يا سائلي عَن لَيْلَتي بالمَنْسرِ

يُغنيكَ شاهدُ مَنْظَري عَنْ مَخبري

O you who ask about my night at Minshar,

My appearance will suffice you instead of my words,

خارَتْ لسُكنى الخورِ قُوَّتي التي

كانَتْ تفوقُ على شجاعةِ عَنْتَرِ

My strength to dwell in Khour has vanished,

Which surpassed the bravery of Antar,

نزَلَتْ بداري عُصْبَةٌ فَتَاكةٌ

هَتَكَتْ حِجابي بعدَ طولِ تَستُّرِ

A vicious gang descended upon my house,

And tore away my veil after long concealment,

من كُلِّ مُنْقَفلِ اللِّثامِ مُفَتِّح

أقفالَها بشَبا الحديدِ الأَخضرِ

Each one with unveiled face,

Unlocking its locks with green iron swords,

وافى يُّكَوِّرني ولولا أنْ عرى

شَمسي الكسوفُ لَكانَ غيرَ مُّكَوَّري

Binding and bending me, and had it not been for

My sun undergoing an eclipse, I would not be bent,

بمُلَثَمٍ وَمُكَمّمٍ وَمُعَمّمٍ

ومخرَّصٍ وَمُوَشّحِ وَمُوَزَّرِ

Wearing masks, mufflers and turbans,

Intertwined, armed and fully dressed,

مزجوا القَساوةَ بالجهالةِ وانبرى

كلٌّ يُهَدِّدُني بلَفظٍ حوتري

They mixed cruelty with ignorance, and each

Threatened me with vulgar language,

في صورَةِ المرِّيخ إلا أنّه

زُحَلٌ لهُ في كُلِّ سوقٍ مُشتَري

In the image of Mars, except that he

Is Saturn, purchased in every market,

طَرَقوا بساطي بالطّوارقِ والقنا

متلاعبينَ بأبيضٍ وبأسمرِ

They stomped my carpet with blacks and spears

Playing with white and black,

لم أنْتَبهْ إلاَّ بكوزَةِ رامحٍ

منهم أقامتني إلى ألحالِ الزَّري

I did not notice until the stroke of a lance

Made me stand up to the stroker’s attacks,

وَبضَربةٍ من ذي حُسامٍ منتضى

يَفري الفريسة من جهولٍ مُفترى

And a blow from a drawn sword

That made the prey flee from an ignorant aggressor,

صَفحاً بلا صَفْح فليتَ تبدَّلتْ

بالعينِ حاءً بالأديمِ الأَحمرِ

Without any forgiveness, oh how I wish it would change

With the eye, the red leather,

في شَر نوروزِ بَدالِي نَطعُهُ

بالسّيْفِ مُقْتَرِناً يُلاحِظُ مَنْخري

On the eve of the worst New Year's, I'll pierce him

With a sword, while watching his nostril,

فَجُرِرتُ بعدَ الرَّفعِ في أيديهِم

وَنُصِبتُ ذا نَصب بِحالِ مُسَمّرِ

I was dragged by their hands after being lifted

And erected with a posture like one nailed,

هذا يقولُ المالُ أين خَبَأتَهُ

فأجبتُهُ خوفاً جوابَ مُحَيِّر

One said, where did you hide the money?

I answered him confusedly out of fear,

وأقولُ مالي غير برذَوني وأث

وابي وَجُزءٌ من صِحاحِ الجّوهَري

And said I have no money but my gown and staff

And part of the dictionary of Al-Jawhari,

وَمُسَوِّداتُ الشّعرِ مَدْحُكُمُ بها

قالوا سَبَالُكَ في أمِّ البحتري

And the drafts of poetry praising you in them

They said your urine is in Umm Al-Bahtri,

فَبَكَتْ صِغاري إذْ رأوني بينَهم

مثلَ الأسير وما أنا بالموسِرِ

My little ones cried when they saw me among them

Like a captive, and I am not wealthy,

قالوا اقتلوهُ واطرَحوهُ إنّهُ

عينُ الأمير ويا لَهُ منْ مُخْبرِ

They said, kill him and throw him away, he is

The prince’s eye, what an informer!

أو فأعصروهُ كالخراء فإنه

جَلدٌ وليسَ يقرُّ ما لَمْ يُعْصَر

Or squeeze him like mud, for he is

Skin that does not admit what is not squeezed

عصروا كِعابي بالبَلاطِ وَشَوَّطوا

رأسي بِطاساتٍ حُمينَ بِمجمَرِ

They squeezed my jug on the floor and scraped

My head with plates heated with embers,

ناديتُهم في السّطح عندي تاجرٌ

مُتَمَوِّكٌ مثلَ الخواجا الصّرصري

I called them, on the roof I have a merchant,

An effeminate one like the lisping Khaja,

فَرَمى إلى طَبْيانَ أطولِهْم يداً

بِشَبا الظُّباةِ وَكُلِّ رمح سَمْهَري

So he threw the tallest of them a hand

With the staff of monks and every poisoned spear,

فَبَدا خيفةً من كيدِهم

وَلَرُبّما وَجَدوهُ خَوْفاً قد

He then appeared afraid of their deceit,

And perhaps they found him fearful