1. What use is your love to me after this day, you unfaithful one,
Go away, for you are vile and slanderous!
١. مَا لِي بِوُدِّكَ بَعْدَ الْيَوْمِ إِلْمَامُ
فَاذْهَبْ فَأَنْتَ لَئِيمُ الْعَهْدِ نَمَّامُ
2. I used to think I had attained my heart's desire,
But it turned out to be mere fantasy.
٢. قَدْ كُنْتُ أَحْسَبُنِي أَدْرَكْتُ مَأْرُبَةً
مِنَ الْمُنَى فَإِذَا مَا خِلْتُ أَحْلامُ
3. After this experience, I'll never be content again,
For affection between people is fickle.
٣. هَيْهَاتَ مِنِّي الرِّضَا مِنْ بَعْدِ تَجْرِبَةٍ
إِنَّ الْمَوَدَّةَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ أَقْسَامُ
4. Look for someone else, I'm not the man for you,
My kith and kin abhor betrayal.
٤. فَاطْلُبْ لِنَفْسِكَ غَيْرِي إِنَّنِي رَجُلٌ
يَأْبَى لِيَ الْغَدْرَ أَخْوَالٌ وَأَعْمَامُ
5. Everyone follows the traits of his lineage,
Both good and evil are pedigree and kinship.
٥. كُلُّ امْرِئٍ تَابِعٌ أَعْرَاقَ نَبْعَتِهِ
وَالْخَيْرُ وَالشَّرُّ أَنْسَابٌ وَأَرْحَامُ
6. Look to a man's actions to know his match,
Deeds point plainly to a person's origin.
٦. فَانْظُرْ لفِعْلِ الْفَتَى تَعْرِفْ مَنَاسِبَهُ
إِنَّ الْفِعَالَ لأَصْلِ الْمَرْءِ إِعْلامُ
7. Let not a radiant face deceive you,
For in it lie death and decay, though it smiles.
٧. وَلا يَغُرَنَّكَ وَجْهٌ رَاقَ مَنْظَرُهُ
فَالنَّصْلُ فِيهِ الْمَنَايَا وَهْوَ بَسَّامُ
8. Not every braggart is truly courageous,
No, nor is every growler a lion.
٨. مَا كُلُّ ذِي مِنْسَرٍ فَتْخَاءَ كَاسِرةً
كَلَّا وَلا كُلُّ ذِي نَابَيْنِ ضِرْغَامُ
9. If my forbearance has emboldened you, no wonder,
For even sheathed swords will rust.
٩. فَإِنْ يَكُنْ غرَّنِي حِلْمِي فَلا عَجَبٌ
إِنَّ الْحُسَامَ لَيَنْبُوا وَهْوَ صَمْصَامُ
10. I hoped for good, but did not foresee the outcome,
So it turned to evil, and hopes can be sinful.
١٠. ظَنَنْتُ خَيْراً وَلَمْ أُدْرِكْ عَوَاقِبَهُ
فَكَانَ شَرّاً وَبَعْضُ الظَّنِّ آثَامُ
11. Alas for the blindness that would not heed
Until I stumbled into evil because of it!
١١. فَيَا لَهَا ضِلَّةً مَا إِنْ أَبَهْتُ لَهَا
حَتَّى تَرَدَّتْ بِهَا فِي الشَّرِّ أَقْدَامُ
12. I wronged myself, lying to myself in my foolishness,
For at the hour of death, fancies are vanity.
١٢. آلَيْتُ أَكْذِبُ نَفْسِي بَعْدَهَا سَفَهَاً
إِنَّ الْمُنَى عِنْدَ صِدْقِ النَّفْسِ أَوْهَامُ
13. O you who scorn the abject soul for its lowliness,
Feeling no grief or despair for it!
١٣. فَيَا بْنَ مَنْ تَزْدَرِيهِ النَّفْسُ مِنْ ضَعَةٍ
فَمَا يُحَسُّ لَهُ وَجْدٌ وَإِعْدَامُ
14. Leave off boasting, and keep to what you were created for,
For nature compels conformity.
١٤. دَعِ الْفَخَارَ وَخُذْ فِيما خُلِقْتَ لَهُ
مِنَ الصَّغَارِ فَإِنَّ الطَّبْعَ إِلْزَامُ
15. Remember your station with Abbas where you have spent
Years upon years in the abode.
١٥. وَاذْكُرْ مَكَانَكَ مِنْ عَبَّاسَ حَيْثُ مَضَتْ
عَلَيْكَ فِي الدَّارِ أَعْوَامٌ وَأَعْوَامُ
16. You lie drunk in the shade of a vine arbor,
In every garden are rapture and passion.
١٦. تَبِيتُ مُرْتَفِعَاً فِي ظِلِّ دَسْكَرَةٍ
لِكُلِّ بَاغٍ بِهَا وجْدٌ وَتَهْيَامُ
17. On your back are the marks of bowing in prayer,
And in your breast the embers of sin burn bright.
١٧. وَفَوْقَ ظَهْرِكَ لِلأَنْفَاسِ مُعْتَرَكٌ
وَفِي حَشَاكَ لِنَارِ الْفِسْقِ إِضْرَامُ
18. Woe to you! Annals of your disgrace have circulated,
Scandalizing pages flowed from the writers' pens.
١٨. وَيْلُمِّهَا خَزْيَة طارَتْ بِشُنْعَتِها
صَحَائِفٌ وَجَرَتْ بِالذَّمِّ أَقْلامُ
19. Cower in shame, for a dog is above you in rank,
Mean creatures like you are honored and esteemed!
