مدحتُكI praised you مختاراًby choice فلمbut not تكُyou were طائلاًof any worth
مدحتُك مختاراً فلم تكُ طائلاً
فلاso do not تَلْحَيَنِّيreproach me إنْif هجوتُكI satirized you مُحْرَجاunder duress
فلا تَلْحَيَنِّي إنْ هجوتُك مُحْرَجا
I praised you freely, but you proved of no worth.
I praised you sincerely, but to no avail,
So do not reproach me if I satirize you under duress.
So don't reproach me if I satirize you frankly.
إذاwhen مادحٌa praise-poet أرَّقْتَyou kept sleepless عينيهِhis two eyes باطلاًin vain
إذا مادحٌ أرَّقْتَ عينيهِ باطلاً
كواكَhe branded you بمكْواةwith a branding iron الهِجاءof satire فأنضجاso he cooked you through
كواكَ بمكْواة الهِجاء فأنضجا
When you have kept a praise-poet's eyes sleepless in vain,
When a praiser pleases you with lies,
he brands you with satire's branding iron and cooks you through.
You reward him. But if I censure, you ripen.
فإنso if قلتyou say سَمْجٌugly ماwhat أتيتَyou did فصادقٌthen you are truthful
فإن قلت سَمْجٌ ما أتيتَ فصادقٌ
وبخسُكand your withholding حقّيmy due كانwas منfrom قبلُbefore أسمجاuglier
وبخسُك حقّي كان من قبلُ أسمجا
If you say, "What you did is ugly," you speak the truth;
If you say I'm rude, while truthful,
yet your earlier withholding of my due was uglier.
My criticism of you was never crude.
علىbesides أنهthat it is لاno ذنبfault عندin the eyes of ذويthose possessing النُّهىunderstanding
على أنه لا ذنب عند ذوي النُّهى
لناقِدfor an assayer أرضٍskilled عرَّفَhe made known الناسَthe people بهرجاcounterfeit coin
لناقِد أرضٍ عرَّفَ الناسَ بهرجا
Besides, in the eyes of the wise, there is no blame
Those of good conduct see no wrong
for a skilled assayer who reveals counterfeit coin to the people.
In one who shows a barren land as barren.
رأىhe saw الناسَthe people يغترُّونthey are taken in منكof yours بظاهرٍby an outward show
رأى الناسَ يغترُّون منك بظاهرٍ
كذوبٍlying فجلَّىso he revealed منْof غرُورِكyour deceit ماwhat دَجَاwas dark
كذوبٍ فجلَّى منْ غرُورِك ما دَجَا
He saw people taken in by an outward show of yours—
People are fooled by your fake façade.
a lying one—and brought the darkness of your deceit to light.
So I unveil the fraud you've made.
هجاكَhe satirized you فلمand did not يتركleave رجاءhope لمَنْfor whoever رجاhoped
هجاكَ فلم يترك رجاء لمَنْ رجا
جداكَyour bounty ولاnor بقَّىhe left remaining هجاءًsatire لمنfor whoever هجاsatirized
جداكَ ولا بقَّى هجاءً لمن هجا
He satirized you, leaving no hope for anyone hoping
In satirizing you I leave no hope for dreamers.
for your bounty, and left no satire for another satirist.
In judging you I leave no room for slanderers.
وقدand indeed كانwas منwhoever يرجوكhopes in you فيin سجنa prison حيرةٍbewilderment
وقد كان من يرجوك في سجن حيرةٍ
فأَوجَدَهمso he provided them مِنfrom ذلكthat السِّجْنِthe prison مخرجاa way out
فأَوجَدَهم مِن ذلك السِّجْنِ مخرجا
Those who put their hopes in you had been in a prison of bewilderment,
Those hoping in you are locked in confusion’s prison.
so he gave them a way out of that prison.
I free them from that jail with clear vision.
ألاah رُبَّmany a غِرٍّa naïve person باعكsold you النومَsleep لَيْلَهُduring his night
ألا رُبَّ غِرٍّ باعك النومَ لَيْلَهُ
وراقبَand watched for ضوءthe light الفجرof dawn حتىuntil تبلّجاit shone forth
وراقبَ ضوء الفجر حتى تبلّجا
Ah, many a naïve soul sold you his night's sleep,
Oh, many a sleeper you robbed of sleep all night.
and watched for dawn's light until it shone forth,
Who watched the dawn break through till daylight.
يدبِّجُhe embroiders فيكabout you الشعرpoetry ضَلّwent astray ضلالهُhis straying
يدبِّجُ فيك الشعر ضَلّ ضلالهُ
فكافأتَso you rewarded بالحرمانِwith deprivation ماwhat كانَhe had دَبَّجَاembroidered
فكافأتَ بالحرمانِ ما كانَ دَبَّجَا
embroidering poetry in your praise—how utterly he went astray!
One who weaved poetry to you, his art gone astray,
And you rewarded what he had embroidered with deprivation.
You rewarded with deprivation for his array.
Sol 6.1