نُبِّئتُI was told عُتبَةَʿUtbah شاعِرَpoet of الغَوغاءِthe rabble
نُبِّئتُ عُتبَةَ شاعِرَ الغَوغاءِ
قَدindeed ضَجَّhe raised an outcry مِنat عَوديmy returning وَمِنand at إِبدائيmy beginning
قَد ضَجَّ مِن عَودي وَمِن إِبدائي
I was told that ʿUtbah, poet of the rabble,
has cried out at what I repeat and what I begin.
لَمّاwhen غَضِبتُI grew angry عَلىat القَريضِpoetry هَجَوتُهُI lampooned him
لَمّا غَضِبتُ عَلى القَريضِ هَجَوتُهُ
وَجَعَلتُand I made خِلقَتَهُhis physical form هِجاءَa lampoon upon هِجائيmy lampoon
وَجَعَلتُ خِلقَتَهُ هِجاءَ هِجائي
When I grew angry at poetry, I lampooned him,
and made his form a lampoon upon my lampoon.
ماnot كانَwas جَهلُكَyour ignorance تارِكاًabandoning لَكَfor your sake غِيُّهُits waywardness
ما كانَ جَهلُكَ تارِكاً لَكَ غِيُّهُ
حَتّىuntil تَكونَyou become دَجاجَةَthe hen of الرَقّاءِal-Raqqāʾ
حَتّى تَكونَ دَجاجَةَ الرَقّاءِ
Your ignorance would not abandon its waywardness for your sake
until you became the hen of al-Raqqāʾ.
حِلميmy forbearance عَنِtoward الحُلَماءِthe forbearing غَيرُnot مُكَدَّرٍclouded
حِلمي عَنِ الحُلَماءِ غَيرُ مُكَدَّرٍ
وَالحَتفُand death فِيin سَفَهيmy folly عَلىagainst السُفَهاءِthe foolish
وَالحَتفُ فِي سَفَهي عَلى السُفَهاءِ
My forbearance toward the forbearing is unclouded,
and death lies in my folly against fools.
أَضعِفhow feeble بِمَنis one who أَمسىwas in the evening وَأَصبَحَand was in the morning أَمرُهُhis affairs
أَضعِف بِمَن أَمسى وَأَصبَحَ أَمرُهُ
تَبَعاًsubject لأِمرِto the command of الدودَةِthe worm الشَعراءِhairy
تَبَعاً لأِمرِ الدودَةِ الشَعراءِ
How feeble is one whose affairs, evening and morning,
are subject to the command of a hairy worm!
إِنّيindeed I لَأَعجَبُsurely marvel مِنat أُناسٍpeople صُوِّرواwere fashioned
إِنّي لَأَعجَبُ مِن أُناسٍ صُوِّروا
صُوَرَthe forms of الرِجالِmen لَهُمthey have فُروجُgenitals of نِساءِwomen
صُوَرَ الرِجالِ لَهُم فُروجُ نِساءِ
I truly marvel at people who were fashioned
in men's shapes, yet have women's genitals.
اللَهُGod يَعلَمُknows أَنَّهاthat it لَمُصيبَةٌis indeed a calamity
اللَهُ يَعلَمُ أَنَّها لَمُصيبَةٌ
نَزَلَتhas descended وَلاand not سيماthe like (idiom: especially) عَلىupon الشُعَراءِthe poets
نَزَلَت وَلا سيما عَلى الشُعَراءِ
God knows that it is indeed a calamity
that has descended—especially upon poets.
ماnot الشَمسُthe sun أَعجَبُmore astonishing حينَwhen تَطلُعُit rises لِلوَرىfor mankind
ما الشَمسُ أَعجَبُ حينَ تَطلُعُ لِلوَرى
غَربِيَّةًfrom the west مِنthan شاعِرٍa poet بَغّاءِa whore
غَربِيَّةً مِن شاعِرٍ بَغّاءِ
The sun is no more astonishing when it rises for mankind
from the west than a poet who is a whore.
إِنif كُنتَyou are لَستَyou are not بِمُنتَهٍdesisting عَنfrom بَذلِهاoffering it
إِن كُنتَ لَستَ بِمُنتَهٍ عَن بَذلِها
فَأَناthen I أَحَقُّmore entitled بِهاto it مِنَthan الغُرَباءِstrangers
فَأَنا أَحَقُّ بِها مِنَ الغُرَباءِ
If you will not stop giving it away,
then I am more entitled to it than strangers.
Sol 6.1