رقابُ أَهلِ الحُلُوم مُعْتَبَدَهْ

رقابُ أَهلِ الحُلُوم مُعْتَبَدَهْ

مقصودةٌ بالهوان مُعْتَمَدَهْ

مقصودةٌ بالهوان مُعْتَمَدَهْ

The necks of forbearing men are enslaved,

The necks of the arrogant are destined to be humiliated,

targeted for humiliation, deliberately singled out.

Intended for disgrace, dependent.

فادَّرعِ الجهل فوقهنّ ولا

فادَّرعِ الجهل فوقهنّ ولا

يُغفل حليمٌ من جهله عُدَدَهْ

يُغفل حليمٌ من جهله عُدَدَهْ

So armor those necks with recklessness, and let no

So don the armor of ignorance over them, but do not

forbearing man neglect the weapons of his own recklessness.

Let a forbearing one forget the number of his ignorant acts.

وعامِل الجاهلَ السفيه بما

وعامِل الجاهلَ السفيه بما

يقيم من متن عوده أودَهْ

يقيم من متن عوده أودَهْ

Deal with the ignorant fool in whatever way

And deal with the ignorant fool according to

straightens the bend in the shaft of his stick.

What will make the twistedness of his stick straighten out.

من صَوْنك الحلمَ أن تدَّرِعَه ال

من صَوْنك الحلمَ أن تدَّرِعَه ال

جهلَ فظاهرْ من دونه زَرَدَهْ

جهلَ فظاهرْ من دونه زَرَدَهْ

To guard forbearance, clothe it in the armor of

It is your forbearance that armors you so that ignorance does not

recklessness; layer its chain mail in front of it.

Expose you. Without it, you are stripped naked.

ولا يريبنّ ثعلبٌ أسداً

ولا يريبنّ ثعلبٌ أسداً

إلا قَراه رَداه أو طردَهْ

إلا قَراه رَداه أو طردَهْ

Let no fox trouble a lion

And let no sly fox provoke a lion

unless the lion serves it death or drives it away.

Unless he sees it, repels it, or drives it away.

تالله ما يأمر السداد بأن

تالله ما يأمر السداد بأن

أُسْلِمَ عودي لكلِّ من خضدَهْ

أُسْلِمَ عودي لكلِّ من خضدَهْ

By God, sound judgment does not bid me

By God, propriety does not order that

surrender my bough to everyone who lops it.

I surrender my stick to all who have bent it.

أعتقتُ عَبدَيَّ في القريض معاً

أعتقتُ عَبدَيَّ في القريض معاً

عبدةَ والفحلَ من بني عبَدَهْ

عبدةَ والفحلَ من بني عبَدَهْ

I have freed both my slaves in poetry together—

I freed both my slave and stallion together

ʿAbda and al-Faḥl, of Banū ʿAbada—

A servant and one from the clan of Abd.

إنْ أنا لم أجزِ بالإِساءة من

إنْ أنا لم أجزِ بالإِساءة من

زاغ عن القصد أو أبَى رشدَهْ

زاغ عن القصد أو أبَى رشدَهْ

if I fail to repay with injury whoever

If I do not repay with harm those who

strays from the right course or rejects his good sense.

Deviate from righteousness or refuse to be guided,

فقل لمن أُبرِق العذابَ له

فقل لمن أُبرِق العذابَ له

إن أنت لم تخش يومه فغدَهْ

إن أنت لم تخش يومه فغدَهْ

So tell the man before whom I flash punishment's lightning:

Then say to those whom torment has been hastened,

'If you do not fear its day, then fear its morrow.'

"If you did not fear the day after tomorrow..."

أستغفر الله من مخالصتي

أستغفر الله من مخالصتي

إخوانَ سوء أَدِقَّةً زَهَدَهْ

إخوانَ سوء أَدِقَّةً زَهَدَهْ

I ask God's forgiveness for my sincere friendship

I seek God's forgiveness for my associations with

with evil brethren, petty and worthless.

Wicked brothers, most devoutly ascetic.

