أجبت نزاراً على ذمها

أجبت نزاراً على ذمها

بذم يسد سمام النفس

بذم يسد سمام النفس

I answered Nizār's disparagement

I rebuked Nazar for blaming her

with disparagement that blocks the passages of breath.

With blame that chokes the soul's breath

فلم يمالك القوم رجع الجواب

فلم يمالك القوم رجع الجواب

إلينا وما بهم من خرس

إلينا وما بهم من خرس

So the people could not muster a reply

Yet the people could not restrain themselves, the answer

to us, though they were not mute,

Returned to us though they were mute

مخافة نكس إلى دائهم

مخافة نكس إلى دائهم

وشر السقام سقام نكس

وشر السقام سقام نكس

for fear of relapsing into their ailment;

Fearing a relapse into their malady

and the worst illness is one that returns.

And the evil of sickness is the relapse of sickness

وأضحت شياطين من فارس

وأضحت شياطين من فارس

تهمهم حولي كمثل البسس

تهمهم حولي كمثل البسس

And devils from Persia began

And demons from Persia became

muttering around me like cats.

Hovering around me like flies swarming

فكم من ذباب هوى ميتاً

فكم من ذباب هوى ميتاً

بنهم الهزبر إذا ما عطس

بنهم الهزبر إذا ما عطس

For many a fly has fallen dead

So many flies of passion died

at the lion's roar when he sneezes.

By the breath of disdain when it sneezes

ولم أك معتمداً فارساً

ولم أك معتمداً فارساً

بفخر يجد لها من درس

بفخر يجد لها من درس

Nor was I deliberately targeting Persia

Yet I was not depending on a Persian horseman

with a boast revived for her from oblivion.

To find for it any lesson in pride

وقد ساله سال من أبوك

وقد ساله سال من أبوك

فقال من اللؤم خال الفرس

فقال من اللؤم خال الفرس

And a questioner had asked him, "Who is your father?"

And he asked him who was his father?

So out of baseness he said, "The Persians' maternal uncle."

He said: "An ignoble uncle of a horse."