أَعلي تعتب شاعر الغَوغاء

أَعلي تعتب شاعر الغَوغاء

مُتَعَرِضاً جَهلاً لِوَسم هِجائي

مُتَعَرِضاً جَهلاً لِوَسم هِجائي

Is it me you reproach, poet of the rabble,

O you who rebukes the poet of the rabble

ignorantly exposing yourself to the brand of my satire?

Exposing your ignorance to be branded as vitriolic

يا خاطِباً بكرَ الهجاء بِلَومه

يا خاطِباً بكرَ الهجاء بِلَومه

ما إِن أَراك لَها مِن الأَكفاء

ما إِن أَراك لَها مِن الأَكفاء

O suitor wooing satire's virgin with his reproach,

Or addressing the foremost of vitriol with blame

I do not see you among her worthy equals.

I do not see you as his peer

في الهَجو رفعةُ كُلُ مَرءٍ ساقط

في الهَجو رفعةُ كُلُ مَرءٍ ساقط

وَالغُبن في سَفهٍ عَلى السُفَهاء

وَالغُبن في سَفهٍ عَلى السُفَهاء

In satire lies the elevation of every base man,

In vilification the elevation of every fallen one

and the loss lies in acting foolishly against fools.

And the loss is in the foolishness of fools

إِن كُنت تَبغي أَن تُناسِبني استَعر

إِن كُنت تَبغي أَن تُناسِبني استَعر

نَسَباً أُجبكَ فَلَستَ لي بِكفاء

نَسَباً أُجبكَ فَلَستَ لي بِكفاء

If you seek to match my lineage, borrow

If you want to match me then seek

a pedigree; I will answer you, for you are no equal of mine.

A lineage and I will answer you are not my peer

أَعليَّ ياعَيراً خُصوصاً تَجتَري

أَعليَّ ياعَيراً خُصوصاً تَجتَري

وَالأُسد قَد هابَت كَريهَ لِقائي

وَالأُسد قَد هابَت كَريهَ لِقائي

Do you dare assail me in particular, O ass,

O you who specifically reproaches me

when lions have feared the dread of facing me?

While lions have recoiled in fear of encountering me

يا لَيتَ شعري ما الَّذي أَغراكَ بي

يا لَيتَ شعري ما الَّذي أَغراكَ بي

أَأَمنتَ مِن بَطشىٍ وَمِن غَلوائي

أَأَمنتَ مِن بَطشىٍ وَمِن غَلوائي

Would that I knew what incited you against me!

Oh, if only I knew what emboldened you against me

Did you feel safe from my violence and my fury?

Did you feel safe from my power and twisting ways?

فُرسانُ قَولي تَتَقيها إِن عَدت

فُرسانُ قَولي تَتَقيها إِن عَدت

فُرسانُ كُلُ كَتيبة خَضراء

فُرسانُ كُلُ كَتيبة خَضراء

The horsemen of my words, if they charge, are feared

The stallions of my words, beware if you return

by the horsemen of every green battalion.

The stallions of every verdant battalion

أَني تَفوت مَخالِبي في بَلدة

أَني تَفوت مَخالِبي في بَلدة

أَرضى بِها مَبسوطَةٌ وَسَمائي

أَرضى بِها مَبسوطَةٌ وَسَمائي

How can you escape my claws in a land

That my claws miss their mark in a land

where my earth is spread out, and my sky as well?

I'm content with, its expanse being my heavens

لي صارِمٌ ما شامَهُ مِن غمده

لي صارِمٌ ما شامَهُ مِن غمده

أَحَدٌ فَأَفلَت وَهُوَ ذو سَرّاء

أَحَدٌ فَأَفلَت وَهُوَ ذو سَرّاء

I have a keen sword: never has it been drawn from its sheath

I have a sword that none protected by its sheath

by anyone who escaped still happy.

