حِينَWhenيُحَاوِلُونَthey tryإِبْرَازَto highlightمَزِيَّتَهُمْtheir merit
When they try to highlight their merit
وَفَضْلَهُمْand their virtueوَرُجْحَانَهُمْand their superiorityعَلَىoverأَقْرَانِهِمْtheir peers
and their virtue and superiority over their peers
وَمُعَاصِرِيهِمْand their contemporariesعَلَىbeforeرُؤُوسِthe heads ofالْأَشْهَادِ،the witnesses (public),
and their contemporaries publicly,
يَأْتُونَthey produceبِصِنَاعَةٍwith an artجَدِيدَةٍ،new,
they produce a new art,
وَيَسْتَنْبِطُونَand they deriveبُحُورًاseasجَدِيدَةًnew
and they derive new seas
وَيَقُولُونَand they sayعِنْدَatذَلِكَ:that:
and they say at that moment:
هَلْIsهُنَاكَthereمَنْwhoيَقْرِضُcomposesالْقَصِيدَpoetryمِثْلِي،like me?
Is there anyone who composes poetry like me,
وَيُنْشِئُand originatesالْكَلَامَspeechعَلَىuponحَذْوِي؟my pattern?
and originates speech upon my pattern?
فَلَوْFor ifجَرَىproceededهَؤُلَاءِtheseعَلَىonالطَّرِيقَةِthe wayالْمَطْرُوقَةِtrodden
For if these people proceeded on the trodden way
فِيinالشِّعْرِpoetryوَالنَّثْرِand prose
in poetry and prose
لَمْwould notتَظْهَرْappearبَرَاعَتُهُمْtheir brillianceإِلَّاexceptلِلْمُحَقِّقِينَto the researchersالْبَارِعِينَ.proficient.
their brilliance would not appear except to proficient researchers.