سواطع التولي في أكتاف ذروته

سواطع التولي في أكتاف ذروته

معشوشب كحلول الخبل كالزأم

معشوشب كحلول الخبل كالزأم

Radiant flashes of turning away on the shoulders of his summit.

The dawn light glistens on the peaks of its shoulders,

Grass-grown, like the onset of madness, like terror.

Disheveled like the coming of insanity or leprosy.

يا من له المجد في أخصاص خيمته

يا من له المجد في أخصاص خيمته

كالدر في صدف والديم في غيم

كالدر في صدف والديم في غيم

O one whose glory lies in the reed shelters of his tent.

O you whose glory resides in the innermost parts of your tent,

Like pearls in shells, and steady rains in clouds.

Like a pearl in an oyster shell or blood in a cloud.

الفحش صنعته واللهو ملته

الفحش صنعته واللهو ملته

والتنع خلقته

والتنع خلقته

Obscenity is his craft, and frivolity his creed.

You created vulgarity, frivolity is your pastime,

And the [unclear word] is his constitution.

And you originated abomination.

الترب عادته والقبح شيمته

الترب عادته والقبح شيمته

واللؤم كحاتم كرم

واللؤم كحاتم كرم

Dust is his habit, and ugliness his nature.

Dust is your habit and ugliness is your trait,

And baseness—like Hatim in generosity.

And foolishness - you are generous like Hatim.

الجهل مذهبه الأنان قادته

الجهل مذهبه الأنان قادته

السفه ديدنه كالنكنه كالعلفم

السفه ديدنه كالنكنه كالعلفم

Ignorance is his creed; the [unclear word] are his leaders.

Ignorance is your doctrine, arrogance your guide,

Foolishness is his habit, like the [unclear word], like the [unclear word].

Idiocy your religion, like a ewe or cattle fodder.

إن سمته ساحة حسبته غزل

إن سمته ساحة حسبته غزل

وإن بدا ديم يا موهب النعم

وإن بدا ديم يا موهب النعم

If his bearing is an open square, you would take it for love poetry.

If you walk proudly you seem a mere fool,

And if steady rains appear, O giver of blessings...

O granter of bounty, even if you appear gentle.

لقد فشا ذكره في الناس كلهم

لقد فشا ذكره في الناس كلهم

والناس يدعونه للحق يأبهم

والناس يدعونه للحق يأبهم

Indeed, his reputation has spread among all the people.

Your reputation has spread amongst all people,

And people call him to the truth; he rebuffs them [uncertain reading].

And people supplicate against you vehemently.

يأبى الإسلام ولا يرضى به أبدا

يأبى الإسلام ولا يرضى به أبدا

يا ويله في الورى قد عاش في سرم

يا ويله في الورى قد عاش في سرم

He rejects Islam and is never content with it.

Islam refuses you and will never accept you,

O woe to him among mortals: he has lived in an anus.

Oh what an affliction you are in this world, you have lived in evil.

الكل يلعنه والكل شيمته

الكل يلعنه والكل شيمته

والكل يكذبه إن في كلم

والكل يكذبه إن في كلم

Everyone curses him, and all is his nature.

Everyone curses you and denounces your ways,

And everyone calls him a liar, if in speech...

And all call you a liar if you even utter a word.

إن أبصر الناس في عيش نعيم وقد

إن أبصر الناس في عيش نعيم وقد

ما مال إلا إليهم مسعى

ما مال إلا إليهم مسعى

If he sees people living in bliss, and indeed...

When you see people living in blessing and pleasure,

He inclined only toward them, in pursuit.

And no one pays you any heed,

لم يشرب الماء من حقد ومن حسد

لم يشرب الماء من حقد ومن حسد

إلا الأخلا وهو مبتسم

إلا الأخلا وهو مبتسم

He did not drink the water, out of rancor and envy.

You only drink the water of rancor and envy,

Except the [unclear word], while he smiles.

Nothing but bitterness while smiling.

