تَفَوَّقَexcelled شَوقيShawqi بِأَشعارِهِwith his poems
تَفَوَّقَ شَوقي بِأَشعارِهِ
جَميعاًall of them فَكُلُّfor each يَتيمٍa peerless pearl فَريدِunique
جَميعاً فَكُلُّ يَتيمٍ فَريدِ
Shawqi excelled with his poems,
All of them—for each is a unique, peerless pearl.
وَماand as long as دُمتَyou continue تَجتازُyou traverse أَرجاءَهاtheir realms
وَما دُمتَ تَجتازُ أَرجاءَها
تَعودُyou return بِكُلِّwith every طَريفٍa novelty جَديدِnew
تَعودُ بِكُلِّ طَريفٍ جَديدِ
And as long as you traverse their realms,
You return with every fresh novelty.
تَوالىfollowed in succession الهِتافُthe cheering لَدىat كُلِّevery بَيتٍverse
تَوالى الهِتافُ لَدى كُلِّ بَيتٍ
أَلاbehold! أَنَّindeed ذَلكَthat بَيتُverse of القَصيدِthe poem
أَلا أَنَّ ذَلكَ بَيتُ القَصيدِ
Cheers followed one another at every verse:
Behold! That is the poem's crowning verse!
إِذاwhen هُوَhe أَبكىmade one weep فَزادُthen provision for المَعادِthe hereafter
إِذا هُوَ أَبكى فَزادُ المَعادِ
وَإِنand if هُوَhe غَنّىsang فَأُنسُthen the delight of الوُجودِexistence
وَإِن هُوَ غَنّى فَأُنسُ الوُجودِ
When he makes one weep, it is provision for the hereafter;
And if he sings, it is the delight of existence.
وَلَكِنand yet قَصائِدَthe poems of شَوقيShawqi اللَواتيwhich
وَلَكِن قَصائِدَ شَوقي اللَواتي
لَهُنَّfor them سَجَّلَhe inscribed بِلَوحِupon the tablet of الخُلودِimmortality
لَهُنَّ سَجَّلَ بِلَوحِ الخُلودِ
Yet Shawqi's poems, which
He inscribed upon the tablet of immortality,
فِداءٍa ransom لِمَرثِيَّةٍfor an elegy قالَهاhe composed it
فِداءٍ لِمَرثِيَّةٍ قالَها
بِعَبدِabout Abd العَزيزِal-Aziz العَزيزِthe beloved الشَهيدِthe martyr
بِعَبدِ العَزيزِ العَزيزِ الشَهيدِ
Are a ransom for an elegy he composed
About Abd al-Aziz, the beloved martyr.
أَعارَhe lent الرِثاءَthe elegy جَلالَthe majesty of الفَقيدِthe departed
أَعارَ الرِثاءَ جَلالَ الفَقيدِ
فَأَصبَحَso became هَذاthis one لِهَذاto this one نَديدِan equal
فَأَصبَحَ هَذا لِهَذا نَديدِ
He lent the elegy the majesty of the departed;
So the one became the other's equal.
وَقَدand already كانَhe was مِنfrom قَبلُbefore هَذاthis مُبَيِّناًmaking clear
وَقَد كانَ مِن قَبلُ هَذا مُبَيِّناً
بِشَأوِwith a reach مَحالٍimpossible عَلَيهِbeyond it المَزيدِfurther increase
بِشَأوِ مَحالٍ عَلَيهِ المَزيدِ
And even before this, he had made his excellence plain,
With a reach beyond which no advance was possible.
تَكادُalmost لِإِحِرازِto obtain أَقوالِthe words of شَوقيShawqi
تَكادُ لِإِحِرازِ أَقوالِ شَوقي
تَكونُbecome المَناياdeaths أَمانيthe wishes of الفَقيدِthe departed
تَكونُ المَنايا أَماني الفَقيدِ
Almost, to win Shawqi's words,
Deaths become the wishes of the departed.