مَنwho مُنصِفيone who does me justice مِنagainst مُحكِمِthe master of الكِتابِwriting
مَن مُنصِفي مِن مُحكِمِ الكِتابِ
شَمسُthe sun of العُلومِthe sciences قَمَرُthe moon of الآدابِletters
شَمسُ العُلومِ قَمَرُ الآدابِ
Who will do me justice against the master of writing,
Who can be fairer than the Just Judge of the Book,
the sun of the sciences, the moon of letters?
The sun of knowledge, the moon of literature.
أَضحىhe became لِأَوصافِof the qualities of الكَلامِspeech مُحرِزاpossessing
أَضحى لِأَوصافِ الكَلامِ مُحرِزا
وَسامَand demanded أَنthat يَلحَقَcatch up لَمّاwhen بَرَزاhe took the lead
وَسامَ أَن يَلحَقَ لَمّا بَرَزا
He has come to possess the qualities of eloquence,
He has excelled in describing words,
and, once he took the lead, demanded that someone catch up.
And attained glory never before attained.
وَهلand can يُجارىbe rivaled السابِقُthe frontrunner المُقَصِّرُthe laggard
وَهل يُجارى السابِقُ المُقَصِّرُ
أَمor هَلcan يُساويequal المُدرِكُthe achiever المُعذرُthe one pleading excuses
أَم هَل يُساوي المُدرِكُ المُعذرُ
Can the laggard keep pace with the frontrunner?
Can the laggard ever catch up with the frontrunner?
Or can the achiever and the one pleading excuses be equals?
Or can the latecomer equal the excused?
ماnot زالَhe ceased بيwith me عَنaway from غَرضٍan aim مُعرِضاًturning aside
ما زالَ بي عَن غَرضٍ مُعرِضاً
وَليand for me بِماwith what يُصدِرُهُhe puts it forth مُستَنهِضاrousing
وَلي بِما يُصدِرُهُ مُستَنهِضا
He kept diverting me from an aim,
He continues to turn away from any purpose,
and rousing me with what he put forth.
And incite me with what he issues.
فَتارَةًso at times يَعتَمِدُhe takes as his theme الخَطافاthe swallow
فَتارَةً يَعتَمِدُ الخَطافا
بِبِدَعٍwith original marvels تَستَغرِقُexhaust الأَوصافاthe descriptions
بِبِدَعٍ تَستَغرِقُ الأَوصافا
At times, then, he takes the swallow as his theme,
Sometimes he employs a coquettish style,
with marvels that exhaust every description.
With innovations that encompass all attributes.
وَتارَةًand at times يعنيhe attends بِنَعتِto the description of القَبجِthe partridge
وَتارَةً يعني بِنَعتِ القَبجِ
مِنfrom مَنطِقيmy speech لِفَضلِهِfor his excellence مُحتَجِّciting evidence
مِن مَنطِقي لِفَضلِهِ مُحتَجِّ
And at other times he attends to describing the partridge,
And other times he means by "green parrot"
drawing on my speech to prove his excellence.
An argument for my superiority.
يَحومُhe circles حَولَaround غَرضٍan aim مَعلومknown
يَحومُ حَولَ غَرضٍ مَعلوم
وَمَقصَدٍand an intention فيin شِعرِهِhis poetry مَفهومِunderstood
وَمَقصَدٍ في شِعرِهِ مَفهومِ
He circles around a known aim,
He circles around a known theme
and an intention plain in his verse,
And a purpose that is clear in his poetry,
حَتّىuntil تَجَلَّتcleared away رَغوَةَthe foam of الصَريحِpure milk
حَتّى تَجَلَّت رَغوَةَ الصَريحِ
وَسَلَمand yielded التَلويحُallusion لِلتَصريحِto explicit speech
وَسَلَم التَلويحُ لِلتَصريحِ
until the foam cleared from the pure milk,
Until the spittle of clarity has appeared
and allusion yielded to explicit speech.
And the figurative yielded to the literal.
وَصَحَّand it became clear أَنَّthat البَبَّغاءَthe parrot مَقصِدُهُhis aim
وَصَحَّ أَنَّ البَبَّغاءَ مَقصِدُهُ
بِكُلِّin all ماthat كانَhe used to قَديماًformerly يُوردُهُput it forth
بِكُلِّ ما كانَ قَديماً يُوردُهُ
And it became clear that the parrot was his aim
It is established that his purpose with "parrot"
in everything he had previously put forth.
Is all that he used to previously mention.
فَلَمso did not يَدَعleave لِقائِلٍfor a speaker مَقالاanything to say
فَلَم يَدَع لِقائِلٍ مَقالا
فيهاabout her وَلاnor لِخاطِرٍfor a thought مَجالاany scope
فيها وَلا لِخاطِرٍ مَجالا
So he left no speaker anything to say
He left no room for anyone to say
about her, nor any scope for a thought.
