بلدٌ أبو الفتح اللئيمُ عميدُهُ

بلدٌ أبو الفتح اللئيمُ عميدُهُ

والقاسمُ بن الفضل قيل رئيسُهُ

والقاسمُ بن الفضل قيل رئيسُهُ

A town whose head is the vile Abu al-Fath,

A country whose stupid leader is Abul Fath

And whose chief, they say, is al-Qasim ibn al-Fadl.

And it is said that Al Qasim bin Al Fadl is its president

وظريفُه الكافي الطويل وعرضُه

وظريفُه الكافي الطويل وعرضُه

رثُّ الرداء كما عرفتَ لبَيسُه

رثُّ الرداء كما عرفتَ لبَيسُه

And its wit is al-Kafi the Tall, and his honor

Its refined one is Al Kafi Al Tawil, and its width

Is clad in threadbare raiment, as you know.

Is the shabby, torn cloak, as you know its cheapness

ونقيبُه التيسُ الرِضا متبظرِمٌ

ونقيبُه التيسُ الرِضا متبظرِمٌ

مع أنِّه دنِسُ الَمحلِّ خسيسُه

مع أنِّه دنِسُ الَمحلِّ خسيسُه

And its headman, the billy goat al-Rida, blusters,

Its leader is Al Tays Arridha, frowning

Though he is foul and base in station.

Despite his being the dirty, despised one

وابنُ الخطيبيّ الصغير لحكمهِ

وابنُ الخطيبيّ الصغير لحكمهِ

زلَلٌ وجروُ المندوي جليسهُ

زلَلٌ وجروُ المندوي جليسهُ

And little Ibn al-Khatibi—in his rulings

And the young son of Al Khatibi in his wisdom

There are errors; al-Mandawi's whelp is his companion.

Is unstable, and the flowing of Al Mandawi is his companion

والوقَفُ في أيدي العُلوج وكلُّهم

والوقَفُ في أيدي العُلوج وكلُّهم

قد زاد من مال الَمصالحِ كيسُه

قد زاد من مال الَمصالحِ كيسُه

And the endowment is in the hands of boors, and each of them

The endowment is in the hands of Al Ulwaj, all of whom

Has seen his purse swell with funds for the public good.

Have increased the funds of the causes for their own gain

وأنا وسلَمان الأديبُ إمامُنا

وأنا وسلَمان الأديبُ إمامُنا

وجميعُ مَن صقلت نُهاه دروسُه

وجميعُ مَن صقلت نُهاه دروسُه

And I and Salman the man of letters, our leader,

As for me and the literary Salman, our imam

And all whose studies have polished their minds,

And all those whose minds were polished by his lessons

نبكي على الفضل الذي قد صوّحت

نبكي على الفضل الذي قد صوّحت

بسقوطهم أفنانُه وغروسُه

بسقوطهم أفنانُه وغروسُه

Weep for excellence: now withered are—

We cry over the loss of merit that with their downfall

Through their fall—its branches and its plantings.

Its branches and plants have shrieked