Has escaped while it is in its sheath

لَو كُنت تَعقل لَم تَطع كُلُ اِمرِئٍ

لَو كُنت تَعقل لَم تَطع كُلُ اِمرِئٍ

مُتَزنّمٍ بِنَميمةٍ مشاء

مُتَزنّمٍ بِنَميمةٍ مشاء

Had you sense, you would not obey every man,

If you were reasonable you would not obey every

a false claimant to lineage, forever going about with slander.

Slanderous whisperer walking about

كدرت صَفو الود منى بَعدَما

كدرت صَفو الود منى بَعدَما

أَمحضته لَكَ وَالوَفاءُ وَفائي

أَمحضته لَكَ وَالوَفاءُ وَفائي

You muddied the purity of my affection, after

You disturbed the sincerity of affection from me after

I had given it sincerely to you; true loyalty is mine.

I purified it for you, my loyalty being my faithfulness

وَرَأَيت اِسخاطي بِقَولة كاشحٍ

وَرَأَيت اِسخاطي بِقَولة كاشحٍ

قَد كُنت أَجدرَ أَن تَرى اِرضائي

قَد كُنت أَجدرَ أَن تَرى اِرضائي

You chose to anger me at a spiteful foe's remark,

And you saw my anger in a piercing saying

though you should rather have sought to please me.

I was more deserving for you to see my pleasure

وَأَرَدت جَحدَ فَضائِلي فَشَهدت لي

وَأَرَدت جَحدَ فَضائِلي فَشَهدت لي

إِذ صارَ ذمك شاهد الفَضلاء

إِذ صارَ ذمك شاهد الفَضلاء

You sought to deny my virtues, yet testified for me,

And you wanted to deny my merits so you testified for me

since your censure became a witness for the worthy.

Since your dispraise bore witness for the virtuous

أَعراكَ جن أَم غُشيت بِنورَها

أَعراكَ جن أَم غُشيت بِنورَها

فَأَرَدت ستر شُموسَها بِرِداء

فَأَرَدت ستر شُموسَها بِرِداء

Has madness seized you, or were you overwhelmed by their light,

Did a jinn possess you or was it her light

so that you sought to cover their suns with a cloak?

That covered its suns with a cloak?

وَزَعمت أَنكَ في القَريض مُساجِلي

وَزَعمت أَنكَ في القَريض مُساجِلي

هَل قِيسَت الدَأماء بِالاحساء

هَل قِيسَت الدَأماء بِالاحساء

You claimed to be my rival in poetry;

And you claimed that in poetry you contend with me

has the deep sea ever been compared with sand-wells?

Can darkness be compared to brilliance?

إِن القَريض لَحِطةٌ لا خُطةٌ

إِن القَريض لَحِطةٌ لا خُطةٌ

قَد صرت يا يحيى مِن الشُعراء

قَد صرت يا يحيى مِن الشُعراء

Poetry is surely abasement, not a rank of honor,

Poetry is a disgrace not a pride

now that you, Yahya, have become one of the poets.

You have become, O Yahya, one of the poets

إِن القَوافي لَو أَرَدت مَلاكَها

إِن القَوافي لَو أَرَدت مَلاكَها

ما صارَت إِلّا تَحتَ ظلّ لِوائي

ما صارَت إِلّا تَحتَ ظلّ لِوائي

The rhymes, had I wished to master them,

If I wanted its rhymes I would have owned them

would have come only beneath my banner's shade.

But they would only be under the shade of my banner

لَكِنَّني أَرضى الكَفاف فَلا أُرى

لَكِنَّني أَرضى الكَفاف فَلا أُرى

مستجدي الأمراء وَالوزراء

مستجدي الأمراء وَالوزراء

But I am content with enough, so I am not seen

However, I am content with subsistence so I do not

begging from princes and ministers.

