على النتّ ألصقَ خنفسةً

على النتّ ألصقَ خنفسةً

و قال لهم إنني شاعرُ

و قال لهم إنني شاعرُ

He pasted a beetle onto the internet,

On the internet, he pasted a beetle

and told them, "I am a poet."

And said to them, "I am a poet"

فصارت بضاعته في رواج

فصارت بضاعته في رواج

لها كلما قرئت ناصر

لها كلما قرئت ناصر

So his wares became popular,

So his wares became popular

with a champion whenever they were read.

With every read, he had a supporter

فهذا ب(لايكٍ) يحبذه

فهذا ب(لايكٍ) يحبذه

و ذاك بمدح له ناثر

و ذاك بمدح له ناثر

So this one endorses him with a "like",

One would "like" him with praise

and that one scatters praise for him,

Another would eulogize this disseminator

إلى أن رأى نفسه في القريض

إلى أن رأى نفسه في القريض

هو المعدن الأنفس النادر

هو المعدن الأنفس النادر

until he saw himself, in poetry,

Until he saw himself in poetry

as the rare, most precious metal.

As the rare, most precious soul

فما المتنبي و ما البحتري

فما المتنبي و ما البحتري

و دنقلُ و المجتبى شاكرُ

و دنقلُ و المجتبى شاكرُ

For al-Mutanabbi and al-Buhturi,

What is Al-Mutanabbi and Al-Buhturi

and Dunqul and the chosen Shakir,

And Dunqul and Al-Mujtaba Shakir

و شوقي و نازكُ إلا نجوم

و شوقي و نازكُ إلا نجوم

و فيها هو الكوكب السائر

و فيها هو الكوكب السائر

and Shawqi and Nazik were only stars,

And Shawqi and Nazik, but stars

while among them he was the wandering planet.

While he is the orbiting planet

فبات بما قد جنى رابحا

فبات بما قد جنى رابحا

و بات القريض هو الخاسرُ

و بات القريض هو الخاسرُ

So he ended up profiting from what he had reaped,

So he went to bed, profiting

and poetry ended up the loser.

From what he had reaped, while poetry lost

نراه يموت هنا وهناك

نراه يموت هنا وهناك

إلى حتفه ساقه الفاجرُ

إلى حتفه ساقه الفاجرُ

We see it dying here and there;

We see him die here and there

the wicked man drove it to its death.

To his ignoble end, led by the corrupt

إذا الشعر حاوله مُدّعٍ

إذا الشعر حاوله مُدّعٍ

فلا الشعر كان و لا الشاعرُ

فلا الشعر كان و لا الشاعرُ

If a pretender attempts poetry,

If a pretender tries poetry

then there is neither poetry nor a poet.

There was neither poetry nor a poet

لك الله يا شاعرا في حياة

لك الله يا شاعرا في حياة

بها حظ ما صغتَه عاثرُ

بها حظ ما صغتَه عاثرُ

God help you, O poet, in a life

May Allah grant you, oh poet, a life

where ill fortune attends what you have fashioned.

In which whatever you aspire is fulfilled

فشعرك في أهلها غائب

فشعرك في أهلها غائب

و فيهم لغا المدعي حاضرُ

و فيهم لغا المدعي حاضرُ

For your poetry is absent among its people,

While your poetry is absent among its people

while the pretender's idle talk is present among them.

And the false claimant's nonsense is present

له الناس إن قال تسمعه

له الناس إن قال تسمعه

و لا سامعٌ لك أو ناظرُ

و لا سامعٌ لك أو ناظرُ

If he speaks, people listen to him,

People listen if he speaks

and no one listens to you or looks your way.

While no listener or seer is there for you

فلا تلم الدهر في طبعه

فلا تلم الدهر في طبعه

إذا ما قسا أيها الصابر

إذا ما قسا أيها الصابر

So do not blame time for its nature

So do not blame fate for its nature

when it grows harsh, O patient one.

When harsh, oh you patient one

غدا يشرق الشعر مبتسما

غدا يشرق الشعر مبتسما

و يحتضر السمِج الفاترُ

و يحتضر السمِج الفاترُ

Tomorrow poetry will shine, smiling,

Tomorrow, poetry will shine smiling

and the tasteless, tepid verse will lie dying.

And the insipid fraud will perish