لَيسَ البَلاغَةُ مَعنىً

لَيسَ البَلاغَةُ مَعنىً

فيهِ الكَلامُ يَطولُ

فيهِ الكَلامُ يَطولُ

Eloquence is not an idea

Eloquence is not prolonged speech

on which speech runs long,

Wherein excess words have place,

بَل صَوغُ مَعنىً كَثيرٍ

بَل صَوغُ مَعنىً كَثيرٍ

يَحويهِ لَفظٌ قَليلُ

يَحويهِ لَفظٌ قَليلُ

but the shaping of abundant meaning

But to pack myriad thoughts

contained in few words.

In a few words choice and chaste.

فَالفَضلُ في حُسنِ لَفظٍ

فَالفَضلُ في حُسنِ لَفظٍ

يَقِلُّ فيهِ الفُضولُ

يَقِلُّ فيهِ الفُضولُ

Thus excellence lies in fine wording

Better by far the briefest phrase

with little that is superfluous.

That surplus wording lays to waste

يَظُنَّهُ الناسُ سَهلاً

يَظُنَّهُ الناسُ سَهلاً

وَما إِلَيهِ سَبيلُ

وَما إِلَيهِ سَبيلُ

People think it easy,

Than devious wording that obscures

yet there is no path to it.

The meaning to the reader’s taste.

وَالعَيُّ مَعنىً قَصيرٌ

وَالعَيُّ مَعنىً قَصيرٌ

يَحويهِ لَفظٌ طَويلُ

يَحويهِ لَفظٌ طَويلُ

And ineloquence is scant meaning

For the best sense is often that

contained in lengthy wording.

Which utters least in paraphrase.