Anything else or for any other notion.
أَهديhe bestowed لَهاon her مِنfrom كُلِّevery نَعتٍdescription أَحسَنَهُits finest
أَهدي لَها مِن كُلِّ نَعتٍ أَحسَنَهُ
وَصاغَand fashioned مِنfrom حُلىthe ornaments of المَعانيmeanings أَزيَنَهُits fairest
وَصاغَ مِن حُلى المَعاني أَزيَنَهُ
He bestowed on her the finest of every description,
He gifted it the finest of all attributes,
and fashioned the fairest of the ornaments of meaning.
And crafted for it the most beautiful adornments.
أَحالَhe alluded بِالريشِthrough the plumage الأَشيَبِgray-flecked الأَخضَرِgreen
أَحالَ بِالريشِ الأَشيَبِ الأَخضَرِ
وَبِاِحمرارٍand through the redness of طَوقَهاher collar وَالمُنسِرِand the beak
وَبِاِحمرارٍ طَوقَها وَالمُنسِرِ
He alluded, through her gray-flecked green plumage,
He adorned it with grey, green, and red feathers,
and through the redness of her collar and beak,
And green enamel and carnelian.
عَلىto اِختِلاطِthe mingling of الرَوضِthe meadow بِالشَقيقِwith anemones
عَلى اِختِلاطِ الرَوضِ بِالشَقيقِ
وَأَخضَرَand the green of الميناءِenamel بِالعقيقِwith carnelian
وَأَخضَرَ الميناءِ بِالعقيقِ
to the meadow mingled with anemones,
It is adorned with ankle bracelets of emerald
and green enamel with carnelian.
And earrings like chrysolite pendants.
تَزهىshe glories بِدَوّاجٍin a mantle مِنَof الزُمُرُدِemerald
تَزهى بِدَوّاجٍ مِنَ الزُمُرُدِ
وَمُقلَةٍand an eye كَسَبجٍlike jet فيin عَسجَدِgold
وَمُقلَةٍ كَسَبجٍ في عَسجَدِ
She glories in a mantle of emerald,
It has a handsome beak, as if it was carved
and an eye like jet set in gold,
From coral, made graceful and proportioned.
وَحُسنُand the beauty of مِنقارٍa beak أَشَمَّhigh-arched قانيdeep-red
وَحُسنُ مِنقارٍ أَشَمَّ قاني
كَأَنَّماas though صيغَit was fashioned مِنَfrom المُرجانِcoral
كَأَنَّما صيغَ مِنَ المُرجانِ
and the beauty of a high-arched, deep-red beak,
Its solitary confinement has made it
as though it were fashioned from coral.
The most eloquent of earthly creatures.
صَيَّرَهاmade her اِنفِرادُهاher solitude فيin الحَبسِcaptivity
صَيَّرَها اِنفِرادُها في الحَبسِ
بِنُطقِهاthrough her speech مِنone of فُصَحاءِthe eloquent speakers of الإِنسِhumankind
بِنُطقِها مِن فُصَحاءِ الإِنسِ
Her solitude in captivity has made her,
It is distinguished among birds by speech
through her speech, one of humankind's eloquent speakers.
Above all creatures except humankind.
تَمَيَّزَتshe stood apart فيamong الطَيرِthe birds بِالبَيانِthrough articulate speech
تَمَيَّزَت في الطَيرِ بِالبَيانِ
عَنfrom كُلِّevery مَخلوقٍcreature سِوىexcept الإِنسانِhumankind
عَن كُلِّ مَخلوقٍ سِوى الإِنسانِ
Among birds, her articulate speech sets her apart
It relates what it hears without lies
from every creature except humankind.
Or changing earnestness into jest.
تَحكيshe repeats الَّذيwhat تَسمَعهُshe hears it بِلاwithout كَذِبِfalsehood
تَحكي الَّذي تَسمَعهُ بِلا كَذِبِ
مِنfrom غَيرِabsence of تَغييرٍalteration لِجَدٍّfor earnestness أَوor لَعِبِplay
مِن غَيرِ تَغييرٍ لِجَدٍّ أَو لَعِبِ
She repeats what she hears without falsehood,
Its nourishment is the finest, most luxurious food.
without alteration, in earnest or in play.
It drinks no water and fears no headache.
غِذاؤُهاher nourishment أَزكىthe purest طَعامfood رَغَداin abundance
غِذاؤُها أَزكى طَعام رَغَدا
لاnot تَشرَبُshe drinks الماءَwater وَلاnor تَخشىshe fears الصَداthirst
لا تَشرَبُ الماءَ وَلا تَخشى الصَدا
Her nourishment is the purest food, in abundance;
It has a passion that makes it think
she drinks no water and fears no thirst.
