أهديتَyou presented لِلأبْصَارِto the eyes والأَسماعِand the ears
أهديتَ لِلأبْصَارِ والأَسماعِ
طِرساًa written page يُقَصِّرfalls short عَنْof مداهُits reach باعيmy arm-span
طِرساً يُقَصِّر عَنْ مداهُ باعي
You presented to the eyes and ears
A written page whose reach my arm-span cannot match.
هوit لاnot أشكI doubt الجوهرthe jewel الفَردpeerless الّذيwhich
هو لا أشك الجوهر الفَرد الّذي
قُطعَwas ended التراجعَthe debate فيهِconcerning it بالإِجماعِby unanimous agreement
قُطعَ التراجعَ فيهِ بالإِجماعِ
It is, I have no doubt, the peerless jewel about which
Debate has been ended by unanimous agreement.
لوif أَبْصَرhad seen الأدباءُthe men of letters فيماin what قدalready مَضىpassed
لو أَبْصَر الأدباءُ فيما قد مَضى
شبهاًa likeness لَهto it ماتواthey died بغيرwithout نِزاعstruggle
شبهاً لَه ماتوا بغير نِزاع
Had the men of letters in bygone days seen
Anything like it, they would have died without a struggle.
ماnot هذهِthis أَوَّلَىthe first محاسنِكyour fine deeds الّتيwhich
ما هذهِ أَوَّلَى محاسنِك الّتي
ذهبتْswept away بكلّwith all محاسنٍvirtues ومساعيand endeavors
ذهبتْ بكلّ محاسنٍ ومساعي
This is not the first of your fine deeds, which
Have eclipsed all other virtues and endeavors.
لِلّهpraise be to God كمhow often قلّدتْنيgarlanded me مِنْfrom قبلهاbefore it
لِلّه كم قلّدتْني مِنْ قبلها
بِلطائفwith exquisite pieces الأشعارِof poetry والأسْجاعِand rhymed prose
بِلطائف الأشعارِ والأسْجاعِ
God be praised, how often I was garlanded before this
With exquisite poetry and rhymed prose!
ولكمand how often بعثتَyou sent مُشَرَّفاًan honored missive وشَحتَهُyou adorned it
ولكم بعثتَ مُشَرَّفاً وشَحتَهُ
بغرائبِwith marvels الإبداعِof invention والأيداعِand incorporation
بغرائبِ الإبداعِ والأيداعِ
And how often you sent an honored missive you had adorned
With marvels of invention and incorporation.
Translation model: Sol 6.1