نَظَر الزَمان بِمقلةٍ عَمياءِ

لابن اللئيمة مَيّت الأَحياءِ

Time looked with blind eyes,

At the son of a wicked woman, lifeless among the living,

الأَبكم المَعروف أَخبَث مَن مَشى

في الناس مُختالاً عَلى الغَبراء

The well-known mute, more evil than whoever walked

Proudly among the people on the dust,

بَيت الضَلال أَخو الخيانة وَالخَنى

ركن الفَساد وَنكبة الفُقراء

The house of misguidance, brother of treachery and betrayal,

Pillar of corruption and plague of the poor,

حبّ الدَراهم دينُهُ فصلاته

لِبَقائها في صبحه وَمَساء

Love of money is his religion so his prayers

Are for it to remain morning and evening.

ضحكت لَهُ الدُنيا فَزادَ سُرورُه

وَلَسوفَ يَبكي مِن أَليم عَناء

Laughed at him the world so his happiness increased

And soon he will cry from the painful distress,

وَعَلى يَديه يَعضُّ مِن أَسَفٍ عَلى

غَدر اللَيالي بَعد حُسن وَفاء

And with his hands he will bite from regret over

The betrayal of nights after goodness and loyalty.

فَأَقول عِندَ مَصابه أَو ما تَعي

يا غرّ مَعنى جاءَ في السَفهاء

So I say at his affliction or death:

Oh what a meaningless mind came in the foolish!

حَتّى إِذا فَرِحوا بِما أُوتوا ضَحىً

أُخِذوا بِلَيلٍ حالك الظَلماء

Until when they rejoiced at what they were given in the morning

They were seized at night, intense darkness.

يا ابن الغَبية كَم ركضتَ حَماقةً

أَفراسَ جَهلك في رُبى البَغضاء

Oh son of stupidity, how much you raced foolishly

The horses of your ignorance in the land of hatred,

وَسَعيت في كسب المَعالي بِالأَذى

فَجسرتَ حَيث وَقعت في الضَرّاء

And you strived in gaining highness with harm

So you dared where you fell into misery,

هَذا مِن الدُنيا نَصيبك فَاِنتَظر

يَوم القِيامة صَفقة البُخَلاء

This is from the world your share so wait for

The day of judgement, punishment of the stingy,

وَاِعلَم بِأَن اللَه لَيسَ بِغافل

عَن قَطع دابر آثمٍ وَمُرائي

And know that Allah is not unaware

Of cutting off the ties of a sinful slanderer.

لِلخَير مَناع عُتُلٌّ معتدٍ

بِنميمة بَينَ الوَرى مَشّاء

For good a disabled, transgressive,

With gossip coming between people walking around.

بِالغَيظ مُت كَمداً فَقَد نَزَل القَضا

وَالسَعي ضلّ وَخابَ كُل رَجاء

With anger dead, so destiny came down

And effort lost and every hope failed.

وَلَنا اِستَجاب اللَه فيك دُعاءَنا

بِالشرّ إذ هو أَرحم الرُحَماء

And for us Allah answered our prayers against you

With evil since He is most merciful of the merciful.

طَردوك عَن باب الرِياسة عِندَما

عَلِموا بِأَنك سَيّئ الآراء

They dismissed you from the door of presidency when

They knew you have evil opinions.

هَيهات تَظفر بِالمُنى بَينَ الوَرى

بِتَقلُّبٍ كَتَقلُّب الحرباء

Far-fetched you attain wishes among people

With tossing and turning like snakes.

فَاِخلَع لِباس العلم عَنكَ بِدَولة

شَهدت بِأَنك أَجهَلُ الجُهَلاء

So take off the dress of knowledge from you conclusively

The state witnessed you are most ignorant of the ignorant.

وَاندب زَماناً كُنتَ فيهِ مُوارياً

لِغباوة بِمَلابس حَسناء

And mourn an era you were in it hiding

Stupidity with clothes of beauty.

مِن أَين للتَرتيب فيكَ لياقة

وَعَليكَ تَعجم سائر الأَشياء

From where is competence for you and on you

Is confusion of all things.

