ما ليِّ شفّةُ الوَرَى محصولُ

وعلى جَهْلهِ يقومُ الدَّليلُ

Why are the lips of mankind fruitless,

When ignorance is their proof?

إنْ يَكُنْ سائرُ البَريّة جُلها

لا فلا شَكَّ أنت أيضاً جَهولُ

If the rest of humanity are fools,

Then you too, without doubt, are ignorant.

إنْ تَمَيّزتَ عَنْهُمُ فَبجَهْلٍ

لا بفَضلٍ إذْ فَنّكَ التّعطيل

If you claim to be distinct from them through ignorance,

Not merit, since idleness was your undoing.

وَذَمَمْتَ النُّجومَ والفقْة والطِّبَّ

وخالفتَ مَن لهُ المعقولُ

You shunned the stars, jurisprudence and medicine,

And opposed he who is guided by reason.

وَلَكَ المدخَلُ الذي كُلّما شئ

تَ بهِ من صناعَةٍ مَدْ خولُ

You have an entry that, whenever you wish,

Allows you into every field as an ignoramus.

طالما قد رَشَقْتَ شاقولَ شَمْسٍ

في ارتفاعٍ إذْ شاقَكَ الشّاقولُ

Long have you hurled curses at the sun when it rose,

For it pained you when it cast its rays.

وأَخَذْتَ الجذورَ بألضّرْبِ والقسْ

مةِ لمّا زَكَتْ لَدَيْكَ الأُصولُ

You clung to sophistry and obstinacy when

Sound principles became clear to you.

وَعُلومُ الفقهِ الشّريفِ فَلَوْلا

ها لأُدي التّحريمُ والتّحليلُ

Without the noble science of jurisprudence,

Confusion of the lawful and prohibited would reign.

وأبقراطُ في العلاجِ وجالي

نوس سلوهُ والفصولُ فُصول

Hippocrates in medicine, Galen in treatment,

And the distinguished chapters on seasons of the year.

كم تَمَلْمَلْتَ في الدُّجى طالباً

وريحُ القلولنج فيكَ تَجول

How you have groped in the darkness seeking

The fragrant herb to wander within you.

ثمَّ ناديتَ بي فَلطتكَ أو غا

دَرْتَ منك بلَيْلٍ يسيلُ

Then you called me over so I could patch you,

Or depart from you by night weeping.

والمعاني ميزانُها المَنْطقُ الوا

ضحُ فيهِ لكُلِّ معنى دَليلُ

The meaning has reason as its balance,

Where for each meaning there is clear evidence.

إنْ تُجادِلْ فأنتَ لا شَكَّ موضو

عٌ وبطني لظَهْرِكَ المحمولُ

If you dispute, you are without doubt the subject

While my belly carries your predicate.

وكذا النّحوُ للكلامِ مُفيدٌ

فاعلٌ منهُ أَنتَ والمفعولُ

Grammar too benefits speech,

You are its subject while I am its object.

عَدِّ عَنْ ذا وَعُدْ إلى صَنْعَة الشْع

رِ التي أنتَ في حماها دَخيلُ

Leave this be, and return to the art of poetry

In whose protection you have trespassed.

ثُمَّ سَلْني عَنْ لَحْنكَ الفاضح الفا

حشِ بحرِ الخفيفِ وهو ثَقيلُ

Then ask me of your appalling solecism

In the meter of "al-khafif", which you have made "ath-thaqil".

وَتَخَطِّيكَ في مُتابعةِ الوَزْ

نِ مراراً وأَنت عنهُ غفولُ

And your neglect in observing the meter

Again and again while you paid no heed.

فاعلاتُنْ مُسْتَفعلُنْ فاعلاتُنْ

فاعلاتُنْ مُسْتَفْعلُنْ مَفْعولُ

"Fa'alatun" (once), "mustaf'ilun" (twice), "fa'alatun" (once),

"Fa'alatun" (once), "mustaf'ilun" (twice), "maf'ul" (once).

ما الذي عَلَكَ الأخيرَ من الاج

زاءِ قُلْ لي يا أيُّها المعلولُ

What was the last thing that you added to the meter?

Tell me, o ignorant one.

واقعُدَنْ منهُ فوقَ ما شئتَ من ودِّ

مديدٍ والقُرنُ منك طويلُ

And stride above the length you wish,

While the meter from you is prolonged.

لستَ تَدري بحراً سوى بحرِ دميا

طَ الذي في عَرابهِ الأُسطولُ

You know no meter but the meter of "dimyat",

In whose prosody is the navy.

أنتَ لا شَكَّ في الحقيقةِ كَلْبٌ

أو كَتَيْسٍ لم تَدْرِ ماذا تقولُ

You are, without doubt, in reality a dog

Or a billy-goat who knows not what he says.