أخالدُ أخطأت وجهَ الصواب

أخالدُ أخطأت وجهَ الصواب

ولم تأت أَيْريَ من بابِهِ

ولم تأت أَيْريَ من بابِهِ

Khalid, you strayed from the path of right judgment,

O Khalid, you have missed the right course,

nor approached Two-Pricks through his proper door.

And have not approached my cock through its door.

خَرُقْتَ فجمَّشْتَهُ بالهجاء

خَرُقْتَ فجمَّشْتَهُ بالهجاء

وأُنْسِيتَ كثرةَ خطَّابِهِ

وأُنْسِيتَ كثرةَ خطَّابِهِ

You played the fool, pawing at him with lampoon,

You blundered and fondled it with satire,

and made him forget his host of suitors.

And were made to forget its many suitors.

فلو كنتَ غازَلْتَهُ بالنَّسيـ

فلو كنتَ غازَلْتَهُ بالنَّسيـ

ـبِ أصْبحتَ أنجح طلابِهِ

ـبِ أصْبحتَ أنجح طلابِهِ

Had you wooed him with an amatory pre—

For had you wooed it with love-

—lude, you would have been the most successful of his suitors,

poetry, you would have become its most successful suitor.

كَبِنْتِكَ حين تَأتَّتْ له

كَبِنْتِكَ حين تَأتَّتْ له

فأضحتْ رئيسةَ أصحابِهِ

فأضحتْ رئيسةَ أصحابِهِ

like your daughter, when she made herself available to him

Like your daughter, when she accommodated it,

and became chief among his companions.

And became chief among its companions.

عدمْتُك شيخاً أخا حُنْكةٍ

عدمْتُك شيخاً أخا حُنْكةٍ

يحاول أمراً فَيَعْيَا بِهِ

يحاول أمراً فَيَعْيَا بِهِ

May I be bereft of you—an old man endowed with seasoned judgment,

May I be rid of you—a seasoned old man,

who attempts a thing, only to find it beyond him,

Who attempts a task, yet is baffled by it,

وتطلبهُ غادةٌ كاعبٌ

وتطلبهُ غادةٌ كاعبٌ

فَتُحكم من أمْر أسبابِهِ

فَتُحكم من أمْر أسبابِهِ

while a graceful, budding-breasted girl pursues it

While a tender, full-breasted young woman seeks it,

and masters the means to carry it through.

And expertly arranges the means to accomplish it.