للهto God (in admiration) ماhow أطرىfresh and delicate وأطربand entrancing ماwhat أتىhas come
لله ما أطرى وأطرب ما أتى
فيin هذهthese الأوراقpages منof سجعاتهاits rhymed phrases
في هذه الأوراق من سجعاتها
By God, how fresh and entrancing is what has come
God, what grace and delight has come
in these pages of its rhymed prose!
In these pages with their rhymes
لاno غروwonder أنthat عقدتit tied لسانthe tongue أولىpossessors of النهىunderstanding
لا غرو أن عقدت لسان أولى النهى
عنfrom مثلهاits like بالسحرby magic منfrom كلماتهاits words
عن مثلها بالسحر من كلماتها
No wonder it has tied the tongue of the wise
No wonder the foremost in virtue
from matching it, through the magic of its words.
Have deemed it magic, the spell of its words,
فكأنso, as though همزhamza marks سطورهاits lines بطروسهاupon its written sheets
فكأن همز سطورها بطروسها
ورقٌgray doves علىon الأغصانthe branches منof إلفاتهاits alif letters
ورقٌ على الأغصان من إلفاتها
The hamzas of its lines upon its sheets seem
As if the glottal stops of its lines were nightingales
like gray doves on branches formed by its alifs.
And its pages leaves fluttering on branches
وكأنهاand as though it were وجناتُcheeks غيدٍgraceful maidens نقطهاits dots
وكأنها وجناتُ غيدٍ نقطها
خالٌa beauty spot علىon الأصداغthe temples منof جيماتهاits jim letters
خالٌ على الأصداغ من جيماتها
And it seems like graceful maidens’ cheeks; its dots
As if it were the cheeks of a languid gazelle
are beauty spots upon the temples formed by its jims.
Marked by a beauty spot from its Jims