الشِّعْرُ سِحْرٌ وَعِنْدي مِنْ رَوائِعِهِ

الشِّعْرُ سِحْرٌ وَعِنْدي مِنْ رَوائِعِهِ

أَصْفَى منَ المَاءِ أَوْ أَبْهى مِنَ الدُّرَرِ

أَصْفَى منَ المَاءِ أَوْ أَبْهى مِنَ الدُّرَرِ

Poetry is magic, and among its marvels I possess

Poetry is magic, and of its masterpieces

what is clearer than water or more splendid than pearls.

I have the purest water or the brightest pearls.

قُدَّتْ قَوافِيهِ غُرّاً فَالرُّواةُ لَهُم

قُدَّتْ قَوافِيهِ غُرّاً فَالرُّواةُ لَهُم

بِهِنَّ زَهْوُ عِتاقِ الخَيْلِ بِالغُرَرِ

بِهِنَّ زَهْوُ عِتاقِ الخَيْلِ بِالغُرَرِ

Its rhymes were fashioned radiant, so the reciters have

Its rhymes were strung like necklaces, so for their poets

through them the pride of thoroughbred horses in their white blazes.

They are the radiance of steeds with pearls on their chests.

فَهُنَّ يُغْرَفْنَ مِن بَحْرٍ لِرِقَّتِهِ

فَهُنَّ يُغْرَفْنَ مِن بَحْرٍ لِرِقَّتِهِ

وَمِنْ جَزالَتِهِ يُنْسَفْنَ مِنْ حَجَرِ

وَمِنْ جَزالَتِهِ يُنْسَفْنَ مِنْ حَجَرِ

So, for its delicacy, they are drawn from a sea,

They are drawn from an ocean of gentleness,

and for its vigor they are wrenched from stone.

And sculpted from its sturdiness into stone.

قَصائِدٌ بَدَوِيَّاتٌ وَصَلْتُ بها

قَصائِدٌ بَدَوِيَّاتٌ وَصَلْتُ بها

مُقَطّعاتٍ عَليها رِقّةُ الحَضَرِ

مُقَطّعاتٍ عَليها رِقّةُ الحَضَرِ

Bedouin odes, to which I joined

Bedouin odes which I have reached

short poems bearing the delicacy of townsfolk.

With fragments upon them, the city's softness,

وَفُقتُ ساكِنَةَ الأبْياتِ مِنْ وَبَرٍ

وَفُقتُ ساكِنَةَ الأبْياتِ مِنْ وَبَرٍ

بِها وَنَازِلَةَ الأمْصارِ مِنْ مَدَرِ

بِها وَنَازِلَةَ الأمْصارِ مِنْ مَدَرِ

And I surpassed the dwellers in tents of camel hair,

And I excelled at rhyming verses in nomad encampments

through them, and those settled in cities of clay.

And those settling the cities from a watering place,

فَكُلُّ مَنْ فاه بَعدي بِالقَريضِ أَتَى

فَكُلُّ مَنْ فاه بَعدي بِالقَريضِ أَتَى

بِما تَقَيَّلَ في تَحبيرِهِ أَثَرِي

بِما تَقَيَّلَ في تَحبيرِهِ أَثَرِي

So everyone who has spoken verse after me has brought

So everyone after me who came with verse

what he embellished by following in my footsteps.

Brought what was ruined by his feeble attempt at my traces.