لَيتَwould that شعريmy knowledge بمfor what reason ذاthis المفthe boasting (first fragment)
لَيتَ شعري بم ذا المف
خرboasting (final fragment) ياO نَزرscant in الحَياءshame
خر يا نَزر الحَياء
Would that I knew the reason for this boasting,
I wonder, with what pride do you boast,
you of so little shame!
O meager vestige of modesty?
أَبِسَيفٍis it by a sword? أَمor بِجودٍby generosity
أَبِسَيفٍ أَم بِجودٍ
أَمor بِمَجدby glory أَمor سَناءsplendor
أَم بِمَجد أَم سَناء
Is it by a sword, or by generosity,
With a sword, generosity, glory, or eminence?
or by glory, or splendor?
You have adorned yourself with arrogance,
قَدindeed تَحَليتَyou have adorned yourself بِكبرٍwith arrogance
قَد تَحَليتَ بِكبرٍ
وَبَعَجبٍand with conceit وَجَفاءand harshness
وَبَعَجبٍ وَجَفاء
You have adorned yourself with arrogance,
Conceit and coldness,
and with conceit and harshness—
Traits which are no virtue for the cultured.
شيمtraits لَيسَتare not لعمريby my life
شيم لَيسَت لعمري
شيَماًtraits للأُدَباءof men of letters
شيَماً للأُدَباء
traits that, by my life, are not
Are you a son of kings, ministers,
the traits of men of letters.
Judges—men of knowledge and superiority?
أَمor مِنamong أَبناءsons مُلوكٍkings
أَم مِن أَبناء مُلوكٍ
أَنتَyou أَمor مِنamong وزراءviziers
أَنتَ أَم مِن وزراء
Or are you among the sons of kings,
Or of defenders meeting the foe during battle?
or among viziers?
Or of eloquent speakers and rhetoricians?
أَمor مِنamong أَبناءsons قُضاةٍjudges
أَم مِن أَبناء قُضاةٍ
عَلماءlearned men فَضلاءvirtuous men
عَلماء فَضلاء
Or among the sons of judges,
Where do you fit into any of these categories,
learned and virtuous?
You most foolish of fools?
أَمor مِنamong أَبناءsons حَماةٍdefenders
أَم مِن أَبناء حَماةٍ
بِالظُباwith sword-blades يَومon the day of اللقاءbattle
بِالظُبا يَوم اللقاء
Or among the sons of those who defend
You are not from the point
with sword-blades on the day of battle?
Of inception or conclusion in this context.
أَمor مِنamong أَبناءsons فِصاحٍeloquent men
أَم مِن أَبناء فِصاحٍ
خُطَباءٍorators بُلَغاءaccomplished speakers
خُطَباءٍ بُلَغاء
Or among the sons of eloquent men,
Rather your context is that of defamation,
orators accomplished in speech?
Not requital.
أَينَwhere مِنamong ذاthis الصنفclass تَعتدyou count yourself
أَينَ مِن ذا الصنف تَعتد
سَخيفfool السُخَفاءthe fools
سَخيف السُخَفاء
Where among this class do you count yourself,
Thus you have become one who vilifies
you fool among fools?
In the realm of disparagement.
لَستَyou are not فيin ذاthis النَحوgrammar مِنof باchapter (first fragment)
لَستَ في ذا النَحو مِن با
بchapter (final fragment) اِبتِداءٍbeginning وَانتِهاءand ending
ب اِبتِداءٍ وَانتِهاء
In this grammar, you do not belong to the chapter
With what do you proliferate your words?
of beginning and ending.
You are not my match.
إِنَّماonly بابكyour chapter بابchapter النthe negation (first fragment)
إِنَّما بابك باب الن
فيnegation (final fragment) لاnot بابchapter الجَزاءconditional consequence
في لا باب الجَزاء
Your chapter is only that of negation,
You are but a cowardly parasite
not that of conditional consequence.
Feeding on misery,
وَلِهَذاand for this reason صرتI have come مِنfrom نحةunclear fragment, probably 'grammar'
وَلِهَذا صرت مِن نحة
وكunclear continuation including 'your' فيin بابchapter الهِجاءsatire
وك في باب الهِجاء
And so, from your grammar [unclear wording], I have passed
As time pursues the worthless
into the chapter of satire.
In their greed for gain.
بِمَfor what reason ذاthis تُكثرyou do often مِنof قوsaying (first fragment)
بِمَ ذا تُكثر مِن قو
لكyour saying (final fragment) لَستُمyou (plural) are not بكفاءequal matches
لك لَستُم بكفاء
Why do you so often say,
What pride for one nurtured
'You are no equals'?
On the refuse of fleas? One who prospered
أَنتَyou إِلاonly نَجلson فراfurrier (first fragment)
أَنتَ إِلا نَجل فرا
ءٍfurrier (final fragment) تَغذىhe was nourished بِشَقاءon hardship
ءٍ تَغذى بِشَقاء
You are nothing but a furrier's son,
Among the hides of tanners,
nourished on hardship,
Like manure.
وَجَرىand he ran الدَهرthroughout his life وَراءafter الthe
وَجَرى الدَهر وَراء ال
فلسfals (small coin) حرصاًout of eagerness لاقتناءto acquire
فلس حرصاً لاقتناء
who ran all his life after
Your grandfather was a porter
a fals, eager to possess it.
From the land of fools,
أَيُّwhat فَخرٍpride لِمغذىfor one nourished
أَيُّ فَخرٍ لِمغذى
بِقَذاراتon filth فِراءfurs
بِقَذارات فِراء
What pride is there for one nourished
A barefoot wretch from the destitute,
on the filth of furs,
So cease your boasting, which does not
قَدindeed نَشاhe grew up ماwithin بَينَamong أَشقاpotsherds (first fragment)
قَد نَشا ما بَينَ أَشقا
فِpotsherds (final fragment) دباغa tanner كَالخراءlike shit
فِ دباغ كَالخراء
who grew up among the potsherds
Befit the rational.
of a tanner, like shit?
Remove the burdensome cloak of arrogance,
جَدكyour grandfather البُرجيُal-Burji مِنfrom بُرBurja (first fragment)
جَدك البُرجيُ مِن بُر
جَةBurja (final fragment) دارabode الأَغبياءthe fools
جَة دار الأَغبياء
Your grandfather, al-Burji, is from Burja,
For rising above one’s status
the abode of fools,
Is no virtue for the lowly.
مِنamong جُعاةٍhungry people لاnot سُراةnoblemen
مِن جُعاةٍ لا سُراة
وَحَفاةand barefoot people أَشقياءwretched people
وَحَفاة أَشقياء
one of the hungry, not the noble,
and the barefoot and wretched.
فَدَعso abandon الفَخرَboasting فَلَيسَfor it is not الthe
فَدَع الفَخرَ فَلَيسَ ال
فَخرُboasting سيماmark العُقَلاءthe wise
فَخرُ سيما العُقَلاء
So abandon boasting, for boasting is not
the mark of the wise.
حُطtake off عَنfrom مَنكَبshoulder فَحواmeaning of speech (first fragment)
حُط عَن مَنكَب فَحوا
كyour رواءsplendor الكبرياءarrogance
ك رواء الكبرياء
Take from the shoulder of your speech
the splendor of arrogance;
فَاِرتِفاعfor the rising المَرءa man فَوقَabove الthe
فَاِرتِفاع المَرء فَوقَ ال
قَدرِstation سيماmark الوَضعاءthe ignoble
قَدرِ سيما الوَضعاء
for a man's rising above
his station is the mark of the ignoble.
Partial English translation: 36 of 44 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1