يا قاضياً ما مثله من قاضٍ

يا قاضياً ما مثله من قاضٍ

أنا بالذي تقضي علينا راض

أنا بالذي تقضي علينا راض

O judge—there is no judge like you.

O judge, with no equal among judges,

I am content with whatever you rule against us.

I am content with what you decree against us.

فلقد لبست ضفية ملمومةً

فلقد لبست ضفية ملمومةً

من نسج ذاك البارق الفضفاض

من نسج ذاك البارق الفضفاض

For I have donned a close-plaited braid,

For I have indeed donned an ample, close-woven garment,

woven by that gleaming, free-flowing one.

woven by that wide-spreading lightning.

لا تغضبن إذا نظمت تنفساً

لا تغضبن إذا نظمت تنفساً

إن الغضا في مثل ذاك تغاضي

إن الغضا في مثل ذاك تغاضي

Do not be angry when I string verse as a breath of release;

Do not grow angry if I put a sigh into verse;

indeed, in such a case, a ghaḍā-fire is forbearance.

for overlooking such a thing is my forbearance.

فلقد بُليت بشاعر متقادر

فلقد بُليت بشاعر متقادر

ولقد بُليت بنات ذئب غاضي

ولقد بُليت بنات ذئب غاضي

For you have indeed been tried by a formidable poet,

For I have indeed been afflicted with a poet who flaunts his powers,

and the daughters of a raging wolf—its fangs—have indeed worn down.

and the daughters of a wolf with averted eyes have indeed been tried.

ولقد قرضضتض الشعر فاسمع واستمع

ولقد قرضضتض الشعر فاسمع واستمع

لنشيد شعر طائعاً وقراضض

لنشيد شعر طائعاً وقراضض

I have indeed bitten verse into shape—so hear and listen,

And indeed I [apparently: composed] poetry—so hear and listen

obediently, to a poem’s recitation and to my own verse-biting.

to the chanting of poetry, willingly, and [garbled word].

فلأغلبن بديهة ببديهتي

فلأغلبن بديهة ببديهتي

ولأرمين سواده ببياض

ولأرمين سواده ببياض

I shall surely outdo an improvisation with my own,

For I shall surely outdo an improvisation with my own,

and I shall surely strike his blackness with my whiteness.

and I shall surely pelt his blackness with whiteness.