أنا بحرُ هَجْوٍ إن أردتَ جَفائي

أنا بحرُ هَجْوٍ إن أردتَ جَفائي

وبحورُ مدحٍ إن أردتَ إخائي

وبحورُ مدحٍ إن أردتَ إخائي

I am a sea of satire, if you seek to shun me,

I am a sea of satire if you wish to shun me,

and seas of praise, if you seek my friendship.

And seas of praise if you wish for my friendship.

أَمُعيبَ شعري كُفَّ قولك وارعوى

أَمُعيبَ شعري كُفَّ قولك وارعوى

ألا تُصيبُكَ شِدَّةٌ بقضائى

ألا تُصيبُكَ شِدَّةٌ بقضائى

Is my poetry my failing? Curb your speech and come to your senses,

O critic of my verse, curb your speech and desist,

lest a crushing blow from my judgment strike you.

Lest hardship strike you by my decree.

فحذار ثم حذار ثم حذار من

فحذار ثم حذار ثم حذار من

ليثِ الشَّرَى ومبدِّدِ الأعداءِ

ليثِ الشَّرَى ومبدِّدِ الأعداءِ

So beware, then beware, then beware of

So beware, then beware, then beware of

the lion of strife, the disperser of enemies.

The lion of al-Sharā and the scatterer of enemies.

يا من يُصدِّعُ صخرةً بزجاجةٍ

يا من يُصدِّعُ صخرةً بزجاجةٍ

أقصِرْ عدِمتُكَ يا أبا الغَوْغاءِ

أقصِرْ عدِمتُكَ يا أبا الغَوْغاءِ

O you who would split a rock with a glass bottle,

O you who would crack a rock with a glass bottle,

desist—may I be rid of you, O father of the rabble!

Desist—may I be rid of you, O father of uproar!

أتَعيبُها وهي التي شهدت لها

أتَعيبُها وهي التي شهدت لها

فصحاؤنا بل جملة العُلماءِ

فصحاؤنا بل جملة العُلماءِ

Do you fault it, though it is the very thing for which

Do you fault it, when its merit has been attested

our eloquent men—indeed, the entire body of scholars—have testified?

By our eloquent speakers—indeed, all the scholars?

لا يَجحَدُ الشمس المنيرة مُبصِرٌ

لا يَجحَدُ الشمس المنيرة مُبصِرٌ

إلا صُوَيْحِبُ مُقْلَةٍ عمياءِ

إلا صُوَيْحِبُ مُقْلَةٍ عمياءِ

No sighted person denies the radiant sun,

No sighted person denies the shining sun,

except some paltry fellow with a blind eye.

Save a paltry fellow with a blind eye.

مَن عابَها يهوَى الهجاءَ لأنه

مَن عابَها يهوَى الهجاءَ لأنه

قصُرَتْ خلائقه فشاءَ هجائي

قصُرَتْ خلائقه فشاءَ هجائي

Whoever faults it is yearning for lampoon, because

Whoever faults it craves satire, because

his character falls short—and so he has courted my satire.

His qualities fall short, so he seeks my satire.

أوَ لم يَرَ المُزْرِى بشعرى أنني

أوَ لم يَرَ المُزْرِى بشعرى أنني

كاس المنيَّةِ صاحب اللأواءِ

كاس المنيَّةِ صاحب اللأواءِ

Has the man who belittles my poetry not seen that I am

And has the disparager of my verse not seen that I

the cup of death, the bearer of the standard?

Am death’s cup, the bearer of hardship?

قُولا له قولاً ليَفْتَح جَفْنَه

قُولا له قولاً ليَفْتَح جَفْنَه

إني عظيمُ الشَّانِ في الشعراءِ

إني عظيمُ الشَّانِ في الشعراءِ

Say a word to him, that he may open his eye:

You two, say a word to him, so he may open his eyelid:

truly, I am of mighty standing among poets.

Indeed, I am of great standing among poets.

أنا شِبْهُ دهركمُ كأنَّ خلائقي

أنا شِبْهُ دهركمُ كأنَّ خلائقي

طُبِعَتْ من السَّرَّاءِ والضَّرَّاءِ

طُبِعَتْ من السَّرَّاءِ والضَّرَّاءِ

I am the likeness of your age—as though my nature

I am like your times, as though my traits

were molded from good fortune and adversity.

Were molded from prosperity and adversity.

لو صادَمَتْ صُمَّ الرَّواسي سطوتي

لو صادَمَتْ صُمَّ الرَّواسي سطوتي

لَكَبَتْ أعاليها عَلَى الغَبْرَاءِ

لَكَبَتْ أعاليها عَلَى الغَبْرَاءِ

Were my onslaught to strike the deaf, deep-rooted mountains,

If my might struck the solid, firmly rooted mountains,

it would topple their summits onto the dusty earth.

It would topple their summits onto the dusty earth.