أَتانيcame to me كِتابٌa letter مِنكَfrom you أَحسُبُI think أَنَّهُthat it
أَتاني كِتابٌ مِنكَ أَحسُبُ أَنَّهُ
هُوَit السِحرُmagic لاno بَلrather دونَbeneath مَوقَعَهُits effect السِحرُmagic
هُوَ السِحرُ لا بَل دونَ مَوقَعَهُ السِحرُ
A letter came to me from you—I think it is
A letter came to me from you; I think that it
magic—no, rather, magic falls short of its effect;
is magic—no, rather, magic falls short of its effect.
بِنَثرٍwith prose يَظَلُّcontinues to النَظمُverse يَحسُدُenvy رَصفَهُits arrangement
بِنَثرٍ يَظَلُّ النَظمُ يَحسُدُ رَصفَهُ
وَنَظمٍand verse لِلُطفِfor the delicacy of السَبكِthe crafting يَحسُدُهُenvies it النَثرُprose
وَنَظمٍ لِلُطفِ السَبكِ يَحسُدُهُ النَثرُ
in prose whose arrangement verse remains envious of,
With prose whose arrangement verse continually envies,
and verse whose delicacy of composition prose envies.
and verse that prose envies for its delicate crafting.
لَهُit has رِقَّةُthe tenderness of الخَنساءِal-Khansa فيin حالِthe state of نَوحِهاher lamentation
لَهُ رِقَّةُ الخَنساءِ في حالِ نَوحِها
وَلَكِنَّyet مَعناهُits meaning لِقُوَّتِهِbecause of its strength صَخرُSakhr; rock
وَلَكِنَّ مَعناهُ لِقُوَّتِهِ صَخرُ
It has al-Khansāʾ’s tenderness when she laments,
It has the tenderness of al-Khansa as she laments,
yet its meaning, in its strength, is Ṣakhr—rock.
yet its meaning, in its strength, is Sakhr—a rock.
إِذاwhen شَنَّفَadorns with earrings الأَسماعَthe ears دُرُّpearls نِظامِهِits composition
إِذا شَنَّفَ الأَسماعَ دُرُّ نِظامِهِ
تَيَقَّنَknows for certain كُلٌّeveryone أَنَّthat مُرسِلَهُits sender البَحرُthe sea
تَيَقَّنَ كُلٌّ أَنَّ مُرسِلَهُ البَحرُ
When the pearls of its arrangement bedeck the ears,
When the pearls of its composition adorn the ears,
everyone knows for certain that its sender is the sea.
everyone knows for certain that its sender is the sea.
