قُلْ للمَضيرةِ عَنِّي

قُلْ للمَضيرةِ عَنِّي

وما إِخالُكَ تَرْضَى

وما إِخالُكَ تَرْضَى

Say to al-Muḥḍira for me—

Tell al-Maḍīra on my behalf,

and I doubt you will be pleased:

though I do not think you will be pleased:

لا تطمَعَنّ بهَجْوي

لا تطمَعَنّ بهَجْوي

أَو تشتري لك عِرْضا

أَو تشتري لك عِرْضا

Never count on my leaving you alone,

Do not hope for a lampoon from me

or think you can purchase honor for yourself.

unless you buy yourself some honor.

أَدخَلْتَ نفسَكَ طُولاً

أَدخَلْتَ نفسَكَ طُولاً

بينَ الكرامِ وعَرْضا

بينَ الكرامِ وعَرْضا

You willingly thrust yourself

You have thrust yourself lengthwise

between noble men and my honor.

and breadthwise among the noble.

وللهجاءِ نجومٌ

وللهجاءِ نجومٌ

ترى سماءَك أَرْضا

ترى سماءَك أَرْضا

And satire has stars

And satire has stars

that see your sky as earth.

that see your sky as earth.

فغُضَّ جَفْنَكَ عنه

فغُضَّ جَفْنَكَ عنه

فإِنَّهُ عنك أَغْضَى

فإِنَّهُ عنك أَغْضَى

So turn your gaze away from it—

So avert your gaze from it,

for it has turned its gaze from you,

for it has averted its gaze from you.

يخافُ منك ضَيَاعَ الرَّ

يخافُ منك ضَيَاعَ الرَّ

يْحَانِ في المُتَوَضَّا

يْحَانِ في المُتَوَضَّا

fearing you will waste the ba—

It fears you would waste the

—sil in the privy.

basil in the privy.