قلsay للألَىto those who حرمونيdeprived me إذwhen مدحتُهُمُI praised them
قل للألَى حرموني إذ مدحتُهُمُ
إمّاeither الثوابُthe reward وإماor else ردُّكمyour returning خِلَعيmy robes of honor
إمّا الثوابُ وإما ردُّكم خِلَعي
Say to those who withheld my reward when I praised them:
Tell those who have denied me kindness when I praised them,
Either reward me, or return my robes of honor.
Either reward or your rejection will strip me of my garb.
تاللَهِby God لكنَّbut زيْناًan adornment فيin النَّدىgenerosity لكُمُfor you
تاللَهِ لكنَّ زيْناً في النَّدى لكُمُ
عارٌa disgrace عليَّupon me بماbecause of what أبديتI displayed منof ضَرعيmy abasement
عارٌ عليَّ بما أبديت من ضَرعي
By God, yet to adorn you with generosity
By God! Your beauty in the dew was indeed adornment,
Is a disgrace to me, for the abasement I displayed.
While pleading was for me disgrace.
فإنso if أبيتمyou refuse عليّto me الخلَّتينِthe two alternatives معاًtogether
فإن أبيتم عليّ الخلَّتينِ معاً
فلاthen let ... not يلومُblame مُليمٌa blameworthy man نالهstruck him قذعيmy scathing abuse
فلا يلومُ مُليمٌ ناله قذعي
So if you deny me both alternatives together,
If you refuse me both garments,
Then let no blameworthy man struck by my invective blame me.
Let no blamer blame me if bareness befalls me.
لاmay ... not قاتَلcurse اللَّهGod ربُّLord of الناسmankind لؤمَكُمُyour baseness
لا قاتَل اللَّه ربُّ الناس لؤمَكُمُ
بلrather قاتلmay He curse الكاذبَthe deceitful one المكذوبthe deceived one منof طمعيmy hope of gain
بل قاتل الكاذبَ المكذوب من طمعي
May God, Lord of mankind, not curse your baseness;
May God not bless the people's Lord for your villainy!
Rather, may He curse my greedy hope—deceitful and deceived.
Rather, curse the liar and the lie against my hopes!
أمَاindeed لئنsurely, if كَثُرتْabounded فيin مدحِكُمْpraising you بِدعيmy innovations
أمَا لئن كَثُرتْ في مدحِكُمْ بِدعي
لتكثرنَّwill surely abound غداًtomorrow فيin شتمكمreviling you بِدَعيmy innovations
لتكثرنَّ غداً في شتمكم بِدَعي
Indeed, if my inventions have abounded in praising you,
But, by God, if in praising you I have been excessive,
Tomorrow my inventions in reviling you will surely abound.
Tomorrow in insulting you my excess will be more.
إنيindeed I حمدتُكُمُI praised you والذمُّand censure حقكُمُyour due
إني حمدتُكُمُ والذمُّ حقكُمُ
لمَّاwhen جعلْتمyou made إلىto الرحمنِthe All-Merciful مُنْقَطعيmy sole refuge
لمَّا جعلْتم إلى الرحمنِ مُنْقَطعي
Indeed, I praised you, though censure is your due,
I praised you though blame is your rightful due
When you made the All-Merciful my sole refuge.
When you showed yourself as turning to the Merciful.
أدبتمونيyou disciplined me فأحسنتمand you did well ببخسكمُby your withholding
أدبتموني فأحسنتم ببخسكمُ
حقthe due of الأديبthe man of letters فهذاso this is حينthe time for متَّزعيmy desisting
حق الأديب فهذا حين متَّزعي
You taught me a lesson, and did it well, by withholding
You have disciplined me and done well in your meanness,
The poet’s due; now is the time for me to desist.
A poet's right, and this is the time of my dismay.
ولوand even if جُدِعْتُI had my nose cut off علىfor أنيthat I مدحتُكُمُI praised you
ولو جُدِعْتُ على أني مدحتُكُمُ
ماnot شاننيdisgraced me شينَthe disgrace of مدحيmy praise فيكُمُconcerning you جَدَعيmy nose being cut off
ما شانني شينَ مدحي فيكُمُ جَدَعي
And even if my nose were cut off for praising you,
If I were hacked to pieces for praising you,
My mutilation would not disgrace me as much as my praise of you does.
No disgrace in my praise among you would put me to shame.
ماnot جاءcame منfrom سوءthe badness of بذريmy seed خُبثُthe foulness of ريعكمُyour yield
ما جاء من سوء بذري خُبثُ ريعكمُ
عندat the time of ازدراعيَmy sowing بلbut rather منfrom خُبثthe foulness of مُزْدرعيmy sowing ground
عند ازدراعيَ بل من خُبث مُزْدرعي
Your poor yield did not come from bad seed of mine
The vileness of the harvest from my seed's corruption
When I sowed, but from the foulness of my sowing ground.
Comes not from my sowing, but the vileness of what I sowed.
Sol 6.1