شجيع بن الدهان نعرفه

شجيع بن الدهان نعرفه

منجّما ما قرا ولا سيّر

منجّما ما قرا ولا سيّر

Shujayʿ ibn al-Dahhān—we know him—

We know Shajīʿ ibn al-Dahhān

as an astrologer who has neither studied nor calculated the stars’ courses.

as an astrologer who has neither studied nor calculated astrological directions.

إن حل زيجا بزعمه فإلى ال

إن حل زيجا بزعمه فإلى ال

اسكاف بعدوبه ولا يضجر

اسكاف بعدوبه ولا يضجر

If he works out a zīj, as he claims, then my god is the—

If he unravels an astronomical table, as he claims, then to the

cobbler with his tool, and he never grows weary.

cobbler [he runs with it], and does not grow impatient.

وإن جرى في الحساب خاطره

وإن جرى في الحساب خاطره

فسنبل عنده أبو معشر

فسنبل عنده أبو معشر

And if a thought of calculation passes through his mind,

And if his mind turns to calculation,

then, beside him, Sanbal is Abū Maʿshar.

then Sunbul, to him, is Abū Maʿshar.

أبغي ابنِ أنثى يُناك في دُبُرٍ

أبغي ابنِ أنثى يُناك في دُبُرٍ

وشعره من نجومه أدبر

وشعره من نجومه أدبر

I want a son of woman to be buggered in an arse—

The lewdest son of woman, fucked in the anus;

and his poetry is more ill-starred than his stars.

and his poetry is more ill-starred than his stars.