هَذاthis كِتابُbook المَثَلِthe proverb السائِرِwidely circulated
هَذا كِتابُ المَثَلِ السائِرِ
فيon أَدَبِthe literary art الكاتِبِthe writer وَالشاعِرِand the poet
في أَدَبِ الكاتِبِ وَالشاعِرِ
This is The Book of the Current Proverb,
This is the book The Current Proverb,
On the art of the writer and the poet.
on the literary art of the writer and the poet,
أَلَّفَهُhe composed it نَجلُson الأَثيرِal-Athir الَّذيwho
أَلَّفَهُ نَجلُ الأَثيرِ الَّذي
أَبرَزَهُhe brought it forth كَالكَوكَبِlike the star الزاهِرِradiant
أَبرَزَهُ كَالكَوكَبِ الزاهِرِ
It was composed by the son of al-Athir, who
composed by Ibn al-Athir, who
Brought it forth like a radiant star.
brought it forth like a radiant star.
فَكَمand how many بِهِin it مِنof زَهَرٍblossoms ناضِرٍfresh
فَكَم بِهِ مِن زَهَرٍ ناضِرٍ
فيin الحُسنِbeauty أَضحىbecame نُزهَةَa delight الناظِرِthe beholder
في الحُسنِ أَضحى نُزهَةَ الناظِرِ
How many fresh blossoms it contains,
And how many a fresh blossom within it
Whose beauty has become the beholder’s delight.
has become, in its beauty, the beholder's delight!
إِذاwhen بَداappeared مَعناهُits meaning قالَsaid الوَرىpeople
إِذا بَدا مَعناهُ قالَ الوَرى
كَمhow much تَرَكَleft الأَوَّلُthe predecessor لِلآخِرِfor the successor
كَم تَرَكَ الأَوَّلُ لِلآخِرِ
Whenever its meaning appeared, all people said:
When its meaning appears, people say:
How much the former has left for the latter!
How much the predecessor has left for the successor!