Appear begging rulers and ministers

لَيسَ الغِنى بِالمال يَجمَعهُ الفَتى

لَيسَ الغِنى بِالمال يَجمَعهُ الفَتى

خَير الغِنى عِندي غِنى الحَوباء

خَير الغِنى عِندي غِنى الحَوباء

Wealth is not the money a young man amasses;

Wealth is not riches the youth accumulates

the best wealth, to me, is wealth of the soul.

The best wealth to me is the richness of resolve

إِن كُنتَ أَعوزت الثَراء فَإِن لي

إِن كُنتَ أَعوزت الثَراء فَإِن لي

نَفساً قَناعتها أَجلُّ ثَراء

نَفساً قَناعتها أَجلُّ ثَراء

If you have lacked riches, I possess

If you were deprived of wealth, I have

a soul whose contentment is the noblest wealth.

A self whose contentment is the greatest wealth

مالي سِوى أَدَبي غِنى وَحَزامَةٌ

مالي سِوى أَدَبي غِنى وَحَزامَةٌ

تَرمي الخطوب بِفَيلَقٍ شَهباء

تَرمي الخطوب بِفَيلَقٍ شَهباء

I have no wealth but my learning and sound judgment

All I have is my literature, my wealth, and a belt

that assails calamities with a gray-hued army.

That casts misfortunes with streams of comets

أَصدى فَلا أُبدي لِمَرءٍ حاجَةً

أَصدى فَلا أُبدي لِمَرءٍ حاجَةً

وَالنار تَنبع مِن حِمى المَعزاء

وَالنار تَنبع مِن حِمى المَعزاء

I thirst, yet show no man my need,

So be silent and I will not show anyone need

while fire wells up from the stony ground's precinct.

While fire springs from the fervor of determination

إِني أَعاف غِنى يَجرّ مَذَلَةً

إِني أَعاف غِنى يَجرّ مَذَلَةً

وَأَحب فَقراً جالبَ العَلياء

وَأَحب فَقراً جالبَ العَلياء

I abhor wealth that brings humiliation,

I disdain wealth that draws humiliation

and love poverty that brings high honor.

And I love poverty that brings nobility

وَأَرى مَوارد لَو أَشاءُ وَرَدتها

وَأَرى مَوارد لَو أَشاءُ وَرَدتها

لَكن نَفس الحُر ذاتُ ظِماء

لَكن نَفس الحُر ذاتُ ظِماء

I see watering places I could reach if I wished,

And I see pursuits that if I wished to take them

but the free man's soul remains thirsty.

But the soul of the free is one with thirst

عَجَباً يَحيى أَن يَكون مُفاخِري

عَجَباً يَحيى أَن يَكون مُفاخِري

هَل فاخر الديجور شَمسَ ضحاء

هَل فاخر الديجور شَمسَ ضحاء

How strange that Yahya should vie with me in glory!

Wondrous! O Yahya, that my pride would be

Has pitch-dark night ever vied with the midmorning sun?

As if the sun competed with the morning glow

ما غَرَّ ذا المَسكين إِلّا أَنَّهُ

ما غَرَّ ذا المَسكين إِلّا أَنَّهُ

أَجرى هَجين قَريضه بِخلاء

أَجرى هَجين قَريضه بِخلاء

Nothing deluded this wretch except that

Nothing emboldened this poor soul except that

he raced the half-bred steed of his verse on an empty course.

He brought forth two deserted poems

أَيَكون في الآداب مثلُكَ سابِقي

أَيَكون في الآداب مثلُكَ سابِقي

وَصَواهلي حازَت رِهان عَلاء

وَصَواهلي حازَت رِهان عَلاء

Could someone like you outstrip me in letters,

Could there be the likes of you preceding me in knowledge

when my neighing steeds have won the stakes of eminence?

While my writings have won the wager of the lofty

إِن كانَ أَخّرني زَمانٌ جِئته

إِن كانَ أَخّرني زَمانٌ جِئته

بدءُ التَفكر آخر الانساء

بدءُ التَفكر آخر الانساء

If the age I came into has placed me later,

If an era left me behind I came to it

what comes first in thought comes last in creation [uncertain reading].

