هيّا اقترفْ سحراً حلالاً أنضرا

هيّا اقترفْ سحراً حلالاً أنضرا

ثُمّ اسقِنا من ضاد شِعرِكَ كَوْثَرا

ثُمّ اسقِنا من ضاد شِعرِكَ كَوْثَرا

Come, work a lawful magic of greater radiance.

Come, let us craft lawful magic, ever verdant

Then give us a Kawthar to drink from the Ḍād of your verse.

Then let us drink deep of the bounty of your poetry

يعْلو القَريضُ تَواضُعاً وَتَرفُّعاً

يعْلو القَريضُ تَواضُعاً وَتَرفُّعاً

إنْ قيلَ في حُسْنِ النَّوايا أمْطَرا

إنْ قيلَ في حُسْنِ النَّوايا أمْطَرا

Poetry rises in humility and loftiness;

Though humble, verse ascends in dignity and pride

If uttered with good intentions, it pours down rain.

Should one say it rains the goodness of intention

إنَّ التَّفَيْهُقَ في الكَلامِ نَقيصَةٌ

إنَّ التَّفَيْهُقَ في الكَلامِ نَقيصَةٌ

فارأفْ به إياكَ أنْ تَتَصَحَّرا

فارأفْ به إياكَ أنْ تَتَصَحَّرا

Indeed, pompous verbosity in speech is a flaw.

Speaking nonsense demeans discourse

So be gentle with it; beware of becoming a desert.

So spare it such vulgarity, I implore

كَثُرَ الّذينَ " تَشَعْوَروا " في غَفلةٍ

كَثُرَ الّذينَ " تَشَعْوَروا " في غَفلةٍ

ذَهَبَتْ بِهِمْ أفْواههم تَحتَ الثَّرى

ذَهَبَتْ بِهِمْ أفْواههم تَحتَ الثَّرى

Many were those who “posed as poets” in heedlessness.

Many who in heedlessness “babble”

Their mouths carried them beneath the earth.

Are led by their mouths beneath the sod

أوَ يُرْتَجى مِن قابعٍ سَبْرُ العُلى ؟

أوَ يُرْتَجى مِن قابعٍ سَبْرُ العُلى ؟

إنَّ العُلى لا تَرتضي مَنْ أقْفَرا

إنَّ العُلى لا تَرتضي مَنْ أقْفَرا

And can one who stays crouched be expected to fathom the heights?

Or does one expect lofty pearls from the basal?

Indeed, the heights do not accept one who has grown barren.

The lofty will not be pleased by vacant verse

الشِّعرُ نورٌ في مَجَرَّاتِ السَّنا

الشِّعرُ نورٌ في مَجَرَّاتِ السَّنا

طوبى لشعرٍ من بيانٍ سُجِّرا

طوبى لشعرٍ من بيانٍ سُجِّرا

Poetry is a light in the galaxies of radiance.

Poetry is light in the galaxy of art

Blessed is poetry kindled by eloquence.

Happy the verse purified by eloquence

طابَتْ مَعانٍ حَفَّها سِحْرُ النّدى

طابَتْ مَعانٍ حَفَّها سِحْرُ النّدى

والحرفُ فيضٌ من بديعٍ قُطِّرا

والحرفُ فيضٌ من بديعٍ قُطِّرا

Meanings grew sweet, encircled by the magic of dew.

Meanings are blessed, veiled in the magic of mist

And the letter is an outpouring distilled from wondrous artistry.

And each letter a stream of splendid figurative speech

في بعضِ بعضِ الشعرٍ سحرٌ يُقتفى

في بعضِ بعضِ الشعرٍ سحرٌ يُقتفى

فتراقَصي يا ضادُ واعْتَنِقي الذُّرَى

فتراقَصي يا ضادُ واعْتَنِقي الذُّرَى

In some parts of some poetry lies a magic to be followed.

In some poetry there is magic to be traced

So dance, O Ḍād, and embrace the summits.

So dance, O letter, and embrace the seeds

عاشَتْ على وَهَجِ الحُروفِ قَصائدي

عاشَتْ على وَهَجِ الحُروفِ قَصائدي

وتمايلَ المعنى النبيل فأزْهَرا

وتمايلَ المعنى النبيل فأزْهَرا

My poems lived on the glow of letters.

My poems have lived on the glow of letters

And the noble meaning swayed, then blossomed.

And noble meaning sways in bloom

فهَتُون قَوْلي سامقٌ وإنِ انحنى

فهَتُون قَوْلي سامقٌ وإنِ انحنى

والشِّعرُ مِن حرفي تفجَّرَ مُبْهِرا

والشِّعرُ مِن حرفي تفجَّرَ مُبْهِرا

So the downpour of my words towers high, even if it bends.

Though my words bend, they remain towering

And poetry burst forth from my letter, dazzling.

And from my pen, poetry gushes radiant