عَمرْتُ دهراً أراهُمُ عُقَداً

عَمرْتُ دهراً أراهُمُ عُقَداً

لنائبات الزمان مُعتَقَدَهْ

لنائبات الزمان مُعتَقَدَهْ

I lived an age, regarding them as knots

I lived an age seeing them as a necklace

firmly tied against the calamities of time.

For the vicissitudes of time, clinging to them.

ثم تبينتُ أنهم قُذُرٌ

ثم تبينتُ أنهم قُذُرٌ

ليست لدى فَقْدها بمفتقَدَهْ

ليست لدى فَقْدها بمفتقَدَهْ

Then I discovered they were filth,

But then I realized they are filth—

not missed when it was gone.

When absent, they are not missed.

أقسمتُ لا زلتُ هاجياً لهمُ

أقسمتُ لا زلتُ هاجياً لهمُ

ما التطم البحر قاذفاً زَبَدَهْ

ما التطم البحر قاذفاً زَبَدَهْ

I swore never to cease satirizing them

I swore I would continue to hound them

as long as the sea churns, casting its foam.

As long as the sea churns up its foam.

ويل لمن نام عن مَراشده

ويل لمن نام عن مَراشده

سينقضي ليْلُهُ وما رقدَهْ

سينقضي ليْلُهُ وما رقدَهْ

Woe to whoever sleeps heedless of his right courses:

Woe to him who sleeps away from his duties—

his night will pass without his having slept through it.

His night will end and he will not have rested.

لا يَلْحني جارمٌ سطوتُ به

لا يَلْحني جارمٌ سطوتُ به

من زرع الشرَّ عامداً حصدَهْ

من زرع الشرَّ عامداً حصدَهْ

Let no offender I strike reproach me:

No offender provokes me unless I have

whoever deliberately sows evil reaps it.

Reaped what he sowed, intentionally planting it.

لستُ بباغٍ على المشاغب ذي ال

لستُ بباغٍ على المشاغب ذي ال

بَغْي ولا عزّتي بمضطهدَهْ

بَغْي ولا عزّتي بمضطهدَهْ

I am no aggressor against the quarrelsome man of

I am no rebel who is hostile without

aggression, nor is my dignity downtrodden.

Reason or whose honor lies in oppression.

جعلتُ عدلَ القصاص مُلتَحدي

جعلتُ عدلَ القصاص مُلتَحدي

فليَكن البَغْيُ ثَمَّ مُلْتحَدَهْ

فليَكن البَغْيُ ثَمَّ مُلْتحَدَهْ

I have made just retribution my refuge;

I made justice through retaliation my peer—

let aggression be his refuge there.

So let rebellion, and then retaliation, ensue.

كذاك إني خُلْقت ذا لَدَدٍ

كذاك إني خُلْقت ذا لَدَدٍ

حتى أرى الخصْمَ تاركاً لددَهْ

حتى أرى الخصْمَ تاركاً لددَهْ

Thus was I created obstinate,

That is how I was created—tough

until I see my adversary abandon his obstinacy.

Until I see my opponent abandon his toughness.

لا سيَّما من عَفْوتُ عنه فأطْ

لا سيَّما من عَفْوتُ عنه فأطْ

غَتْه أَناتي وهيَّجَتْ صَيدضهْ

غَتْه أَناتي وهيَّجَتْ صَيدضهْ

Especially one whom I pardoned, only for

Especially one I pardoned, which made

my patience to embolden him and inflame his pride.

Him exceed bounds and stir up trouble.

قلتُ لمن قال لي عرضْتُ على ال

قلتُ لمن قال لي عرضْتُ على ال

أخْفش ما قلتَه فما حَمدَهْ

أخْفش ما قلتَه فما حَمدَهْ

I said to the man who told me, 'I showed

I said to one who told me, "You presented

al-Akhfash what you said, and he did not praise it':

To Al-Akhfash what you said, but he did not praise it,"

قَصَّرتَ بالشعر حين تعرضه

قَصَّرتَ بالشعر حين تعرضه

على مُبين العمى إذا انتقدَهْ

على مُبين العمى إذا انتقدَهْ

You belittled poetry by presenting it

"You fell short with your poetry when you presented it

to one who displays his blindness whenever he judges it.

