رأَيت الرَّضيَّ وما ناله

رأَيت الرَّضيَّ وما ناله

وما سَلَبَ الدَّهرُ من بهجته

وما سَلَبَ الدَّهرُ من بهجته

I saw al-Radi and what had befallen him,

I saw ar-Raziyy and the bliss he attained,

and the splendor that Time had stripped from him.

And what the days took away of his joy.

غدا خارجياً على قَوْمِه

غدا خارجياً على قَوْمِه

فما وُفِّق العِلْقُ في خَرْجَته

فما وُفِّق العِلْقُ في خَرْجَته

He became a rebel against his people,

Tomorrow he rebelled against his people,

so the catamite found no success in his foray.

So the young man was not successful in his rebellion.

وقَد جَارَ بغْياً على صَحْبِه

وقَد جَارَ بغْياً على صَحْبِه

فغرَّقه البغيُ في لُجَّته

فغرَّقه البغيُ في لُجَّته

And he had tyrannically wronged his companions,

And he was unjust to his companions,

so tyranny drowned him in its own depths.

So injustice drowned him in his ignorance.

فكان يقود على نفسه

فكان يقود على نفسه

فصار يقودُ على زَوْجَتهِ

فصار يقودُ على زَوْجَتهِ

So he used to pimp himself out,

For he used to lead himself,

then he began pimping out his wife.

Then he became leading his wife.

وكَيفَ يغار عَلى عُرسه

وكَيفَ يغار عَلى عُرسه

فتىً لا يَغَار على مُهجته

فتىً لا يَغَار على مُهجته

And how can he jealously guard his wife—

How can he be jealous over his wedding

a young man with no jealous care for his own soul?

When he's not jealous over his own honor?

ولا بأْسَ بالتَّيسِ أَن يستعير

ولا بأْسَ بالتَّيسِ أَن يستعير

قُروناً على الرأْس من نَعْجَتِه

قُروناً على الرأْس من نَعْجَتِه

Nor is there harm in the billy goat's borrowing

It’s not bad for the goat to borrow

horns for his head from his ewe.

Horns on his head from his sheep.

فأَشبَعَنا الله مَنْ هَجْوِه

فأَشبَعَنا الله مَنْ هَجْوِه

وجوَّعنا الله من عجَّته

وجوَّعنا الله من عجَّته

So may God sate us with satire against him,

So may Allah satisfy us from his satire

and may God starve us of his omelet.

And may Allah pain us from his foolishness.