كَم تَدعي لا كُنت أَنكَ فاضل

وَالحَق جاءَ وَزَالَ كُل خَفاء

How do you claim what you are not, you are virtuous

And the truth came and every ambiguity disappeared.

وَغَدَوت عندَ الامتحان كَباقلٍ

عَرقت جَبينك في نَهار شِتاء

And you became at the test like vapid

Your forehead sweated on a winter day.

وَصرفت عمرك في الفضول سَفاهة

وَزَعمت أَنكَ فزت بِالعَلياء

And you wasted your life in uselessness foolishly

And claimed that you won the supreme.

وَنسبت نفسك لِلمَعارف باطِلاً

وَجَعلت عَينك عِندَنا كَذَكاء

And you attributed yourself falsely to knowledge

And made your eye with us as if clever.

وَلَبثت في دار العُلوم فَلَم تَكُن

تَدري بِها شيأً سِوى الأَسماء

And you remained in the house of knowledge but you

Knew of it nothing except the names.

ما الفَخر في كسب النَوال وَسَلبه

ظلماً مِن العافين وَالضُعَفاء

What pride in earning provision and stealing it

Unjustly from the weak and poor,

وَالكدّ في تَكثيره ومآله

لمخنث وَسقيمة عَوراء

And the hardship in increasing it while its outcome

Is to an effeminate and sickly adulteress.

وَالزُهد في فَرض الصِيام لريبة

في الدين من جَهل بِلا إِغراء

And asceticism in obligating fasting for suspicion

In religion from ignorance without temptation,

وَالقَدح في الرسل الكِرام وَصحبهم

أَهل الوَفاء السادة الحُنَفاء

And defaming the honorable messengers and their companions,

The loyal, masters, upright.

وَالمَيل عَن سِنَن الصلاة وَفَرضها

وَالحَج عِندَ تَطوّع برضاء

And leaning away from the Sunnah of prayers and its obligation,

And Hajj when volunteering with consent.

والجدّ في ذم الزَكاة وقبحها

مِن خَوف فَقر عاجل وَبَلاء

And seriousness in condemning Zakat and its ugliness

From fear of immediate poverty and affliction,

وَالكَف عَن غَسل الجَنابة حَسبما

هُوَ واجبٌ شَرعاً بِغَير مراء

And refraining from washing Janabah as

It is obligatory legally without contention,

وَإضافة التَكوين وَهيَ ضَلالة

لِلدَهر مِن فهم أَسير غَباء

And attributing creation and it is misguidance

To fate from understanding prisoner of stupidity,

وَالكفر بِالرَحمن جَل جَلاله

وَجَحود ما أَسداه مِن نَعماء

And disbelief in the Most Merciful, His majesty,

And denial of what He bestowed of blessings.

ثَكَلتك أُمك إِنَّما فَخر الفَتى

بِإِغاثة المَلهوف عِند نداء

May your mother lose you, but pride of a young man

Is in aiding the anxious at the call,

وَالبر يا أَعمى بِوالدك الشَقي

مَع أَنَّهُ مِن ألأم اللؤماء

And righteousness, O blind, with your wretched father

Despite he is of the most wicked villains,

وَبأمك المشؤومة الوَجه الَّتي

عُرفت بأَم الألكن الزلاء

And your ominous mother, ugly face, who

Was known as mother of the most loose indecent,

وَبعمةٍ لك أَصبحت مَشهورة

بَينَ النِسا بِالمرأة الفَدعاء

And an aunt you have that became famous

Amongst women as the most loose liar,

وَشَقيقة تُمسي وَتُصبح في الشِتا

تَحتَ النَدى وَالطل وَالأَنواء

And a sister that becomes evening and morning in winter

Under dew, humidity and clouds,

وَطفيلة تَبكي بِدَمع هاطل

فَوقَ الخُدود لِقَطع حَبل غِذاء

And an infant crying with pouring tears

Over her cheeks because of cutting off nutrition.

