أردت التعالي والحسود مدا المدا

أردت التعالي والحسود مدا المدا

حقير وذو الإفساد والجهل لا يعلو

حقير وذو الإفساد والجهل لا يعلو

You sought exaltation, yet the envious one, for all time,

I sought elevation, though the envious stretched out their hands

is contemptible; one given to corruption and ignorance never rises.

The insignificant and the corrupt are ignorant, they cannot rise high

ودعواك جمع الفضل عين الفضول ذا

ودعواك جمع الفضل عين الفضول ذا

تحققت في شان به عرف الطبل

تحققت في شان به عرف الطبل

Your claim to encompass excellence is sheer idle meddling; this

Though you claimed to possess all virtue, you are the essence of intrusiveness

I have ascertained in a matter by which the drum is known.

You gained stature through drums beating your renown

فشكلك رسماً كالسيوطي ومثله

فشكلك رسماً كالسيوطي ومثله

ووصفك حكماً عالم علمه جهل

ووصفك حكماً عالم علمه جهل

So outwardly you resemble al-Suyuti and others like him,

Your image is like Suyuti’s, and his equal

yet in judgment you are a scholar whose knowledge is ignorance.

Your description is of a scholar, though your knowledge is ignorance

رسومك رسم لا رسوم معارف

رسومك رسم لا رسوم معارف

وراس ولكن عند أهل النهى رجل

وراس ولكن عند أهل النهى رجل

Your outward forms are mere form, not marks of knowledge;

Your images are not true images, your knowledge is not true knowledge

and you are a head, but to those of understanding, a foot.

You are a head, but to the virtuous, just a foot

فخرت بمال وانتصرت بعزوةٍ

فخرت بمال وانتصرت بعزوةٍ

وقلت أنا الجزء الذي خافه الكل

وقلت أنا الجزء الذي خافه الكل

You boasted of wealth and prevailed through a band of supporters,

You took pride in wealth and power

and said, “I am the part that the whole feared.”

And claimed to be the part all fear

إذا اتسج الغدار بالجهل فالبلا

إذا اتسج الغدار بالجهل فالبلا

عليه ولا مال يقيه ولا أهل

عليه ولا مال يقيه ولا أهل

If the treacherous man [clothes himself] in ignorance, then calamity

If the treacherous cloak themselves in ignorance, may ruin befall them

is upon him; neither wealth nor kin can shield him.

No wealth or family can protect them

ومهما تعالى فهو في العين ساقط

ومهما تعالى فهو في العين ساقط

كموقع شمس لا يستره الظل

كموقع شمس لا يستره الظل

And however high he exalts himself, he is fallen in people's eyes,

However high he rises, he remains fallen in the eyes

like a sun's setting-place, which shadow cannot conceal.

Like the sun's place, hidden by no shade