يرد عونه إن بدا في الناس يا عفور

يرد عونه إن بدا في الناس يا عفور

والكل في جذل ما دام في بكم

والكل في جذل ما دام في بكم

He rejects his help if he appears among the people, O ‘Afur.

If you offer help when it appears people need you, gentle one,

And everyone rejoices as long as he remains mute.

While everyone treats you with contempt as long as you are silent.

يا واردا من أهيل الواد قف نفسا

يا واردا من أهيل الواد قف نفسا

أشكو إليك ما ذقته من الغرم

أشكو إليك ما ذقته من الغرم

O visitor from the valley's little folk, pause for a breath.

O you who came from the ravines, stop for a moment

I complain to you of the loss I have tasted.

While I complain to you of what I have tasted of sorrow.

ها واش من أهيل الحي يشتمني

ها واش من أهيل الحي يشتمني

من جيره قد غدوا في

من جيره قد غدوا في

Look—a slanderer from the quarter's little folk insults me.

Look, how the despicable people of my neighborhood insult me,

From his neighbors [uncertain reading], they have come to be in...

They have fallen into illness and affliction.

السقم مسكنه في ذي حجل

السقم مسكنه في ذي حجل

والنوم مهربه من مقل ذي أزم

والنوم مهربه من مقل ذي أزم

Sickness is his dwelling, in one with an anklet.

Pain is his dwelling in the body of the wretched one,

And sleep is his escape from the eyes of one in distress.

And sleep is his escape from the pain of one distressed.

والديم منسجم من فضله هملت

والديم منسجم من فضله هملت

والضوء منحلك من كثرة الظلم

والضوء منحلك من كثرة الظلم

And the steady rains flow; from his bounty they have poured.

Blood is harmonized from his excess - he has neglected

And the light is blackened by so much injustice.

and light dissolved from the abundance of darkness.

وفتت كبدي من كثرة العهل

وفتت كبدي من كثرة العهل

ومزقت فزعي من ذي شع

ومزقت فزعي من ذي شع

And my liver was shattered by so much [unclear word].

My liver wasted away from the excess of suffering,

And my terror was torn apart by one with [unclear word].

And my composure was ripped apart from the owner of passion.

والشجو أقلقني والقلب في شجر

والشجو أقلقني والقلب في شجر

والجسم منهمك من

والجسم منهمك من

And sorrow has troubled me, and the heart is among trees.

Yearning kept me awake and my heart is broken,

And the body is engrossed, from...

And my body is immersed in grief.

الله يهلكه الله يلعنه

الله يهلكه الله يلعنه

الله يمحقه من شيمة السلم

الله يمحقه من شيمة السلم

May God destroy him; may God curse him.

May God destroy him, may God curse him,

May God obliterate him from the nature of peace.

May God eradicate him for the trait of peace.

الله ينشنه

الله ينشنه

الله يتحفه من سهم ذي سقم

الله يتحفه من سهم ذي سقم

May God take aim at him.

May God whet his arrow,

May God give him a gift from an arrow bearing sickness.

May God equip him with the arrows of disease.

هو الخبيث الذي جلت بشاعته

هو الخبيث الذي جلت بشاعته

واستعظمت الشبل في أجم

واستعظمت الشبل في أجم

He is the vile one whose hideousness is immense.

He is the despicable one whose ugliness is exposed,

And I deemed the lion cub mighty in the thickets.

And the cub seemed great in the valley.

لا يسمح الدهر

لا يسمح الدهر

فالقلب ممتلئ من جزم ذي صمم

فالقلب ممتلئ من جزم ذي صمم

Time does not permit...

Fate does not forgive,

For the heart is full of the resolve of one who is deaf.

So the heart is full of determination and resolve.

لا يجمع الله بيني وبينه أبدا

لا يجمع الله بيني وبينه أبدا

فالأفق شيمته والسفك مكتتم

فالأفق شيمته والسفك مكتتم

May God never bring me and him together.

May God never unite me with him again,

For the horizon is his nature, and bloodshed is concealed.

For the horizon is his trait and bloodshed his trade.