قالوا هجاك أبو المزّاق قلتُ لهم

قالوا هجاك أبو المزّاق قلتُ لهم

ولم هجاني فقالوا للذي بلَغَهْ

ولم هجاني فقالوا للذي بلَغَهْ

They said, 'Abu al-Mazzaq has lampooned you.' I said to them:

They said Abu al-Muzzaq has satirized you, I said to them

'Why did he lampoon me?' They replied: 'Because of what reached him.'

Why did he satirize me? They said to the one who was told

أنهى إليه نصيحٌ غيرُ متَّهمٍ

أنهى إليه نصيحٌ غيرُ متَّهمٍ

أن قد تركتَ مغيضَيْ عرسِه ردغه

أن قد تركتَ مغيضَيْ عرسِه ردغه

A sincere adviser, above suspicion, had reported to him

That sincere advice was given to him, not suspecting

that you had left his wife's two drain-holes a mire.

That you have left the hateful one from his wedding untouched

فقلت ما ناك مثلي مثل زوجته

فقلت ما ناك مثلي مثل زوجته

لكن إخال عدواً كاشحاً نزغه

لكن إخال عدواً كاشحاً نزغه

I said: 'No man like me has fucked the likes of his wife.'

So I said there is no one like me, like his wife

But I suppose a spiteful enemy goaded him.

But rather a hostile enemy provoking him

وما أراه على حال تعف له

وما أراه على حال تعف له

أنثى ولو حمقت حتى تكون دُغَه

أنثى ولو حمقت حتى تكون دُغَه

Nor do I think that, in any circumstances, fidelity would be shown to him

And I don't see him in a state to restrain himself

by any woman, even if her folly made her another Dughah.

From a female, even if she played the fool to the point of being marriageable

تالله تغنى بذاك القرد غانيةٌ

تالله تغنى بذاك القرد غانيةٌ

وإن أجدَّ لها ثوباً وإن صبغه

وإن أجدَّ لها ثوباً وإن صبغه

By God, no beauty would be content with that monkey,

By Allah, she will sing proudly to that monkey

even if he supplied her a new garment, even if he dyed it.

Even if I find her a garment, even if dyed

لا يهجونِّي فإني لستُ هاجيَه

لا يهجونِّي فإني لستُ هاجيَه

ولا يرى ذاك مني أو يرى صُدُغَه

ولا يرى ذاك مني أو يرى صُدُغَه

Let him not lampoon me, for I am not his lampooner.

They won't satirize me, for I am no satirist

Nor will he see that from me until he sees his own temple.

Nor does he see that from me, or see my side

وما امتهاني به شعري وخلقتُه

وما امتهاني به شعري وخلقتُه

تهجوه عني وعن غيري بكل لُغه

تهجوه عني وعن غيري بكل لُغه

Why debase my poetry on his account, when his very appearance

And my poetry and character didn't disgrace me

lampoons him for me and for everyone else, in every tongue?

Satirize him instead of me and others in every dialect

سيان عندي أنالتني عضيهته

سيان عندي أنالتني عضيهته

أم مص بظر التي أدته أم مضغه

أم مص بظر التي أدته أم مضغه

It is all the same to me whether his slander reaches me,

It's all the same to me if his bite reached me

or he sucks the clitoris of the woman who bore him, or chews it.

Or he sucked on the breast that brought him forth or chewed it

لا تعجبوا أن طول الصفع هوَّسَه

لا تعجبوا أن طول الصفع هوَّسَه

بل اعجبوا أن طول الصفع ما دمغه

بل اعجبوا أن طول الصفع ما دمغه

Do not marvel that prolonged slapping has driven him mad;

Don't be surprised that the long slap addled him

rather, marvel that prolonged slapping has not smashed his brains.

Rather be surprised that the long slap didn't crush him

أبيهقيٌّ تقول الشعر في زمني

أبيهقيٌّ تقول الشعر في زمني

أولى له ما لمثلي تنبغُ النَبَغه

أولى له ما لمثلي تنبغُ النَبَغه

You, a Bayhaqi, compose poetry in my time?

An Abihqi who composes poetry in my time

Woe to him! No lowly upstart rises against the likes of me.

Is more fitting for what befits the like of me to excel

لئن تصدَّى لنابَي حيَّةٍ ذكرٍ

لئن تصدَّى لنابَي حيَّةٍ ذكرٍ

نضناضة لا يبلُّ الدهر من لدغه

نضناضة لا يبلُّ الدهر من لدغه

If he has indeed faced the two fangs of a male serpent,

If the male erect serpent of a viper turns to face me

ever flicking its tongue, from whose bite he will never recover,

Whose bite time does not heal from the sting

لما أدلَّ بمجلود ولا كرم

لما أدلَّ بمجلود ولا كرم

لكن بعرض طويل الهون قد دبغه

لكن بعرض طويل الهون قد دبغه

he has certainly relied on neither toughness nor nobility,

Not out of generosity or nobility

but on a reputation that long humiliation has tanned.

But with a long, easy to subdue honor that has been tanned

هاجيك يا نائك الحولاء في حرج

هاجيك يا نائك الحولاء في حرج

ما قتلُه وزغاً يأوي إلى وزغه

ما قتلُه وزغاً يأوي إلى وزغه

Your lampooner, O fucker of the cross-eyed woman, is in a quandary:

Your satirist, O critic in distress

what does he gain by killing a gecko that shelters with a she-gecko?

Did not kill me, and takes refuge in his fellow

أراه حيّاً وإن طال النقيق به

أراه حيّاً وإن طال النقيق به

أقلَّ منه إذا ما فادغٌ فَدَغه

أقلَّ منه إذا ما فادغٌ فَدَغه

I find him, while alive, however long his croaking lasts,

I see him alive even if the groaning lasted in him

smaller than when a crusher crushes him.

Less than him if one stinging, stung him

يحمي من القتل أوزاغاً تنق لنا

يحمي من القتل أوزاغاً تنق لنا

دمٌ لهنّ يعاف الكلبُ أن يَلِغَه

دمٌ لهنّ يعاف الكلبُ أن يَلِغَه

The geckos croaking at us are protected from being killed

Protecting from killing lizards that chant for us

by their blood, which even a dog would disdain to lap.

Blood they have which a dog would disdain to lap up