To one clearly blind when he examines it."

ما قال شعراً ولا رواه فلا

ما قال شعراً ولا رواه فلا

ثَعْلَبَه كان لا ولا أسدَهْ

ثَعْلَبَه كان لا ولا أسدَهْ

He has composed no poetry, nor transmitted it, so

He said no poetry and related none, so he is neither

he was neither its Thaʿlab—its fox—nor its lion.

A sly fox nor a lion.

فإن يقل إنني رَوَيْتُ فكال

فإن يقل إنني رَوَيْتُ فكال

دفْتَر جهلاً بكل ما اعتقدَهْ

دفْتَر جهلاً بكل ما اعتقدَهْ

If he says, 'I have transmitted it,' he is like

If he claims I related it to him, it is as if

a notebook, ignorant of everything it holds.

An ignorant ledger contained all he believed.

أرُمتَ زيني بأن تُعرِّضني

أرُمتَ زيني بأن تُعرِّضني

لمدحه فالذليل من عَضَدَهْ

لمدحه فالذليل من عَضَدَهْ

Did you seek to adorn me by exposing me

Did you intend to honor me by presenting me

to his praise? Whoever he supports is abased.

To praise him? The disgraced one is he who supported him.

أم رمت شَيْني بأن تعرضني

أم رمت شَيْني بأن تعرضني

لثلبه فالسَّليم من قصدَهْ

لثلبه فالسَّليم من قصدَهْ

Or did you seek to blemish me by exposing me

Or did you intend to dishonor me by presenting me

to his abuse? Whoever he targets is unharmed.

To his trickery? He who aimed at him is safe.

أنشدته منطقي ليشهده

أنشدته منطقي ليشهده

فغاب عنه عَمىً وما شهدَهْ

فغاب عنه عَمىً وما شهدَهْ

You recited my speech to him so he might witness it,

I recited to him my eloquence so he could witness it,

but blindness kept him absent from it: he did not witness it.

But blindness kept him from it—he did not witness it.

وقال قولاً بغير معرفةٍ

وقال قولاً بغير معرفةٍ

إفكاً فما حلَّ إفكُهُ عُقَدَهْ

إفكاً فما حلَّ إفكُهُ عُقَدَهْ

And he spoke without knowledge,

And he spoke words without knowledge,

a falsehood; his falsehood did not unravel its knots.

Lies which his lies did not substantiate.

شعريَ شعرٌ إذا تأمَّله ال

شعريَ شعرٌ إذا تأمَّله ال

إنسان ذو الفهم والحجا عَبَدَهْ

إنسان ذو الفهم والحجا عَبَدَهْ

My poetry is verse which, when pondered by

My poetry, when contemplated by

a man of understanding and reason, is worshiped.

A man of wisdom, understanding, and devotion, worships it.

لكنه ليس منطقاً بعثَ ال

لكنه ليس منطقاً بعثَ ال

لَهُ به آيةً لمن جحدَهْ

لَهُ به آيةً لمن جحدَهْ

But it is not speech sent by

But it is not a discourse that inspires

God as a sign to whoever denied it.

Him who denies it with a sign against his denial.

ولا أنا المفهِم البهائَم وال

ولا أنا المفهِم البهائَم وال

طَيْرَ سليمانُ قاهرُ المردَهْ

طَيْرَ سليمانُ قاهرُ المردَهْ

Nor am I the one who makes beasts and

Nor am I the one who makes the beasts and

birds understand—Solomon, subduer of rebellious demons.

Birds understand—Solomon, subduer of jinn.

ما بلغتْ بي الخطوب رتبةَ من

ما بلغتْ بي الخطوب رتبةَ من

تفهم عنه الكلاب والقردَهْ

تفهم عنه الكلاب والقردَهْ

Misfortunes have not brought me to the rank of one

Troubles have not reached me to the rank of one

whom dogs and monkeys understand.

Whose dogs and monkeys understand him.