وَالسَعي في طَلَب الرَضا مِن خالق

غَمر الوَرى بِسَحائب الآلاء

And striving in seeking the pleasure of the Creator

Who flooded the world with clouds of blessings,

وَرِجا شَفاعة أَحمدٍ كنزُ العَطا

مفني جَميع الشرك بِالتَقواء

And hoping intercession of Ahmed treasure of gifts

Eradicating all polytheism with piety,

وَالأَمر بِالمَعروف لا بتكبر

وَالنَهي عَن نُكر وَفعل زِناء

And commanding good without arrogance

And forbidding evil and adultery,

وَالعَدل بَين الأَهل والرحم الَّذي

أَوصى بِهِ المُختار في الأَنباء

And justice between family and womb relative which

The Chosen ordered in the news,

وَالبُعد عَن مال اليَتيم وَأَكله

بِالزور مِن شَرِهٍ عَديم دَواء

And distancing from orphan wealth and eating it

With falsehood a cureless evil,

وَبعفة وَأَمانة وَصَداقة

مَمزوجة بِتَواضع وَحَياء

And chastity, trust and friendship

Mixed with humility and shyness,

وَصِيانة لِلنَفس عَن شَهواتها

وَجُموحها أَبداً عن الصَهباء

And self-restraint from its desires

And transgression forever from foolishness,

وَتَجنب عَن ميسر عَنه نَهى

وَتَباعدٍ عَن سائر الأَهواء

And avoidance of gambling which He forbade

And distancing from all desires,

وَشَهادة بِالحَق تَنفع يَوم لا

وَلدٌ يَجود لِوالد بِفداء

And testifying to the truth - benefits a day in which

No son ransoms a father with redemption,

وَتَفقه في الدين يُنجي في غد

مِما يمزق كامل الأَعضاء

And comprehension in religion saves tomorrow

From what tears apart the perfect limbs,

وَتجمل بِالمكرمات وَبِالنَدى

وَمَحبة للجار وَالنُزَلاء

And beauty with noble traits and generosity

And love of neighbor and hosts,

وَوَفا بِعَهد للإله وَخلقه

وَنَجاز وَعَدهم بِلا إِغضاء

And loyalty to promise of God and His creation

And fulfillment of promise without breach,

وَعِيادة المَرضى بِحسن تَودّد

وَتَردّد مِن ضَحوة لِعشاء

And visiting the sick with good affection

And frequenting from afternoon to dinner,

وَالمَشي خَلف جَنازة بِتَطوّع

لا من مُلامة لائم هجّاء

And walking behind a funeral voluntarily

Not from blaming of criticizing dispraiser,

وَعَداوةٍ لِلملحدين وَنصرة

بِمهند للدين عِندَ لِقاء

And enmity to atheists and support

For the religion with Muhammad during meeting,

هَذا هُوَ الأَمر الَّذي ما عابه

أَحد مِن الأَحبار وَالفُقَهاء

This is the matter which none of the rabbis and jurists

Disapproved of in it.

فَاِنظر إِلى مرآة شِعرٍ رائق

ما نالَها شَيء مِن الأَصداء

So look to a mirror of smooth poetry

Which nothing of the times reached it,

كَيما بِها تَلقى أَمامك سحنة

بِالمَسخ قَد كسيت وَبِالأقذاء

In order for you to find in front of you an appearance

In distortion which wore filth and sins,

وَاحلف بِانك تَنتَهي عَن فتنة

وَدَناءة مَنقولة عَن رائي

And swear you will stop from sedition

And lowness transmitted from a wicked.

وَعَساك تَحنث في اليَمين فَإِنني

لَكَ آفة في سائر الأَنحاء

And perhaps you break the oath so I

Am to you a calamity in all parts.

فَأريك أَبياتاً يَشيب لَهولِها

رَأس الوَليد بَليلة شَهباء

I will show you verses which the horror of it

Grows white hair to al-Waleed in a gray night,

وَأَقول مِن شغف بذمك وَالهِجا

مت يا جَهول مَخافة الرقباء

And I say from eagerness to dispraise you and satirize:

Die O ignorant fearing dignitaries,

وَاِقطَع رَجاك مِن الرِياسة وَاِنتَحب

لِنفورها يا أَخبث الخُبَثاء

And cut off your hope from presidency and start crying

Over its aversion O most wicked of wickedness.

