شَرِب البيهقيُّ والبينُ ناءٍ

شَرِب البيهقيُّ والبينُ ناءٍ

من يَدَيْ واحدِ الأنام ثلاثا

من يَدَيْ واحدِ الأنام ثلاثا

Al-Bayhaqi drank, while al-Bayn was far away,

The ignorant drank with joy

three draughts from the hands of mankind's peerless one,

From the hand of the best of mankind, thrice

من شراب يفوق كل شرابٍ

من شراب يفوق كل شرابٍ

ويدٍ لم تزل حَياً وغِياثا

ويدٍ لم تزل حَياً وغِياثا

of a drink surpassing every other drink,

Of a drink superior to any drink

and from a hand that has ever been rain and succor.

And a hand that has always been alive and giving

ثم وَلَّى مُتوَّجاً تاجَ فخرٍ

ثم وَلَّى مُتوَّجاً تاجَ فخرٍ

سوف يبقى لعَقْبهِ ميراثا

سوف يبقى لعَقْبهِ ميراثا

Then he departed, crowned with a crown of glory

Then he turned away, crowned with the crown of glory

that will remain an inheritance for his descendants.

His footsteps will remain an inheritance

لو درى البينُ بالذي غاب عنهُ

لو درى البينُ بالذي غاب عنهُ

ملأ البينُ ثوبَهُ أحداثا

ملأ البينُ ثوبَهُ أحداثا

Had al-Bayn known what he had missed,

If the ignorant only knew what was hidden from him

al-Bayn would have filled his garment with excrement,

He would have filled his garment with events

حَسَداً أو سَقَتهُ أيدي المنايا

حَسَداً أو سَقَتهُ أيدي المنايا

من حِمامِ الردى كؤوساً حِثاثا

من حِمامِ الردى كؤوساً حِثاثا

out of envy—or the deadly fates' hands would have made him drink

Whether from envy or the hands of death made him drink

cups of fatal doom in swift succession.

From the wine of depravity, cups of sediment

قُبِّح البينُ إنه غَيرَ شكٍّ

قُبِّح البينُ إنه غَيرَ شكٍّ

شرُّ من أودع الذكورُ الإناثا

شرُّ من أودع الذكورُ الإناثا

May al-Bayn be disgraced! He is, without doubt,

Cursed is the ignorant, he changed without a doubt

the worst of those whom males have deposited in females.

Evil is he in whom males were made females

قد مَللنا بشاعةَ الوجهِ منهُ

قد مَللنا بشاعةَ الوجهِ منهُ

وأحاديثَه الغِثاثَ الرِّثاثا

وأحاديثَه الغِثاثَ الرِّثاثا

We have grown weary of his hideous face

We are tired of his unpleasant face

and his insipid, threadbare talk.

And his worthless prattle and drivel

يحضرُ البينُ لا شَهِيَّ المُلاقا

يحضرُ البينُ لا شَهِيَّ المُلاقا

ةِ وإن غابَ غاب لا مُستراثا

ةِ وإن غابَ غاب لا مُستراثا

Al-Bayn comes, never a pleasure to meet;

The ignorant attends with no joy of company

and if he is absent, no one thinks him overdue.

And if absent, he is absent without missed inheritance

وأما والأمير لولا حبالٌ

وأما والأمير لولا حبالٌ

نالها منه لم تكن أنكاثا

نالها منه لم تكن أنكاثا

And indeed, by the prince, were it not for ropes

And as for the Prince, were it not for ties

he had gained from him, ropes not unraveled,

That he has with him, he would not be so lenient

لسَقَتْهُ عدواتي جُرَعَ الموْ

لسَقَتْهُ عدواتي جُرَعَ الموْ

تِ ولاجْتثّهُ الهجاءُ اجتثاثا

تِ ولاجْتثّهُ الهجاءُ اجتثاثا

my hostility would have made him drink draughts of death,

My enemies would have made him drink the cup of death

and satire would have uprooted him utterly.

And vilification would have uprooted him entirely

كان أشقى الأنامِ فانبعث الحَا

كان أشقى الأنامِ فانبعث الحَا

ئنُ يا شُؤمَهُ عليه انبعاثا

ئنُ يا شُؤمَهُ عليه انبعاثا

He was the most wretched of mankind; then the doomed man arose—

He would have been the most wretched of people, so the wailer cried

oh, what an ill-omened rising it was for him!

Oh, his misfortune upon him is a renewed outcry

هو تيسٌ ولا تزالُ ترى التي

هو تيسٌ ولا تزالُ ترى التي

سَ شقيّاً عن المُدى بَحَّاثا

سَ شقيّاً عن المُدى بَحَّاثا

He is a billy-goat, and you always see the billy-goat

He is a billy-goat and you still see the billy-goat

ill-fated, forever searching for knives.

Wretchedly bleating endlessly

رجلٌ يحمل القرونَ ويمشي

رجلٌ يحمل القرونَ ويمشي

لا ترى عندَهُ لذاك اكتراثا

لا ترى عندَهُ لذاك اكتراثا

A man who carries horns and walks about,

A man who bears grudges and walks about

you see no concern in him about that.

Not caring for that in the slightest

قيل لي إنَّ جارَه ابنَ أبي العقْـ

قيل لي إنَّ جارَه ابنَ أبي العقْـ

ـلينِ أضحى لأرضه حَرَّاثا

ـلينِ أضحى لأرضه حَرَّاثا

I was told that his neighbor, Ibn Abi al-ʿAqlayn,

I was told his neighbor Ibn Abi’l-‘Aqleem

has become a plowman for his land.

Has become, for his land, a digger and plowman

رجلٌ تُوحشُ المجالسُ منه

رجلٌ تُوحشُ المجالسُ منه

وإذا مات أوحشَ الأجداثا

وإذا مات أوحشَ الأجداثا

A man whose presence makes gatherings desolate;

A man whose presence makes gatherings desolate

and when he dies, he will make the graves desolate.

And when he dies, he desolates the graves