وحسب قردٍ أراه يحسدني

وحسب قردٍ أراه يحسدني

أن يسْكنَ اللَّهُ قلبَه حسدَهْ

أن يسْكنَ اللَّهُ قلبَه حسدَهْ

Enough for the monkey I see envying me

It is enough that I see a monkey envy me

that God should lodge his envy in his heart.

That God soothe its envious heart.

لا خفَّفَ اللَّهُ عنه من حسدي

لا خفَّفَ اللَّهُ عنه من حسدي

وزاده اللَّه فوقه كمدَهْ

وزاده اللَّه فوقه كمدَهْ

May God relieve him of none of his envy of me,

May God not lighten its envy of me

and may God add anguish on top of it.

And may God increase its envy further.

ولا تزل صورتي إذا طلعت

ولا تزل صورتي إذا طلعت

لناظريه قذاه بل رمدَهْ

لناظريه قذاه بل رمدَهْ

May my image never cease, whenever it appears

And may my image, when it appears

before his eyes, to be his mote—rather, his inflammation.

To its beholders, blind it and make it bleary.

ما ضرَّ شعري أعابه سفهاً

ما ضرَّ شعري أعابه سفهاً

أم دسَّ في حُجر أمِّه وتَدَهْ

أم دسَّ في حُجر أمِّه وتَدَهْ

What harm to my poetry, whether he faults it foolishly

My poetry is not harmed if an ignoramus finds fault with it

or thrusts his peg into his mother's lap?

Or if he buries it in his mother's bosom as a keepsake.

أُرْعدْتُ إرعادها مجبِّيةً

أُرْعدْتُ إرعادها مجبِّيةً

إن لم أكثِّر من ابنها رِعَدَهْ

إن لم أكثِّر من ابنها رِعَدَهْ

May I be made to tremble as she trembles, bent over,

I threatened to terrify her with thunder

if I do not multiply her son's tremors.

If I did not greatly increase her son's thunder.

يا عجباً منه والعجائبُ لا

يا عجباً منه والعجائبُ لا

تنفد ما مد دهرنا مَدَدَهْ

تنفد ما مد دهرنا مَدَدَهْ

How astonishing he is! And wonders never

How strange is he—and strangenesses do not

run out so long as our age extends its span.

Cease as long as time extends its extension—

أيغتدي ذا عمى وذا صمم

أيغتدي ذا عمى وذا صمم

من فَتَحَتْ كلُّ فَيْشَة سُدَدَهْ

من فَتَحَتْ كلُّ فَيْشَة سُدَدَهْ

Does he rise blind and deaf—

Does one blind and deaf transgress

he whose blockages every cock has opened?

When each viper's fang has opened its closure?

لا رحم اللَّهُ أُمَّ أخْفَشكمْ

لا رحم اللَّهُ أُمَّ أخْفَشكمْ

ولا سقى قبر والد وَلَدَهْ

ولا سقى قبر والد وَلَدَهْ

May God have no mercy on the mother of your Akhfash,

May God not have mercy on the mother of your Al-Akhfash,

nor water the grave of the father who begot him.

Or quench the thirst of his father's grave.

ماذا عليه وقد رأى ولداً

ماذا عليه وقد رأى ولداً

أعور جَمَّ العُوار لو وأدَهْ

أعور جَمَّ العُوار لو وأدَهْ

What harm to him, having seen a child

What would he do when he saw a son

one-eyed and full of defects, if he had buried him alive?

Whose blindness was extreme even if he disowned him?

ما البنت أولى بذاك منه إذا

ما البنت أولى بذاك منه إذا

هَزاهزُ النَّيْك هزهزتْ عَمَدَهْ

هَزاهزُ النَّيْك هزهزتْ عَمَدَهْ

A daughter deserves that no more than he, when

The daughter is more deserving of that than him if

the jolts of fucking shake his pillars.

The swinging of her clitoris swung its pillar.

قبحاً لمختاره وصاحبه

قبحاً لمختاره وصاحبه

ومجتبيه فما رأى رَشَدَهْ

ومجتبيه فما رأى رَشَدَهْ

Shame on whoever chooses him, and on his companion,

Ugly is its chooser, its companion,

and on whoever favors him: he has found no right course.