كُشف الغِطاء عَن الحَقيقة فَاقتصر

وَاِسمَع نَصيحة ناصحٍ بِصَفاء

The cover is removed from the truth so be content

And listen to advice of an advisor in purity.

عش بِالصَداقة بَينَ أَرباب الحجا

وَدَع النَميمة في حمى الأَمراء

Live with friendship between masters of glory

And leave gossip in protection of rulers.

وَالبس ثِياب تَواضع وَتَخضُّعٍ

وَأَمط قِناع الكبر كَالعقلاء

And wear clothes of humility and humbleness

And conceal the mask of arrogance like the reasonable.

وَاشكر صَنيعة محسن متفضل

أَولاك كُل الخَير في السَرّاء

And thank the benefaction of a benefactor

They are all good in ease and hardship.

وَاِطلُب رضا هَذا الأَمير وَعَفوه

فَهُوَ الجَدير لَدى الوَرى بِثَناء

And seek pleasure of this prince and his pardon

For he is most deserving of praise from people.

هَل كانَ عِندَك يَستَحق بِسَعيه

ما كانَ مِن بُغض وَفَرط جَفاء

Did he deserve in your view from his effort

What was of hatred and immense disloyalty?

وَاِنزَع جَلابيب التَمَلُّق إِنَّها

مَقرونة بِتذلل وَشَقاء

And remove robes of flattery, they are

Connected with humiliation and misery.

وَصل الأَقارب يا سَفيه فَرُبَّما

وَاساك عاجزهم ببعض دُعاء

And reconcile relatives O fool perhaps

One of the weak will benefit from some prayer.

وَاِقطَع حِبال البخل وَاِنقض عَهده

فَالبُخل في الإِنسان أَقبَح داء

And cut ties of stinginess and break its covenant

For stinginess in a person is the ugliest disease,

وَاحلل رِباط الحقد وَالشَرهِ الَّذي

عقدوا له في القَدح كُلَّ لِواء

And untie the bond of hatred and evil which

They tied for it in dispraise every banner.

وَاطو السجل لغيّ نَفسك وَاستقم

وَاِنشُر شِراع قراك كَالكرماء

And extend the register to change yourself and straighten

And spread the sails of your ship like generous.

فَلَئن هُديت وَلم تُخالف ناصِحاً

أَصبَحت في أَمن وَفَرط هَناء

If you are guided and do not oppose an advisor

You become in safety and abundant bliss.

وَلَئن عَكَفت عَلى مَساويك الَّتي

شهرت لَدى القطان وَالغرباء

And if you insist on your misdeeds which

You made notorious with porters and foreigners,

وَجَعلت نَفسك لِلهَوان قَرينة

مِن أَجل مال قابل لِفَناء

And you made yourself a companion of disgrace

For sake of temporary vanishing money,

فاحسد يَتيمة فكرة عَربية

نَطقت بِما أَربى عَلى الجَوزاء

Then envy an orphaned Arabic idea

That spoke with what is most honorable on necklaces.

فَلَكَم تَعاديني وَأصرف هِمَتي

عَنكَ اِحتِقاراً لا لِخَوف جَزاء

For how much you oppose me and I divert my attention

From you out of disdain not fear of penalty,

وَلَكَم أَغضُّ الطَرف عَنكَ سَماحة

مِني فَما تَزداد غَير تَنائي

And for how much I turn a blind eye to you graciously

From me but you do not increase except alienation,

حَتّى بَدا لي أَن ذمك واجب

في مَذهب السادات وَالفضلاء

Until it appeared to me that dispraising you is a duty

In doctrine of masters and the virtuous.

فَاِغضَب إِذا ما شئت وَاعتزل الرضا

لُؤماً فَإني أَكرم الأَكفاء

So get angry if you wish and distance pleasure

Evilly for I am most generous of peers.

وَاِطلق عَنانك في مَيادين الأَسى

وَاحمل عَليّ بِسائر الخُصماء

And unleash yourself in fields of sorrow

And attack me with all opponents.

