يَقُولُ أُنَاسٌ وَالْعَجَائِبُ جَمَّةٌ

يَقُولُ أُنَاسٌ وَالْعَجَائِبُ جَمَّةٌ

مَتَى أَصْبَحَ الْوَزَّانُ رَبَّ مَجَالِسِ

مَتَى أَصْبَحَ الْوَزَّانُ رَبَّ مَجَالِسِ

People say—when wonders are legion—

Some people say—and wonders are many—

“Since when have the two viziers become lords of assemblies?

When did al-Wazzan become a host of gatherings?

نَرَى كُلَّ يَوْمٍ عُصْبَةً فِي فِنَائِهِ

نَرَى كُلَّ يَوْمٍ عُصْبَةً فِي فِنَائِهِ

تُجَاذِبُهُ أَطْرَافَ تِلْكَ الْوَسَاوِسِ

تُجَاذِبُهُ أَطْرَافَ تِلْكَ الْوَسَاوِسِ

Each day we see a clique within his courtyard,

Every day we see a band in his courtyard,

trading with him the threads of those insinuations.”

exchanging with him snippets of those fancies.

فَقُلْتُ لَهُمْ لا تَعْجَبُوا لاجْتِمَاعِهِمْ

فَقُلْتُ لَهُمْ لا تَعْجَبُوا لاجْتِمَاعِهِمْ

لَدَيْهِ فَإِنَّ الْحُشَّ مَأْوَى الْخَنَافِسِ

لَدَيْهِ فَإِنَّ الْحُشَّ مَأْوَى الْخَنَافِسِ

I told them, “Do not marvel at their gathering

So I said to them: Do not marvel at their gathering

around him: the privy is the beetles’ haunt.”

at his place, for the privy is a haven for beetles.