إليكَ فانبئهم بأني كفيتهمْ

إليكَ فانبئهم بأني كفيتهمْ

ملامي ويا للهِ كيفَ ألومُ

ملامي ويا للهِ كيفَ ألومُ

Go, then, and tell them that I have spared them

To you, so inform them that I have spared them

my reproach—and, O God, how can I reproach them?

My blame, and by God, how can I blame

إذا لم يكن فيهم سوى هذيانهمْ

إذا لم يكن فيهم سوى هذيانهمْ

فإني عليهم بالسكوتِ كريمُ

فإني عليهم بالسكوتِ كريمُ

If there is nothing in them but their ravings,

When there is nothing in them but their raving

then I am generous to them through silence.

So I generously keep silent about them

أضنُّ بلفظي أن يقالَ استحقّهُ

أضنُّ بلفظي أن يقالَ استحقّهُ

على نزعاتِ الهجوِ منه لئيمُ

على نزعاتِ الهجوِ منه لئيمُ

I am sparing with my words, lest it be said they were deserved

I regret that it be said he deserved

by a scoundrel for his fits of invective.

The tendencies of abuse against him, sinister

وما ضائري أنْ يستعيروا شهادةً

وما ضائري أنْ يستعيروا شهادةً

لبعضهم إن النفاقَ قديمُ

لبعضهم إن النفاقَ قديمُ

And it does me no harm if they borrow an endorsement

And it does not harm me if they borrow a testimony

for some of their own—indeed, hypocrisy is age-old.

From each other, for hypocrisy is ancient

وكم تنعقُ الغربانَ لكنَّ بومةً

وكم تنعقُ الغربانَ لكنَّ بومةً

تقولُ اسمعوا إنَّ الغرابَ حكيمُ

تقولُ اسمعوا إنَّ الغرابَ حكيمُ

And how often the crows caw! Yet an owl

And how many ravens caw, but an owl

says, 'Listen: the crow is wise!'

Says listen, the raven is wise

فقلْ للذي يجريهُ نومهُ

فقلْ للذي يجريهُ نومهُ

مى تلحقُ الساعي وأنتَ مقيمُ

مى تلحقُ الساعي وأنتَ مقيمُ

Then say to the one whose sleep makes him run:

So say to him whom his sleep drives

'When will you catch the runner while you stay put?'

While you remain still

وما دامَ شعرُ القومِ أمسى كما ترى

وما دامَ شعرُ القومِ أمسى كما ترى

شعيراً فقل إن الزمانَ بهيم

شعيراً فقل إن الزمانَ بهيم

And since the people's poetry has become, as you see,

And as long as the people's poetry has become as you see

barley, then say that the age is a beast.

Fodder, say that time is beastly