ياO أَحمَدُAhmad بنَson of أَبيAbi (father of) دُؤادٍDu'ad دَعوَةًan imprecation
يا أَحمَدُ بنَ أَبي دُؤادٍ دَعوَةً
بَعَثَتsent إِلَيكَto you جَنادِلاًboulders وَحَديداand iron
بَعَثَت إِلَيكَ جَنادِلاً وَحَديدا
O Ahmad ibn Abi Du'ad—a curse
O Ahmad ibn Abi Du'ad, I sent
That sends boulders and iron against you!
Spears and swords to you as an invitation
ماwhat هذِهِthese البِدَعُthe innovations الَّتيthat سَمَّيتَهاyou called them
ما هذِهِ البِدَعُ الَّتي سَمَّيتَها
بِالجَهلِin ignorance مِنكَon your part العَدلَjustice وَالتَوحيداand divine unity
بِالجَهلِ مِنكَ العَدلَ وَالتَوحيدا
What are these innovations that you have called,
What are these innovations you named
In your ignorance, “justice” and “divine unity”?
With ignorance - justice and monotheism?
أَفسَدتَyou corrupted أَمرَthe affairs of الدينِreligion حينَwhen وَليتَهُyou took charge of it
أَفسَدتَ أَمرَ الدينِ حينَ وَليتَهُ
وَرَمَيتَهُand you assailed it بِأَبيwith Abu (father of) الوَليدِal-Walid وَليداa child
وَرَمَيتَهُ بِأَبي الوَليدِ وَليدا
You corrupted the affairs of religion when you took charge of it,
You corrupted the matter of religion when you took charge
And assailed it with Abu al-Walid, a mere child:
And cast it with Abul Walid and the boy Walid
لاnot مُحكَماًwell-grounded جَزلاًsubstantial وَلاnor مُستَطرَفاًpleasing
لا مُحكَماً جَزلاً وَلا مُستَطرَفاً
كَهلاًa mature man وَلاnor مُستَحدَثاًa newcomer مَحموداpraiseworthy
كَهلاً وَلا مُستَحدَثاً مَحمودا
Neither sound and substantial, nor pleasing
Neither mature and meaningful nor elegant
As a mature man, nor praiseworthy as a newcomer.
Old nor newly praised
شَرِهاًgluttonous إِذاwhen ذُكِرَwere mentioned المَكارِمُnoble deeds وَالعُلاand lofty honor
شَرِهاً إِذا ذُكِرَ المَكارِمُ وَالعُلا
ذَكَرَhe mentioned القَلاياfried meat dishes مُبدِئاًbeginning وَمُعيداand repeating
ذَكَرَ القَلايا مُبدِئاً وَمُعيدا
Gluttonous: when noble deeds and lofty honor are mentioned,
Evil when virtues and sublimity are mentioned
He mentions fried meats, over and over.
Speaking of insignificant matters, initiating and repeating
وَيَوَدُّand he wishes لَوif only مُسِخَتwere transformed رَبيعَةُRabi'a كُلُّهاall of it
وَيَوَدُّ لَو مُسِخَت رَبيعَةُ كُلُّها
وَبَنوand the sons of إِيادٍIyad صَحفَةًa platter وَثَريداand broth-soaked bread
وَبَنو إِيادٍ صَحفَةً وَثَريدا
And he wishes that all of Rabi'a were transformed,
If only Rabi'ah and the sons of Iyad altogether
And the sons of Iyad, into a platter and broth-soaked bread.
Were made into one nonsense and worthless page
وَإِذاand when تَرَبَّعَhe sat cross-legged فيin المجالسِthe gatherings خلتَهُyou took him for
وَإِذا تَرَبَّعَ في المجالسِ خلتَهُ
ضَبُعاًa hyena وخلتَand you took بنيthe sons of أبيهِhis father قروداmonkeys
ضَبُعاً وخلتَ بني أبيهِ قرودا
And when he sits cross-legged in gatherings, you take him for
And when he sits pompously in gatherings, you likened him
A hyena, and his father's sons for monkeys.
To a hyena and likened his father's sons to monkeys
وإذاand when تبسَّمَhe smiled ضاحِكاًlaughing شَبَّهتَهُyou likened him to
وإذا تبسَّمَ ضاحِكاً شَبَّهتَهُ
شَرِقاًchoking تَعَجَّلَhe hurried شُربَهُhis drinking مَزؤوداfrightened
شَرِقاً تَعَجَّلَ شُربَهُ مَزؤودا
And when he smiles in laughter, you liken him to
And when he smiles laughing, you likened him
A frightened man choking from drinking too hastily.
To the rising sun, hastening his drink gulped down
لاmay not أَصبَحَتgreet the morning بِالخَيرِin good fortune عَينٌan eye أَبصَرَتsaw
لا أَصبَحَت بِالخَيرِ عَينٌ أَبصَرَت
تِلكَthose المَناخِرَthe nostrils وَالثَناياand the front teeth السوداblack
تِلكَ المَناخِرَ وَالثَنايا السودا
May no eye wake to good fortune after seeing
No eye that saw those nostrils
Those nostrils and black front teeth.
And black lips awoke to any good
Sol 6.1