Only rice, not jewels, is true treasure.
ذاتُpossessing شُغىًa projecting upper beak تَحسَبُهُyou would take it for ياقوتاruby
ذاتُ شُغىً تَحسَبُهُ ياقوتا
لاnot تَرتَضيshe accepts غَيرَother than الأَرُزُّrice قوتاas food
لا تَرتَضي غَيرَ الأَرُزُّ قوتا
She has a jutting beak you would take for ruby;
It seems as if each grain in its beak
she accepts no food but rice.
Is a pearl floating in its goblet.
كَأَنَّماas though الحبَةُthe grain فيin مِنقارِهاher beak
كَأَنَّما الحبَةُ في مِنقارِها
حَبابَةٌa bubble تَطفوfloats عَلىon عُقارِهاher wine
حَبابَةٌ تَطفو عَلى عُقارِها
It is as though the grain in her beak
Its great ferocity has lodged it
were a bubble floating on her wine.
In an iron cage.
إِقدامهاher daring بِبَأسِهاwith her might الشَديدِfierce
إِقدامها بِبَأسِها الشَديدِ
أَسكَنَهاlodged her فيin قَفَصِa cage of الحَديدِiron
أَسكَنَها في قَفَصِ الحَديدِ
Her daring, with her fierce might,
It is like a cheek beneath green garb
has lodged her in an iron cage.
Lodged in a shabby, unadorned cage.
فَهِيَso she is كَخودٍlike a young beauty فيin لِباسٍa dress أَخضَرِgreen
فَهِيَ كَخودٍ في لِباسٍ أَخضَرِ
تَأويshe takes shelter إِلىin خَركاهَةِa pavilion لَمdid not تستَتِرhide herself
تَأوي إِلى خَركاهَةِ لَم تستَتِر
So she is like a young beauty in a green dress,
The Prophet described it beyond what's conceivable,
sheltering in a pavilion, yet not concealed.
With attributes no other creature possesses.
وَوَصفهاand the description of her المُعجِزُinimitable مالاwhat cannot يُدرَكُbe attained
وَوَصفها المُعجِزُ مالا يُدرَكُ
وَمِثلُهُand its like فيin غَيرِهاanything other than her لاnot يُملَكُbe possessed
وَمِثلُهُ في غَيرِها لا يُملَكُ
And the inimitable description of her lies beyond reach,
Had I no title, I'd not abbreviate,
and its like is not to be had for any other.
But I feared it might be said "the victor."
لَوif لَمnot تَكُنshe were ليfor me لَقَباًa nickname لَمnot أَختَصِرI would be brief
لَو لَم تَكُن لي لَقَباً لَم أَختَصِر
لَكنbut خَشيتُI feared أَنthat يُقالَit be said مُنتَصِرchampioning oneself
لَكن خَشيتُ أَن يُقالَ مُنتَصِر
Were 'Parrot' not my nickname, I would not have cut this short;
It is described according to its merit,
but I feared they would say I was championing myself.
By the skill of my father Isaac.
وَإِنَّماand only تُنعتُshe is described بِاِستِحقاقِdeservedly
وَإِنَّما تُنعتُ بِاِستِحقاقِ
لِوَصفِهاin describing her حذقُthe skill of أَبيAbu إِسحاقِIshaq
لِوَصفِها حذقُ أَبي إِسحاقِ
And she is fittingly described only
He ennobled it and increased its nobility
by Abu Ishaq's skill in portraying her.
With a decree he crafted in its description.
شَرَّفهاhe honored her وَزادَand increased فيin تَشريفِهاher honor
شَرَّفها وَزادَ في تَشريفِها
بِحكمٍwith wise sayings أَبدَعَhe excelled فيin تَفويفِهاtheir ornate patterning
بِحكمٍ أَبدَعَ في تَفويفِها
He honored her and increased her honor
How can I repay with choice praise
with wise sayings, brilliantly woven into patterns.
One who directed praise to my name and title?
فَكَيفَhow then أَجزيcan I repay بِالثَناءِwith praise المُنتَخِبِthe choicest
فَكَيفَ أَجزي بِالثَناءِ المُنتَخِبِ
مَنthe one who صَرفَdirected المَدحَpraise إِلىto اِسميmy name وَاللَقَبِand the nickname
مَن صَرفَ المَدحَ إِلى اِسمي وَاللَقَبِ
How, then, can I repay with the choicest praise
the one who directed praise to my name and nickname?
Partial English translation: 54 of 56 Arabic lines translated.