قَدْ كانَ يُوصَفُ نَظِمي

قَدْ كانَ يُوصَفُ نَظِمي

قِدْماً بِسِحْرِ البَيانِ

قِدْماً بِسِحْرِ البَيانِ

My verse used to be described

My poetry used to be described

long ago as the magic of eloquence.

As having the magic of eloquence.

فَمُذْ مُنِعْتُ جَوابي

فَمُذْ مُنِعْتُ جَوابي

عَنهُ لأَمْرٍ عَنَاني

عَنهُ لأَمْرٍ عَنَاني

So when I was kept from giving my reply

But since my response has been denied

to it, by a matter that beset me,

Due to a restraint,

عَلِمْتُ أَنْ صَحَّ مِنهُ

عَلِمْتُ أَنْ صَحَّ مِنهُ

بَابٌ لِعَقْدِ اللِّسَانِ

بَابٌ لِعَقْدِ اللِّسَانِ

I learned that in it there truly was

I realized that it opened

an art for binding the tongue.

A door to binding the tongue.