١٩. فَاخْسَأْ فَمَا الْكَلْبُ أَدْنَى مِنْكَ مَنْزِلَةً
وَاخْسَأْ لِمِثْلِكَ إِعْزَازٌ وَإِكْرَامُ
20. This one whom all eyes shun meeting,
Whose look brings them harm and pain,
٢٠. هَذَا الَّذِي تَكْرَهُ الأَبْصَارُ طَلْعَتَهُ
فَحَظُّها مِنْهُ إِيذَاءٌ وَإِيلامُ
21. On his face is the brand of treachery,
And between his sides are grudges and sins,
٢١. فِي وَجْهِهِ سِمَةٌ لِلْغَدْرِ بَيِّنَةٌ
وَبَيْنَ جَنْبَيْهِ أَحْقَادٌ وَأَوْغامُ
22. He boldly approaches evil but recoils
From all good and kindness.
٢٢. لَهُ عَلَى الشَّرِّ إِقْدَامٌ وَلَيْسَ لَهُ
إِلَّا عَنِ الْخَيْرِ وَالْمَعْرُوفِ إِحْجَامُ
23. His nosrils seemingly flattened from prolonged
Prostration in the taverns of frivolity,
٢٣. كَأَنَّمَا أَنْفُهُ مِنْ طُولِ سَجْدَتِهِ
فِي حَانَةِ اللَّهْوِ حَرْفٌ فِيهِ إِدْغَامُ
24. He moves sideways like a water scorpion,
But shrinks back in times of adversity.
٢٤. كَعَقْرَبِ الْمَاءِ يَمْشِي مِشْيَةً صدَداً
فَخَلْفُهُ عِنْدَ جِدِّ الأَمْرِ إِقْدَامُ
25. His kerchief betrays his traits
As it wraps his clenching fist.
٢٥. أَبْدَى بِعَاتِقِهِ الْمنْدِيلُ سِيمتَهُ
وَحتَّ مَوْضِعَهُ مِنْ كَفِّهِ الْجَامُ
26. How can the affairs of a land prosper
When its rulers are servants to loose women!
٢٦. وَكَيْفَ يَصْلُحُ أَمْرُ النَّاسِ فِي بَلَدٍ
حُكَّامُهُ لِبناتِ اللَّهْوِ خُدَّامُ
27. Brothels have made their home in him, they descend
Where vileness and notoriety converge.
٢٧. قَدْ يَمَّمَتْهُ الْمَخَازِي فَهْيَ نَازِلَةٌ
مِنْهُ بِحَيْثُ تَلاقى اللُّؤْمُ وَالذَّامُ
28. I do not praise his character,
For all his morals torment the soul.
٢٨. مَا إِنْ أَصَبْتُ لَهُ خُلْقاً فَأَحْمَدهُ
فَكُلُّ أَخْلاقِهِ لِلنَّفْسِ آلامُ
29. Rude, coarse, hateful, fallen - a grim
And vile lout made heavier by the shade of ignorance,
٢٩. فَظٌّ غَلِيظٌ مِقيتٌ سَاقِطٌ وَجِمٌ
وَغْدٌ لَئِيمٌ ثَقِيلُ الظِّلِّ حَجَّامُ
30. Sired by a mother of ill repute,
Her steps planted in the path of corruption,
٣٠. جَاءَتْ بِهِ عَجُزٌ لَيْسَتْ بِطَاهِرَةٍ
لَهَا بِمَدْرَجَةِ الْفَحْشَاءِ أَزْلامُ
31. Awake for immorality, though he has
An eye that sleeps to honor and virtue.
٣١. مُسْتَيْقِظٌ لِلْمَخَازِي غَيْرَ أَنَّ لَهُ
طَرْفاً عَنِ الْعِرْضِ وَالأَوْتَارِ نَوَّامُ
32. I seek God's forgiveness, except for hating him,
For that is glorifying God.
٣٢. أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ إِلَّا مِنْ عَدَاوَتِهِ
فَإِنَّهَا لِجَلالِ اللَّهِ إِعْظَامُ
33. Begone like plague from a land,
Cursed by spirits and bodies!
٣٣. فَاذْهَبْ كَمَا ذَهَبَ الطَّاعُونُ مِنْ بَلَدٍ
تَقْفُوهُ بِاللَّعْنِ أَرْوَاحٌ وَأَجْسَامُ
34. For satire of you confirms truth.
Every verse in the land with a rhyme
٣٤. وَهَاكَ مَا أَنْتَ أَهْلٌ فِي الْهِجَاءِ لَهُ
فَالْهَجْوُ فِيكَ لِنَقْضِ الْحَقِّ إِبْرَامُ
35. Finds in insulting you, flow and theme.
Poetry to the whore's face, pouring from it,
٣٥. مِنْ كُلِّ قَافِيَةٍ فِي الأَرْضِ سَائِرَةٍ
لَهَا بِعِرْضِكَ إِنْجَادٌ وَإِتْهَامُ
36. With fleeting pleasure and lasting ignorance.
Bones decay, but his mention remains forever,
٣٦. شِعْرٌ لِوَجْهِ الْمَخَازِي مِنْهُ سَافِيَةٌ
بِحَاصِبٍ وَلأَنْفِ الْجَهْلِ إِرْغَامُ
37. Echoed in verse and tune in every age.
٣٧. تَبْلَى الْعِظَامُ وَيَبْقَى ذِكْرُهُ أَبَدَاً
فِي كُلِّ عَصْرٍ لَهُ سَجْعٌ وَتَرْنَامُ