بُؤْساً لِوهْب مَالَهُ

بُؤْساً لِوهْب مَالَهُ

بين الخلِيقَةِ قد فُضِحْ

بين الخلِيقَةِ قد فُضِحْ

Woe to Wahb! What ails him?

He has been disgraced among mankind.

كثُر الأُلى يهجونه

كثُر الأُلى يهجونه

جِدّاً وَقَلَّ الممتَدِحْ

جِدّاً وَقَلَّ الممتَدِحْ

Many are those who lampoon him—

very many—and few are those who praise him.

قد سَيَّرُوهُ بِضَرْطَةٍ

قد سَيَّرُوهُ بِضَرْطَةٍ

في الخافِقَيْن وما بَرِحْ

في الخافِقَيْن وما بَرِحْ

They have sent him traveling over a fart,

through east and west, though he has not stirred,

حتى كأن لم يجتَرِحْ

حتى كأن لم يجتَرِحْ

ما جاء منْهُ مُجْتَرِحْ

ما جاء منْهُ مُجْتَرِحْ

till it seemed no offender had ever committed

what had come from him.

يا وهبُ أُقْسِمُ بالمَقَا

يا وهبُ أُقْسِمُ بالمَقَا

م وبالحطيم إذا مُسِحْ

م وبالحطيم إذا مُسِحْ

O Wahb, I swear by the Maqam,

and by the Hatim when it is touched:

لو كنتَ مبذُولَ النَّدى

لو كنتَ مبذُولَ النَّدى

منْ قبلها لم تَفْتَضِحْ

منْ قبلها لم تَفْتَضِحْ

Had you been free with your bounty

before that, you would not have been disgraced.

لكنْ رَفَضْتَ العرفَ مُط

لكنْ رَفَضْتَ العرفَ مُط

طَرحاً وحَظَّكَ تَطَّرِحْ

طَرحاً وحَظَّكَ تَطَّرِحْ

But you spurned generosity, casting it

aside—and cast away your own good fortune.

وربحتَ مَالَكَ ضَلَّةً

وربحتَ مَالَكَ ضَلَّةً

والعِرضُ افْضَلُ ما رُبحْ

والعِرضُ افْضَلُ ما رُبحْ

And you gained your wealth in folly,

though honor is the best thing to be gained.

لو كُنْتَ غَيْثاً صَائباً

لو كُنْتَ غَيْثاً صَائباً

لَمْ يُهْجَ رَعْدُكَ بَلْ مُدِحْ

لَمْ يُهْجَ رَعْدُكَ بَلْ مُدِحْ

Had you been rain pouring down,

your thunder would not have been lampooned, but praised.