لِمُصْطَفَى صَادِقٍ فِي الشِّعْرِ مَنْزِلَةٌ

لِمُصْطَفَى صَادِقٍ فِي الشِّعْرِ مَنْزِلَةٌ

أَمْسَى يُعَادِيهِ فِيهَا مَنْ يُصَافِيهِ

أَمْسَى يُعَادِيهِ فِيهَا مَنْ يُصَافِيهِ

Mustafa Sadiq holds a standing in poetry

Mustafa has a high rank in sincere poetry

in which even those devoted to him have come to oppose him.

Though now opposed by those who rival him

صَاغَ الْقَرِيضَ بِإِتْقَانٍ فَلَوْ تُلِيَتْ

صَاغَ الْقَرِيضَ بِإِتْقَانٍ فَلَوْ تُلِيَتْ

صُدُورُهُ عُلِمَتْ مِنْهَا قَوَافِيهِ

صُدُورُهُ عُلِمَتْ مِنْهَا قَوَافِيهِ

He crafted verse with such mastery that, were one to recite

He crafted verse with great skill - if recited

its opening half-lines, its rhymes would be known from them.

The excellence of his rhymes would be evident

مُهَذَّبُ الطَّبْعِ مَأْمُونُ الضَّمِيرِ إِذَا

مُهَذَّبُ الطَّبْعِ مَأْمُونُ الضَّمِيرِ إِذَا

بَلَوْتَهُ كَانَ بَادِيهِ كَخَافِيهِ

بَلَوْتَهُ كَانَ بَادِيهِ كَخَافِيهِ

Refined in nature, trustworthy in conscience—when

Refined in nature, of trusted conscience - when

you test him, his outward self matches his inward self.

Tested, his inner self matches what's seen

حَازَ الْكَمَالَ فَلَمْ يَحْتَجْ لِمَنْقَبَةٍ

حَازَ الْكَمَالَ فَلَمْ يَحْتَجْ لِمَنْقَبَةٍ

فَلَسْتَ تَنْعَتُهُ إِلَّا بِمَا فِيهِ

فَلَسْتَ تَنْعَتُهُ إِلَّا بِمَا فِيهِ

He attained perfection, so he needed no further merit;

Having attained perfection, he needs no praise

so you describe him only by the qualities he possesses.

You can only describe him by what he contains