يا خَليليَّ مِنْ ذُؤابَةَ شيبا

يا خَليليَّ مِنْ ذُؤابَةَ شيبا

نَ ويُدْعَى لِمَا يَنُوبُ الخَليلُ

نَ ويُدْعَى لِمَا يَنُوبُ الخَليلُ

O my two friends from the noblest of Shaybān,

O my companion, my hair has turned white

and a friend is called upon when trouble strikes.

From sorrow, and so the companion is called to account

إنَّ هَذا الفتَى الذي وسَمَ الشعْ

إنَّ هَذا الفتَى الذي وسَمَ الشعْ

رَ بِعَارٍ ما أنْ نَرَاهُ يَزُولُ

رَ بِعَارٍ ما أنْ نَرَاهُ يَزُولُ

Indeed, this youth who branded poetry

This young man who has branded poetry

with a disgrace we do not see fading away

With shame will not, I think, escape

قَد نَضَا مُدْيةَ الجَهَالةِ يَفْرِي

قَد نَضَا مُدْيةَ الجَهَالةِ يَفْرِي

وَدَجَ الفَضْلِ فَهوَ منهُ قَتيلُ

وَدَجَ الفَضْلِ فَهوَ منهُ قَتيلُ

has unsheathed the knife of ignorance, cutting

He has outgrown the ignorance of youth

the jugular of excellence, leaving it slain by him.

And attacked excellence, so he is its victim

يا حُمَاةَ القَريضِ هُبُّوا لأَخْذِ الثْ

يا حُمَاةَ القَريضِ هُبُّوا لأَخْذِ الثْ

ثارِ فالخَطْبُ لَوْ عَلِمتُمْ جَلِيلُ

ثارِ فالخَطْبُ لَوْ عَلِمتُمْ جَلِيلُ

O guardians of verse, rise to exact vengeance:

O protectors of poetry, rise to take vengeance

for the calamity, if you knew, is grave.

The matter, if you but knew, is serious

وخُذُوا بالتّراتِ من قَائِلِ الشعْ

وخُذُوا بالتّراتِ من قَائِلِ الشعْ

رِ فَمَا الحَزْمُ أنْ تُضَاعَ الذُّحُولُ

رِ فَمَا الحَزْمُ أنْ تُضَاعَ الذُّحُولُ

And exact retribution from the composer of verse;

And take from the slanderer of verse measure for measure

for it is no prudence to leave blood-debts unavenged.

For it is not wise to leave insults unanswered

لاَكَ في فِيهِ شَحْمَةَ الشِّعْرِ مَنْ لمْ

لاَكَ في فِيهِ شَحْمَةَ الشِّعْرِ مَنْ لمْ

يَدْرِ ما فَاعِلٌ ولا مَفْعُولُ

يَدْرِ ما فَاعِلٌ ولا مَفْعُولُ

Poetry’s fat was chewed in the mouth of one who did not

His mouth is foul with the fat of poetry though he knows not

know what a subject or an object was.

What is subject and what object

وادَّعَى رُتْبةَ البَلاغَةِ في القَوْ

وادَّعَى رُتْبةَ البَلاغَةِ في القَوْ

لِ غَبيٌّ لَمْ يَدْرِ إيش يَقُولُ

لِ غَبيٌّ لَمْ يَدْرِ إيش يَقُولُ

And the rank of eloquence in speech was claimed

And he claimed the rank of eloquence in his words

by a fool who did not know what he was saying.

A fool who knew not what he was saying

وأكَولٌ عِرْضِي فَمَا ساغَهَ حتَّ

وأكَولٌ عِرْضِي فَمَا ساغَهَ حتَّ

تَى غَدَا بَعدَ ذَاكَ وهوَ أكِيلُ

تَى غَدَا بَعدَ ذَاكَ وهوَ أكِيلُ

And a devourer of my honor could not swallow it, until

And he assailed my honor, which did not please him

afterward he himself became the devoured.

Until he went too far and was completely shamed

مَدَّ لِي سَاعِداً قَصيراً فَلَمْ يَلْ

مَدَّ لِي سَاعِداً قَصيراً فَلَمْ يَلْ

بَثْ إلى أنْ ثَنَاهُ بَاعٌ طَويلُ

بَثْ إلى أنْ ثَنَاهُ بَاعٌ طَويلُ

He stretched a short forearm toward me; it was not long

He stretched out to me a puny arm but could not reach

before a long reach bent it back.

Until a tall seller bent it back

أنَا مَنْ لا يُسيغُ غَيبتُهُ البَا

أنَا مَنْ لا يُسيغُ غَيبتُهُ البَا

دِنُ إلاَّ ثَنَتْهُ وهوَ هَزيلُ

دِنُ إلاَّ ثَنَتْهُ وهوَ هَزيلُ

I am one whom no stout man can stomach slandering

I am one whose absence the wastelands can hardly bear

without its turning him back emaciated.

Except that he insulted me when I was weak

وإذَا ما العَزيزُ حَاوَلَ ذُلِّي

وإذَا ما العَزيزُ حَاوَلَ ذُلِّي

وأبَى اللَّهُ فالعَزيزُ ذَليلُ

وأبَى اللَّهُ فالعَزيزُ ذَليلُ

And when the mighty one seeks my humiliation,

And when the mighty attempt the lowly

and God refuses, then the mighty one is abased.

And God refuses, the mighty become lowly