And its selector—he did not see its guidance.

يا عجباً من مُشَوَّهٍ نَطفٍ

يا عجباً من مُشَوَّهٍ نَطفٍ

واجدُه في الورى كمن فَقَدهْ

واجدُه في الورى كمن فَقَدهْ

How astonishing, a misshapen, tainted man:

How strange is a deformed sperm

one who finds him among humankind is like one who lost him.

Whose match is not found in the world like one who lost it.

أسقطه الجهل والسَّفال فما

أسقطه الجهل والسَّفال فما

يصلح إلا لكفِّ من قَفَدَهْ

يصلح إلا لكفِّ من قَفَدَهْ

Ignorance and baseness brought him low, so he

Ignorance and vileness cast him out so he is only fit

is fit only for the palm of whoever cuffs his nape.

To cover the palm of one who cups it.

يخطِب حربي على تمردها

يخطِب حربي على تمردها

لموعدٍ كان ظنُّه وعدَهْ

لموعدٍ كان ظنُّه وعدَهْ

He courts my war, despite its unruliness,

He wooed my war despite its defiance

for a meeting his own fancy promised him,

For a promised time which he thought was its appointment.

مستمطراً عارضي صواعقه

مستمطراً عارضي صواعقه

جهلاً وحيْناً ولم يُطِق بردَهْ

جهلاً وحيْناً ولم يُطِق بردَهْ

soliciting thunderbolts from my rain-cloud,

Seeking rain from my clouds, in ignorance

in ignorance, to his ruin, though he could not bear its hail.

Sometimes, but he could not withstand its cold.

بُعداً لمن أَنذَر الدُخَانُ وقد

بُعداً لمن أَنذَر الدُخَانُ وقد

أَوقد شَرِّي فما اتقى وَقَدَهْ

أَوقد شَرِّي فما اتقى وَقَدَهْ

Perdition to the man the smoke warned, who had

Begone, you who the smoke warned but

kindled my malice yet did not avoid its blaze.

Who kindled my evil and did not fear its kindling.

يقدح في أثْلَتي وينحتُها

يقدح في أثْلَتي وينحتُها

من غير وتْرٍ علمته حَقَدَهْ

من غير وتْرٍ علمته حَقَدَهْ

He gouges into my tamarisk and whittles it down,

He faults my thick legs and carves them up

with no grievance I knew him to resent.

Without a lute, I knew his resentment.

يَقفده معشرٌ ويشتمني

يَقفده معشرٌ ويشتمني

وثأرُه في أصابع القَفَدَهْ

وثأرُه في أصابع القَفَدَهْ

A band cuffs his nape, and he reviles me,

A group rectify him and insult me,

while his debt of vengeance lies in his cuffers' fingers.

And his revenge is in the fingertips that cup.

من حقه أن يكون مَصْفَعَةً

من حقه أن يكون مَصْفَعَةً

أذلّ للصافعين من نَقدَهْ

أذلّ للصافعين من نَقدَهْ

It is his due to be a butt for slaps,

It is his right to be a resounding slap

more abject before slappers than a small sheep.

More humiliating to the slappers than his slap.

مُوَضَّعٌ يستكدُّ فقْحَتَهُ

مُوَضَّعٌ يستكدُّ فقْحَتَهُ

مُلتَمساً للبنين والحفدَهْ

مُلتَمساً للبنين والحفدَهْ

Debased, he works his anus to exhaustion,

He is positioned to flaunt his vulgarity

seeking sons and grandchildren.

Seeking boys and grandchildren.

أقسمتُ لو أُولدَ الرجال لقد

أقسمتُ لو أُولدَ الرجال لقد

أُولد أَلفاً وحقَّ أن يلدَهْ

أُولد أَلفاً وحقَّ أن يلدَهْ

I swore: if men could be made pregnant, he would indeed

I swear that if real men were born,

have conceived a thousand, and rightly ought to bear them.

A thousand would be born deserving to birth him.

