تعرَّضَinterposed ليbefore me دونهin his defense مَعْشرٌa company
تعرَّضَ لي دونه مَعْشرٌ
كرامٌnoble وماand not ذاكthat أنْthat أكرموهُthey honored him
كرامٌ وما ذاك أنْ أكرموهُ
A company interposed between me and him:
A company attacked me, though they were generous
noble men—not because they honored him,
And it was not as though I had honored them.
ولكنّهُمْbut they أعظمواesteemed مَنطقيmy speech
ولكنّهُمْ أعظموا مَنطقي
وكانand it was جديراًworthy بأنْto يُعْظِمُوهthey esteem it
وكان جديراً بأنْ يُعْظِمُوه
but because they esteemed my speech,
But they magnified my eloquence
and it deserved their esteem.
And it was fitting that they esteem it.
فصانواso they protected هجائيَmy satire عنْfrom عرضهhis honor
فصانوا هجائيَ عنْ عرضه
بأعراضهwith his honors شدّhow intensely ماemphatic particle استْلأموهthey deemed him base
بأعراضه شدّ ما استْلأموه
So they kept my satire away from his honor,
So they protected my satire from touching his honor
with his honors—how utterly they deemed him base!
With their own honor, however much it provoked him.
لئنif indeed رَحِمواthey spared الشعرَpoetry منfrom لؤمهhis baseness
لئن رَحِموا الشعرَ من لؤمه
لحقَّit certainly deserved it وحقواand they were right بأنْto يرْحموهthey spare it
لحقَّ وحقوا بأنْ يرْحموه
If they spared poetry his baseness,
If they had mercy on poetry for its meanness,
it truly deserved to be spared, and they were right to spare it.
It was right and proper that they show it mercy.
Sol 6.1