إِن تَكُ عُكلٌ في هاشِمٍ أُخَرِ

إِن تَكُ عُكلٌ في هاشِمٍ أُخَرِ

مِن بَعدِ عُكلٍ فَساكِنو العَقَبَه

مِن بَعدِ عُكلٍ فَساكِنو العَقَبَه

If there are other ʿUkl among Hāshim,

If there remains a hero in Hashim

after ʿUkl, they are the dwellers of al-ʿAqabah.

After heroes, then those inhabiting highlands

وَلَستُ أَعني أَخي أَبا حَسَنِ

وَلَستُ أَعني أَخي أَبا حَسَنِ

مَكرُمَةً ثَمَّ جِدُّ مُغتَرِبَه

مَكرُمَةً ثَمَّ جِدُّ مُغتَرِبَه

And I do not mean my brother Abū Ḥasan—

I do not mean my brother Abu al-Hasan

a noble virtue, utterly a stranger there.

Nobly, then seriously estranged

يا سَوءَتا مِن طِلابِ نائِلِهِم

يا سَوءَتا مِن طِلابِ نائِلِهِم

وَمَدحِ رَغثانَ أَزغَبَ الرَقَبَه

وَمَدحِ رَغثانَ أَزغَبَ الرَقَبَه

Oh, my shame at seeking their bounty

Oh what evil from seekers getting their wish

and praising a suckling with a downy neck!

And praising the scum, the scruffiest of necks

أَحمَرُ مِثلُ النُحاسِ في قَشَرٍ

أَحمَرُ مِثلُ النُحاسِ في قَشَرٍ

تَدمى فَلا فِضَّةٌ وَلا ذَهَبه

تَدمى فَلا فِضَّةٌ وَلا ذَهَبه

Red as copper, in a skin

Red like copper in a peel

that bleeds—neither silver nor gold.

Bleeding yet no silver nor gold

كَما اِنتَضى الكَلبُ أَيرَهُ فَتَرى

كَما اِنتَضى الكَلبُ أَيرَهُ فَتَرى

لَوناً صَقيلاً وَهِمَّةً خَرِبَه

لَوناً صَقيلاً وَهِمَّةً خَرِبَه

As when a dog unsheathes its cock, you see

As the dog raised its tail, you see

a gleaming hue and a ruined spirit.

A polished color yet ruined impulse

خاسَت بِهِ عِندَ فَرطِ كَبرَتِهِ

خاسَت بِهِ عِندَ فَرطِ كَبرَتِهِ

لوطِيَّةٌ في خَراهُ مُنقَلِبَه

لوطِيَّةٌ في خَراهُ مُنقَلِبَه

In his extreme old age, he was betrayed

Debased in him at the excess of his pride

by sodomy, wallowing in his shit.

Is a sodomite in his ruins overturned