إنيindeed I امرؤa man لاnot تَرىyou see لسانيmy tongue
إني امرؤ لا تَرى لساني
مُنَظِّماًcomposing ماas long as حييتُI live هَجْواsatire
مُنَظِّماً ما حييتُ هَجْوا
I am a man whose tongue you will not see
I am a man whose tongue you cannot see
composing satire as long as I live.
Ever uttering blame while I live
كمmany an شاتمٍinsulter ليof me عَفَوْتُI pardoned عَنْهُhim
كم شاتمٍ لي عَفَوْتُ عَنْهُ
مُصَمِّماًfirmly resolved فيin اللّسانِthe tongue نَهْواrestraint
مُصَمِّماً في اللّسانِ نَهْوا
Many an insulter of mine I have pardoned,
How many slanderers have I forgave
firmly resolved to restrain my tongue.
Determining for the tongue restraint
وابْتَدَهَand he suddenly uttered الهُجْرَfoul speech فيّagainst me ظلماًunjustly
وابْتَدَهَ الهُجْرَ فيّ ظلماً
حتىuntil إذاwhen لمdid not أجِبْهُI answer him رَوّىhe reflected
حتى إذا لم أجِبْهُ رَوّى
And he launched foul abuse against me unjustly,
Yet he persisted to wrong me in ignorance
until, when I did not answer him, he reflected.
Until when I did not answer, he fabricated
لَفْظَتُهُhis utterance زَلّةٌa slip تُلاقيmeets
لَفْظَتُهُ زَلّةٌ تُلاقي
مِنْfrom لفظَتيmy utterance فيin الخطابِthe exchange عَفواpardon
مِنْ لفظَتي في الخطابِ عَفوا
His word is a slip that receives
His slip became one that meets
pardon from mine in our exchange.
My speech in pardon and restraint
كمmany a قائلٍspeaker إذwhen تركْتُI left عنهaway from him
كم قائلٍ إذ تركْتُ عنه
بَحريmy sea بتركby withholding الجوابِthe reply رَهْواcalm and still
بَحري بترك الجوابِ رَهْوا
Many have said, when I held back from him
How many speakers when I neglected
my sea, leaving it calm by withholding a reply:
My sea calmed by leaving response still
وَعْوَعَhowled سِيدٌa wolf علىat هزَبرٍa lion
وَعْوَعَ سِيدٌ على هزَبرٍ
فماbut did not رآهُregard him الهزبرُthe lion كُفْواan equal
فما رآهُ الهزبرُ كُفْوا
“A wolf howled at a lion,
A young lord over an old wise one
but the lion did not deem him an equal.
Yet the old did not see him as equal
ولوand if سطاhe attacked قادراًhaving power عليهover him
ولو سطا قادراً عليه
لمnot يبُقِleave behind للطيرِfor the birds فيهof him شِلواa body part
لم يبُقِ للطيرِ فيه شِلوا
And had he pounced, having power over him,
If he tried to control him
he would have left not a scrap of him for the birds.”
No trace of him would remain for the birds
إنّindeed مطاياthe mounts of القريضpoetry نُجْبٌnoble-bred camels
إنّ مطايا القريض نُجْبٌ
أجِيدُI excel at سَوقاًdriving لهاfor them وحَدواand camel-driving song
أجِيدُ سَوقاً لها وحَدوا
Indeed, poetry’s mounts are noble camels;
Truly, the steeds of poetry are excellent
I excel at driving them and chanting them onward,
I know how to lead and spur them on
بمثلlike زأرthe roar of الهصورِthe mighty lion جَزْلاًfull-toned and forceful
بمثل زأر الهصورِ جَزْلاً
أوor كَبُغامِlike the bleating of الغزالthe gazelle حُلواsweet
أو كَبُغامِ الغزال حُلوا
in grand tones like the mighty lion’s roar,
With the likes of the trumpeting of lions
or sweet ones like the gazelle’s bleat.
Or the howl of a gazelle, sweetly
لوْif شِئْتُI wished صَيّرْتI made بالقوافيwith rhymes
لوْ شِئْتُ صَيّرْت بالقوافي
غارةthe raid of هجويmy satire عليهagainst him شعواa sweeping assault
غارة هجوي عليه شعوا
Had I wished, I would have made, with rhymes,
If I wished, I could form with rhymes
my satire’s raid on him a sweeping onslaught;
A raid of blame upon him raging
ومَزّقَand tore apart القولُspeech منهof his عِرْضاًhonor
ومَزّقَ القولُ منه عِرْضاً
لاnot يجدُfinds المدحُpraise فيهin it رَفْواmending
لا يجدُ المدحُ فيه رَفْوا
and my words would have shredded his honor,
And speech would tear him with shame
which praise could find no way to mend.
Where praise cannot find access
Sol 6.1