قدindeed أَشكَلَbecame obscure الأمرُthe matter فهلso is there منany فاحِصِan examiner
قد أَشكَلَ الأمرُ فهل من فاحِصِ
حتَّامَuntil when لاnot أنفَكُّI break free منfrom مُقارِصِa biting critic
حتَّامَ لا أنفَكُّ من مُقارِصِ
The matter has grown obscure—is there anyone to examine it?
The matter has become complicated, is there an examiner
How long must I remain unable to escape a biting critic,
I have no choice but to keep inquiring
مُطاردٍpursuing شعريmy poetry طِرادَthe pursuit of قانصِa hunter
مُطاردٍ شعري طِرادَ قانصِ
لَوىturned aside عنaway from الدُّرِّthe pearls يمينَthe right hand الغائِصِthe diver
لَوى عن الدُّرِّ يمينَ الغائِصِ
who pursues my poetry as a hunter hunts,
My poetry chases the one who flees from it
who turned the diver’s right hand away from pearls,
He who searches away from pearls, the diver
وعابَand found fault with إبريزَrefined gold الخلاصِrefining الخالصِpure
وعابَ إبريزَ الخلاصِ الخالصِ
وشاهديand my witness بالفضلِto excellence عيبُcensure النّاقصِthe deficient man
وشاهدي بالفضلِ عيبُ النّاقصِ
and found fault with the pure, refined gold?
And finds fault with the pure, unadulterated redemption
And the deficient man’s censure bears witness to my excellence.
While my witness of virtue sees only flaws in the deficient