فقدتك يا ابنَ أبي طاهرٍ

فقدتك يا ابنَ أبي طاهرٍ

وأطعمتُ ثُكْلَكَ قبلَ العشاءِ

وأطعمتُ ثُكْلَكَ قبلَ العشاءِ

May I lose you, O son of Abu Tahir,

I lost you, O son of Abi Tahir

And may I be fed the grief of losing you before supper.

And fed your pup before supper

فلا بَردُ شِعركِ بَردُ الشرابِ

فلا بَردُ شِعركِ بَردُ الشرابِ

ولا حَرُّ شعرك حَرُّ الصِّلاءِ

ولا حَرُّ شعرك حَرُّ الصِّلاءِ

For neither is your verse’s coolness the coolness of drink,

So neither the cold of your hair is the cold of drink

Nor is your verse’s heat the heat of a roasting fire.

Nor the heat of your hair the heat of roasting

تَذَبْذَبَ فَنُّك بين الفنون

تَذَبْذَبَ فَنُّك بين الفنون

فلا للطبيخ ولا للشِّواءِ

فلا للطبيخ ولا للشِّواءِ

Your art has wavered among the arts,

Your art wavered between the arts

So it is fit neither for cooking nor for roasting.

Neither for cooking nor for grilling