وفي أبي سعد لؤمٌ

وفي أبي سعد لؤمٌ

وإن قرى وتبسمْ

وإن قرى وتبسمْ

And in Abu Sa‘d there is meanness,

And there is meanness in Abū Saʿd,

though he offers hospitality and smiles.

even if he offers hospitality and smiles.

يقْري الضيوفَ ولكنْ

يقْري الضيوفَ ولكنْ

يقْري الضيوفَ ويندمْ

يقْري الضيوفَ ويندمْ

He feeds his guests—but still,

He feeds the guests, but

he feeds his guests and then regrets it.

he feeds the guests and regrets it.

وليس يندمُ سِرّاً

وليس يندمُ سِرّاً

لكنَّهُ يتكَلَّمْ

لكنَّهُ يتكَلَّمْ

Nor does he regret it in secret;

And he does not regret it in secret;

instead, he speaks of it aloud.

instead, he speaks out.

فمن أرادَ قِراه

فمن أرادَ قِراه

والشتمَ فليتقدَّمْ

والشتمَ فليتقدَّمْ

So whoever desires his hospitality,

So whoever wants his hospitality

and the abuse that comes with it, let him step forward.

and abuse, let him step forward.

وليس يرضيه عِرْضٌ

وليس يرضيه عِرْضٌ

ولا أديمٌ مُكلَّمْ

ولا أديمٌ مُكلَّمْ

No reputation will satisfy him,

Nor does honor satisfy him,

nor any wounded hide;

nor a wounded hide;

بل اللُّحُومُ تُفَرَّى

بل اللُّحُومُ تُفَرَّى

بل العظامُ تُحَطَّمْ

بل العظامُ تُحَطَّمْ

no—the flesh is slashed apart,

rather, flesh is torn apart,

no—the bones are shattered.

rather, bones are shattered.

وكيف ينجو مغيرٌ

وكيف ينجو مغيرٌ

على فريسةِ ضَيْغمْ

على فريسةِ ضَيْغمْ

And how can any raider escape

And how can a raider escape

when he falls upon a lion’s prey?

who attacks a lion's prey?

إياك إياكَ إنْ زُرْ

إياك إياكَ إنْ زُرْ

تَهُ تُلِمُّ بمطْعَمْ

تَهُ تُلِمُّ بمطْعَمْ

Beware, beware—if you visit

Beware, beware, if you visit

him—of stopping where food is served.

him, of drawing near to any food.

إن الحلالَ لديه

إن الحلالَ لديه

على الضيوفِ مُحَرَّمْ

على الضيوفِ مُحَرَّمْ

For lawful fare in his house

Indeed, the lawful food he has

is forbidden to guests.

is forbidden to guests.

فمن أباحَ حماهُ

فمن أباحَ حماهُ

كان القصاص من الدَّمْ

كان القصاص من الدَّمْ

Whoever declares his preserve fair game

So whoever violates his preserve

must pay blood for blood.

pays the penalty in blood.

يا رُبَّ شُهْدٍ أكلْنا

يا رُبَّ شُهْدٍ أكلْنا

هُ عنده كان علقمْ

هُ عنده كان علقمْ

Ah, how often we have eaten honey

Ah, many a honeycomb we ate

at his house, only to find it bitter colocynth!

at his place was bitter colocynth!

أضافنا فأكلنا

أضافنا فأكلنا

فنحن نُهْجَى ونُشتمْ

فنحن نُهْجَى ونُشتمْ

He hosted us, and so we ate;

He hosted us, so we ate;

now we are lampooned and reviled.

and so we are lampooned and insulted.

ولم يكنْ مِنْ كريم

ولم يكنْ مِنْ كريم

لكنَّه يتكرمْ

لكنَّه يتكرمْ

He was never one of the generous;

And he was not of generous stock,

he merely puts on a show of generosity.

but he makes a show of generosity.

سائلْ بذاك ابنَهُ الحرْ

سائلْ بذاك ابنَهُ الحرْ

رَ فهْو أدرى وأعلمْ

رَ فهْو أدرى وأعلمْ

Ask his noble son about that—

Ask his freeborn son about that;

for he knows better and knows best.

for he knows better and knows more.

وإنما الغصنُ يُسقى

وإنما الغصنُ يُسقى

مِنْ عِرْقه فتفهَّمْ

مِنْ عِرْقه فتفهَّمْ

After all, a branch is watered only

And a branch is watered only

from its own root—take the point.

from its root—so understand.