With contemplation, the last of mankind

أَو كُنت تَجهل ما أَقول فَعاذرٌ

أَو كُنت تَجهل ما أَقول فَعاذرٌ

أَن لا تَراه بِمُقلةٍ عَمياء

أَن لا تَراه بِمُقلةٍ عَمياء

Or if you do not understand what I say, I excuse you

Or you did not know what I say, so you are pardoned

for not seeing it with a blind eye.

For not seeing with a blind eye

يا فَرقداً يَسمو لِرُتبةِ فَرقَدٍ

يا فَرقداً يَسمو لِرُتبةِ فَرقَدٍ

هَيهاتَ مِنكَ كَواكب الجَوزاء

هَيهاتَ مِنكَ كَواكب الجَوزاء

O calf aspiring to the rank of Farqad,

O you who aspires to the position of an insignificant one

far beyond you are the stars of al-Jawza'!

Alas! For you among the stars of Gemini

إِن الحَياء لشيمَةٌ مَحمودَةٌ

إِن الحَياء لشيمَةٌ مَحمودَةٌ

لَكن وَجهك لَيسَ وَجهَ حَياء

لَكن وَجهك لَيسَ وَجهَ حَياء

Modesty is indeed a praiseworthy trait,

Bashfulness is a praised trait

but your face is no face of modesty.

But your face is not one of bashfulness

تالّله لَولا أَنَّني أَبصَرتُهُ

تالّله لَولا أَنَّني أَبصَرتُهُ

لَحَسِبتُهُ مِن صَخرَةٍ صَماء

لَحَسِبتُهُ مِن صَخرَةٍ صَماء

By God, had I not seen it,

By God! If I had not seen it

I would have thought it made of solid rock.

I would have reckoned it to be from deaf rock

يا قحوانيَّ الطِباع لأَيّما

يا قحوانيَّ الطِباع لأَيّما

سَبَب قَضبتَ الحَبلَ حَبلَ اِخائي

سَبَب قَضبتَ الحَبلَ حَبلَ اِخائي

O man of monkey-like nature, for what

O you coarse of nature! For whatever

reason did you sever the cord—the cord of my brotherhood?

Reason did you cut the rope, the rope of my brotherhood

وَذَمَمتني مِن غَيرِ ذَنبٍ جئته

وَذَمَمتني مِن غَيرِ ذَنبٍ جئته

فَأَفدتَ أَن غَيَرت ماءَ صَفائي

فَأَفدتَ أَن غَيَرت ماءَ صَفائي

You censured me for no offense I committed,

And blamed me without a sin I came to

and your gain was to disturb the water of my purity.

So you revealed the changing of the water of my purity

مِن أَجل أَني قُلت إِنكَ مُخطئٌ

مِن أَجل أَني قُلت إِنكَ مُخطئٌ

فيما أَتيت بشهِ مِن النَكراء

فيما أَتيت بشهِ مِن النَكراء

Because I said that you were wrong

Because I said you were mistaken

in the unseemly thing you produced,

In what you brought of the disavowed

شَبَهت مَمدوحاً مَدَحت وَعِرسه

شَبَهت مَمدوحاً مَدَحت وَعِرسه

بِحَمامَةٍ زُفَّت إِلى فَتخاء

بِحَمامَةٍ زُفَّت إِلى فَتخاء

you likened a man you praised and his wife

You compared the one whose praise I lauded, his marriage

to a dove led as a bride to a broad-winged she-eagle.

To a dove sent to one who discloses secrets

ثُم اِحتَجَبت تخالُ قَولك مثله

ثُم اِحتَجَبت تخالُ قَولك مثله

بِمشبّهٍ مَمدوحه بِذَكاء

بِمشبّهٍ مَمدوحه بِذَكاء

Then you sought cover, thinking your statement like his,

Then you took cover, thinking your words like it

behind one who likened the man he praised to Dhuka', the sun.

