أَيَاO عَيْنَfount آدابٍliterary culture بهاin it الظّرفُrefinement سائِلُflowing
أَيَا عَيْنَ آدابٍ بها الظّرفُ سائِلُ
ومَنْand one who هوhe منحىdestination السُّؤْلِthe petition إذwhen سالasked سائلُa petitioner
ومَنْ هو منحى السُّؤْلِ إذ سال سائلُ
O ʿayn—the essence of letters—about which refined wit inquires;
O fount of letters, in whom refinement flows,
and who is he, the questioner’s gift, when a questioner asks?
and you toward whom petitions turn when a petitioner asks:
سألتَyou asked وماand not تعنيyou mean سوىother than عَيْنِthe very essence ماwhat عنتaspired
سألتَ وما تعني سوى عَيْنِ ما عنت
إلىtoward شأوthe utmost reach معناهits meaning العيونُthe leading figures الأفاضلُthe worthy
إلى شأو معناه العيونُ الأفاضلُ
You asked, intending only an ʿayn—yet never did
You asked, and mean nothing but the very thing
the eyes of the eminent aspire to the furthest reach of its meaning.
to whose meaning’s heights the eminent worthies aspired.
وقدand indeed صرّحmade explicit التّبيانُthe explanation منكfrom you بِعَيْنِهِabout its very self
وقد صرّح التّبيانُ منك بِعَيْنِهِ
فماso no حاجبٌa screening brow عنfrom كشفهits revealing الأمرَthe matter حَائِلُstanding in the way
فما حاجبٌ عن كشفه الأمرَ حَائِلُ
Indeed, your explanation has declared it plainly by its very ʿayn;
And your explanation has made the thing itself plain,
so no veil intervenes to prevent the matter’s disclosure.
so no brow stands in the way of its revealing the matter.
وإنand if كانit was فيin عينan eye جعلتَyou placed نزولهits descent
وإن كان في عين جعلتَ نزوله
فَهَاthen here هُوَit فيin عينيmy eye لأجلكfor your sake نازُلalighting
فَهَا هُوَ في عيني لأجلك نازُل
And if you appointed an ʿayn as the place where it should alight,
And if it was in an eye that you made it alight,
then behold: it is alighting in my eye for your sake.
then here it is, alighting in my eye for your sake.
وقدand indeed حكمruled التّصريفُmorphology أنّthat لعينهfor its ʿayn (middle root letter)
وقد حكم التّصريفُ أنّ لعينه
حَلِيّاًan ornament وجيدُand the neck الفاءِof the fāʾ (first root letter) منof ذاكthat عَاطِلُunadorned
حَلِيّاً وجيدُ الفاءِ من ذاك عَاطِلُ
Morphology has indeed ruled that its ʿayn possesses
And morphology has ruled that its ʿayn bears
an ornament, while the neck of its fāʾ is bare thereof.
an ornament, while the fāʾ’s neck is bare of it.
وحسبكand enough for you تبيانيmy explanation وقدand indeed جاءhas come واضحاًclear
وحسبك تبياني وقد جاء واضحاً
ومِثْلُكَand one like you لاnot تخفىare hidden عليهfrom him دَلاَئِلُproofs
ومِثْلُكَ لا تخفى عليه دَلاَئِلُ
Let my explanation suffice you—it has come perfectly clear;
And my explanation suffices you; it has come forth clear,
and to one such as you, no clues remain hidden.
and proofs are not hidden from one such as you.