وليس يأَتي البنون من رحمِ ال

وليس يأَتي البنون من رحمِ ال

فقحة إن ذاد عقلهُ فَنَدهْ

فقحة إن ذاد عقلهُ فَنَدهْ

But sons do not come from the womb of the

And sons do not come from the womb of

anus—if his reason would only drive off his folly.

Vulgarity if his intellect restrains its discharge.

وشرُّ عُضْوٍ يكون في رَجُلٍ

وشرُّ عُضْوٍ يكون في رَجُلٍ

مقْعَدة لا تزال مُقْتَعَدَهْ

مقْعَدة لا تزال مُقْتَعَدَهْ

And the worst organ in a man

The worst limb for a man is a paralyzed

is a backside forever ridden.

One that does not stop being paralyzed.

أقول لما رأيتُ أخفشَكم

أقول لما رأيتُ أخفشَكم

يجيل في مُقْدِم الغلامِ يدَهْ

يجيل في مُقْدِم الغلامِ يدَهْ

I say, when I saw your Akhfash

I say, from what I have seen of your Al-Akhfash

moving his hand about the boy's front:

Caressing the slave boy's forehead with his hand,

ماذا يُريغُ الضرير مجتهداً

ماذا يُريغُ الضرير مجتهداً

قالوا عَصَاهُ لنازلٍ جَهَدَهْ

قالوا عَصَاهُ لنازلٍ جَهَدَهْ

'What is the blind man striving so hard to find?'

What can the blind man babble on insistently about?

They said, 'His staff, for an affliction that exhausted him.'

They said, "His staff assists him when he makes an effort."

عصا من اللحم والعروق له

عصا من اللحم والعروق له

يجسُّ تلميذُه بها كبدَهْ

يجسُّ تلميذُه بها كبدَهْ

A staff of flesh and veins is his,

A staff of flesh and veins which

with which his pupil probes his liver.

His student feels with to gauge its liver—

مَسْكَنُها في حشا أبي حَسَنٍ

مَسْكَنُها في حشا أبي حَسَنٍ

لا أسكن الله روحه جسدَهْ

لا أسكن الله روحه جسدَهْ

Its dwelling is in the innards of Abū Ḥasan;

Its home is in the lap of Abu Hassan.

may God not house his soul in his body.

May God not allow his soul to settle in his body.

أسجدُ من هدهدٍ إذا برزت

أسجدُ من هدهدٍ إذا برزت

فيشةُ فحلٍ عظيمة العَكَدَهْ

فيشةُ فحلٍ عظيمة العَكَدَهْ

More given to prostration than a hoopoe when there appears

I prostrate from a hoopoe when the

a stud's cock, enormous at its base.

Genitalia of a great stallion emerges—

ممن أبى الله أن ينفِّلَه

ممن أبى الله أن ينفِّلَه

أجراً وما إن يزال في السَّجَدَهْ

أجراً وما إن يزال في السَّجَدَهْ

He is one of those whom God refuses to grant

From one who God refused to lavish

a reward, though he is forever among the prostrate.

Reward on, yet he persists in prostration.

لا يشتهي من مُهَفْهَفٍ جَيَداً

لا يشتهي من مُهَفْهَفٍ جَيَداً

بل يشتهي من عُجارمٍ جَيَدَهْ

بل يشتهي من عُجارمٍ جَيَدَهْ

He does not desire a slender one's long neck,

He does not desire a well-formed gazelle

but desires a burly man's neck.

Rather, he desires a coarse, heavyset female.

ما زال لا يشتهي النواهد مذْ

ما زال لا يشتهي النواهد مذْ

كان غلاماً ويشتهي النَّهدَهْ

كان غلاماً ويشتهي النَّهدَهْ

He has never desired budding-breasted girls, since

He still does not desire delicate morsels since

he was a boy; he desires the massive member.

He was a boy, desiring only breasts.

سأسْمعُ الناس ذمّه أبداً

سأسْمعُ الناس ذمّه أبداً

ما سمع الله حمد من حمدَهْ

ما سمع الله حمد من حمدَهْ

I shall make people hear him reviled forever,

I will let people censure him forever

as long as God hears the praise of those who praise Him.

As long as God does not hear praise from his praise.