يا أديباً لا يُداني شأوَهُ

يا أديباً لا يُداني شأوَهُ

في المعالي مَنْ دَنا أو مَن شَحطْ

في المعالي مَنْ دَنا أو مَن شَحطْ

O man of letters, whose stature cannot be rivaled

O scholar unmatched in eminence

In noble attainments by anyone near or far:

Among the exalted, be they near or far

قُلْ لنا ما اسمٌ تَرى جملتَهُ

قُلْ لنا ما اسمٌ تَرى جملتَهُ

ضِدّه في الوصْفِ إنْ حرفٌ سقَطْ

ضِدّه في الوصْفِ إنْ حرفٌ سقَطْ

Tell us: what word do you find, in its full form,

Tell us a name you see, its entirety

Becomes its opposite in sense if one letter is dropped?

Contrasted in description, if a letter is omitted

حَسَنُ العُقْبَى وإن قُوبل في

حَسَنُ العُقْبَى وإن قُوبل في

أوّلِ الأَمْرِ بكُرْهٍ وسَخَطْ

أوّلِ الأَمْرِ بكُرْهٍ وسَخَطْ

Its outcome is good, even if it is met

Good consequence, though first met with

At the outset with aversion and displeasure.

Dislike and anger

وهو في العدّ ثلاثيّ ومَا

وهو في العدّ ثلاثيّ ومَا

في الذي أوردتُه قطّ غَلَطْ

في الذي أوردتُه قطّ غَلَطْ

And it is three-lettered by count, and there is no

It numbers three, and naught

Error whatsoever in what I have set forth.

In what I've mentioned is ever wrong

وإذا الثلثان منه سَقَطَا

وإذا الثلثان منه سَقَطَا

صار ما أبْقيَ مُعْتَل الوسَطْ

صار ما أبْقيَ مُعْتَل الوسَطْ

And if two-thirds of it fall away,

And if two thirds of it should fall

What remains becomes weak in the middle.

What remains is flawed in the middle

ولَهُ التّصحيح حقٌّ لاَزمٌ

ولَهُ التّصحيح حقٌّ لاَزمٌ

وتَرى أوسَطَهُ مَا صَحَّ قَطْ

وتَرى أوسَطَهُ مَا صَحَّ قَطْ

And soundness is a right it must be granted,

Yet it warrants correction as a right

Yet you see its middle has never been sound.

And you'll find its middle never sound