يا من يُكاثِرُ بالدَّفَا

يا من يُكاثِرُ بالدَّفَا

تِر حَشْوُهَا حَشْوَ المَسَاوِرْ

تِر حَشْوُهَا حَشْوَ المَسَاوِرْ

O you who vie in numbers with note-

O you who boasts of abundant prose,

books, stuffed like cushions,

Its stuffing is like bracelets' padding,

لو كُنْتُ أَجْمَعُ عَيْنَ ما

لو كُنْتُ أَجْمَعُ عَيْنَ ما

يَخْتَارُ مِن غُرَرِ النَّوَادِرْ

يَخْتَارُ مِن غُرَرِ النَّوَادِرْ

if I were to gather the choicest of what

If I were to collect the essence of what

one selects from the gems of rare lore—

Is chosen from the gems of rarities,

عينٌ مِنَ الأخْبَارِ أَوْ

عينٌ مِنَ الأخْبَارِ أَوْ

عِلْمٌ مِنَ الأَمْثَالِ سَائِرْ

عِلْمٌ مِنَ الأَمْثَالِ سَائِرْ

a choice tale, or

An essence of news or flowing proverbs,

widely circulating wisdom from proverbs—

Or filling my pages other than what

أو مُوعِياً صُحُفِي سِوَى

أو مُوعِياً صُحُفِي سِوَى

ما أَبْتَغِيْهِ من الجُمَاهِرْ

ما أَبْتَغِيْهِ من الجُمَاهِرْ

or fill my pages with anything other than

I seek from the masses,

what I seek from the vast collections,

It would collect what no camel load

لَجَمَعَتْ ما لا يستقلْ

لَجَمَعَتْ ما لا يستقلْ

لُ بِحَمْلِهِ كومُ الأباعِرْ

لُ بِحَمْلِهِ كومُ الأباعِرْ

they would amass what could not be car-

Of valuables could carry.

ried by high-humped camels.

So boast and exaggerate your relation,

فافْخَرْ وكاثِرْ بالقَرِيْ

فافْخَرْ وكاثِرْ بالقَرِيْ

حَةِ إنَّها فَخْرُ المَفَاخِرْ

حَةِ إنَّها فَخْرُ المَفَاخِرْ

So boast and vie with your native tal-

It is truly the pride of prides.

ent: it is the glory of glories.

And know that knowledge is what

واعلَمْ بأنّ العِلْمَ ما

واعلَمْ بأنّ العِلْمَ ما

أوْعَيْتَ في صُحُفِ الضَّمائِرْ

أوْعَيْتَ في صُحُفِ الضَّمائِرْ

And know that knowledge is what

You have retained in your conscience's pages.

you have stored in the pages of the mind.