عَجِبْتُI marveled لِغَمَّازِيْنَat detractors of عِلْمِيmy knowledge بِجَهْلِهِمْin their ignorance
عَجِبْتُ لِغَمَّازِيْنَ عِلْمِي بِجَهْلِهِمْ
وإِنَّand indeed قَناتِيmy spear-shaft لاnot تَلِيْنُbends علىunder الغَمْزِpressure
وإِنَّ قَناتِي لا تَلِيْنُ على الغَمْزِ
I marvel at those who disparage my knowledge in their ignorance.
I am amazed at those who criticize my knowledge with their ignorance,
And indeed my spear-shaft does not bend under pressure.
Yet my principles do not weaken from their slander.
تَجَلَّتْbecame manifest لهمْto them آياتُthe signs of فَهْمِيmy understanding ومَنْطِقِيand my speech
تَجَلَّتْ لهمْ آياتُ فَهْمِي ومَنْطِقِي
مُبَيِّنَةَdemonstrating الإِعجازِinimitability مُلْزِمَةَimposing العَجْزِhelplessness
مُبَيِّنَةَ الإِعجازِ مُلْزِمَةَ العَجْزِ
The signs of my understanding and speech became manifest to them,
The insights of my understanding and logic became clear to them,
demonstrating inimitability and rendering them powerless.
Demonstrating eloquence and confounding inability.
ولاحتْand appeared لهمْto them هَمْزِيَّةٌa hamza-rhymed poem أَوْحَدِيَّةٌpeerless
ولاحتْ لهمْ هَمْزِيَّةٌ أَوْحَدِيَّةٌ
وَوَيْلٌand woe بهاthrough it وَيْلٌwoe لذيto one given to الهَمْزِslander واللَّمْزِand disparagement
وَوَيْلٌ بها وَيْلٌ لذي الهَمْزِ واللَّمْزِ
And a peerless poem rhyming in hamza appeared to them,
A criticism or mockery appeared to them,
and through it comes woe—woe to anyone given to slander and disparagement.
Woe to it, woe to one who criticizes and mocks!
رَمَوْهَاthey accused it بِنَقْصٍof deficiency بَيَّنَتْit exposed فيهtherein نَقْصَهُمْtheir deficiency
رَمَوْهَا بِنَقْصٍ بَيَّنَتْ فيه نَقْصَهُمْ
ومَنْand whoever لَمَسَtouched الأَفْعَىthe viper شَكَاcomplained of أَلَمَthe pain of النَّكْزِthe bite
ومَنْ لَمَسَ الأَفْعَى شَكَا أَلَمَ النَّكْزِ
They accused it of deficiency; therein it exposed their own.
When they threw an insult to point out a flaw, it revealed their own flaws,
And whoever touches the viper complains of the pain of its bite.
And whoever touches a snake will feel the pain of its sting.
وإِنْand even if أَنْكَرَتْdenied أَفْهامُهُمْtheir minds بعضَsome of هَمْزِهَاits barbs
وإِنْ أَنْكَرَتْ أَفْهامُهُمْ بعضَ هَمْزِهَا
فقدyet indeed عَرَفَتْrecognized أكبادُهُمْtheir livers صِحَّةَthe truth of الهَمْزِthe barbs
فقد عَرَفَتْ أكبادُهُمْ صِحَّةَ الهَمْزِ
And even if their minds deny some of its barbs,
If their minds denied some of its criticism,
yet their livers have recognized the truth of its barbs.
Their hearts still recognized the truth of the criticism.