With a comparison, his praise to intelligence

وَحَسبت أَن ذَكاءَ في مَدح بِها

وَحَسبت أَن ذَكاءَ في مَدح بِها

في اللَفظ مثل اللَقوةِ الفَتخاء

في اللَفظ مثل اللَقوةِ الفَتخاء

You supposed that Dhuka', when used in praise,

Does the sun of day become feminine in reality

was, in wording, like the broad-winged she-eagle.

By nature? Speak if you possess any wit

هَل أُنثت شَمس النَهار حَقيقَةً

هَل أُنثت شَمس النَهار حَقيقَةً

بِالطَبع قُل إِن كُنت خِدن ذَكاء

بِالطَبع قُل إِن كُنت خِدن ذَكاء

Is the daylight sun truly female

With knowledge, not insults, rebut my saying

by nature? Say, if you are a companion of intelligence.

For insults are the acts of the weak and subservient

بِالعلم لا بِالسَبّ رُدّ مَقالَتي

بِالعلم لا بِالسَبّ رُدّ مَقالَتي

فَالسَب فعلُ الدَعي وَالضُعَفاء

فَالسَب فعلُ الدَعي وَالضُعَفاء

Answer my statement with knowledge, not abuse;

What supports a man in his words

abuse is the act of the baseborn and the weak.

Is not insult but the white argument

ما يَعضدُ الإِنسان قَولاً قالَهُ

ما يَعضدُ الإِنسان قَولاً قالَهُ

بِالسَب بَل بِالحجة البَيضاء

بِالسَب بَل بِالحجة البَيضاء

A person does not support a statement he has made

If it were not for decency holding me back

with abuse, but with clear proof.

From insulting one who is not my peer

لَولا رَقيبٌ لِلمُروءة ممسكٌ

لَولا رَقيبٌ لِلمُروءة ممسكٌ

لي عَن هَجا مَن لَيسَ مِن أَكفائي

لي عَن هَجا مَن لَيسَ مِن أَكفائي

Were it not for a guardian of honor restraining

I would send from my speech to you scorpions

me from satirizing those who are not my equals,

That wound to exhaustion the slender

لَبَعَثت مِن نَطقي إَلَيك عَقارِباً

لَبَعَثت مِن نَطقي إَلَيك عَقارِباً

لَداغة تَعيي عَلى الرُقاء

لَداغة تَعيي عَلى الرُقاء

I would send you scorpions from my speech,

And cut your lineage with a saying that pleases sacrifice

fiercely stinging, beyond the charm-healers' powers,

Obliterating it by soul and fathers

وَقَطَعت فاكَ بِقَولةٍ تُرضى الفِدا

وَقَطَعت فاكَ بِقَولةٍ تُرضى الفِدا

لمحقها بِالنَفس وَالآباء

لمحقها بِالنَفس وَالآباء

and shut your mouth with a saying you would gladly pay ransom

But the Quran to you is my contention

to erase—with your own life and your fathers'.

And a merit witnessed by my enemies

لَكن قُرآناً إَلَيكَ مَجاذِبي

لَكن قُرآناً إَلَيكَ مَجاذِبي

وَفَضيلة شَهدت بِها أَعدائي

وَفَضيلة شَهدت بِها أَعدائي

But my exchanges with you are a recitation [wording unclear],

Take it, for it makes one forget the censure

and a virtue to which my enemies have testified.

O you who rebukes, O son of the villainous smearer!

خُذها إَلَيك فَإِنَّها تَنسى الوَرى

خُذها إَلَيك فَإِنَّها تَنسى الوَرى

يا عِتبُ يا ابن الفعلةِ اللخناء

يا عِتبُ يا ابن الفعلةِ اللخناء

Take it, for it makes mankind forget:

O 'Itb, O son of the foul-smelling harlot!