what he has learned.

Anything but innovation, and is not content with the known,

كأنَّ تِلكَ المعاني في قوالِبها

كأنَّ تِلكَ المعاني في قوالِبها

راحٌ وكأسٌ يَضِلُّ اللبُّ بينهما

راحٌ وكأسٌ يَضِلُّ اللبُّ بينهما

As though those meanings, in their forms,

It is as if those ideas in their molds

Were wine and a cup, between which the mind loses its way.

Were comfort and a cup that confuse the mind between them.

هي العقودُ أَضلَّتهم محاسنُها

هي العقودُ أَضلَّتهم محاسنُها

عن كُنهِها فَدَعَوهَا ضَلَّةً كَلِمَا

عن كُنهِها فَدَعَوهَا ضَلَّةً كَلِمَا

They are necklaces whose beauties led them astray

They are necklaces whose beauties have led them astray

From their true nature; so, in error, they called them words.

From their essence, so they called them just words.