وَارم النِبال إِلى مقاتل ضَيغم

لَم يَكتَرث بِالصَعدة السَمراء

And shoot arrows to a lethal fighter

Who did not care for high ground or lowland.

وَامكُر وخن وَاغدر وبارز إن تَكن

يَوم الكَريهة فارس الهَيجاء

And plot, betray, transgress, and challenge if you are

The day of hatred a knight of excitement.

وَاِنطق بِحَرف واحد في مَحفل

كَيما تعدّ به مِن الفَصحاء

And say one word in a gathering

So you can count yourself among the eloquent.

وَاِفَهم حَقيقة ما يقال بمجلس

إِن كُنت مَعدوداً مِن النَبهاء

And understand the reality of what is said in a council

If you are counted from the perceptive.

وَاِقدَح زِناد الرَأي إِن كُنتَ امرأً

بِالحَزم مَعروفاً لَدى الحُكَماء

And light the match of opinion if you are a man

Known for decisiveness with the wise.

وَاضرب خِيام النُصح في أَرض النُهى

إِن كُنت في مَصر مِن النُصَحاء

And pitch tents of advice in land of prohibition

If you are in Egypt from the advisors.

وَاهزم جُيوش الجَهل إِن كُنت الَّذي

لِلعلم في الدُنيا مِن الحُلَفاء

And defeat the armies of ignorance if you are who

For knowledge in the world from the allies.

وَاِشرَح لَنا أَعمال غش لَم تَزَل

متردّيا مِنها بشرّ رِداء

And explain to us your constant deceitful works

Which you always relapse from it in evil rags.

وَاِحفَظ مَع الأَطفال لَوحَك وَاِمتثل

أَمر المؤدّب وَيك وَالعرفاء

And keep with the children your tablet and abide

By order of the teacher, yes you and the knowledgeable!

وَاعرف مَقامك في دِيار لَم تَكُن

فيها سِوى كالظلمة السَوداء

And know your status in lands you were not

In it except like the black darkness.

وَاِنزل بِساحة فتية عَربية

عَرَفوا مَدى الأَزمان بِالنَجباء

And descend to the field of Arabic youths

Who knew the times with the noble.

ما فيهم عَيب سِوى عرفانهم

وَدُخولهم في زُمرة البُلَغاء

In them no flaw except their knowledge

And their entry into the group of eloquent speakers.

وَرُكوبهم مَتن العُلا بِمَعارف

مَصرية جلّت عَن الاحصاء

And their riding the horse of ascendance with knowledge

Egyptian which counted beyond enumeration.

أَولا فَدَعني يا غَبيّ كَما تَرى

أَصميك من نَظمي بِسَهم هِجاء

First, leave me O fool as you see

I make you deaf by my satire arrow.

وَاصلح قَفاك لِسَوط كُلِّ مَذَلة

حَتّى تَموت بغصة الحرصاء

And fix your nape for the whip of every humiliation

Until you die the stranglehold of the covetous.

وَسأَقتفيك بِمجملٍ وَمفصَّلٍ

لِتذوق طَعم مَرارة الإِنشاء

And I will follow you in brief and detail

For you to taste the bitterness of prose.

وَعَليك إن جَعَلوه وَقفاً جاءهم

بِالصدق تَوقيعٌ مِن العُلَماء

And upon you if they make it endowment, they came to them

With truth a signature from the scholars.

فاصبر عَلى هَجو يَلوح كَأَنَّهُ

بَدر نَمَت أَنواره بِسَماء

So be patient of lampoon which appears as if

A full moon its lights grew with sky.

وَاحذر عَداوة مَعشر زُمر الهَوى

تَخشاهم في ظُلمة وَضِياء

And beware enmity of the groups of passions

You fear them in darkness and light.

فهم البَديع مَع البَيان وَنطقهم

بالشعر أَخرس ناطق الغرماء

For they are novelty with rhetoric and their speech

In poetry silenced the love-sick.

وَاخسأ فَقَد أَنشدت فيكَ مؤرّخا

يا ألكناً أَنا أَرشد الشُعَراء

And be disappointed for I have recited in you documenting,

O bastard I guide the poets.