صَبَوتُ إِلى الآداب قَبل فطامي
وَهمتُ بِها حَتّى بَلغت مَرامي
I inclined to literature before I was weaned,
And I was preoccupied with it until I attained my wish.
فَكَم مِن فَريد في المَليح اِقترحتُه
عَلى فكرَتي في يَقظة وَمَنام
How many unique poems I composed in witticism,
Occurring to my thoughts while awake and asleep.
وَكَم مِن قَصيد في المَديح اِبتدعتُه
بِأَبدَع لَفظ وَاِنسِجام كَلام
And how many eulogies I innovated in praise,
With the most eloquent diction and coherence of speech.
وَما لي بإِحياء الهجا قَطُّ عادة
وَلا حدّثتني همتي بخصام
I never had the habit of satirizing,
Nor did my resolve discuss contention.
وَإِنّ غبيّ الذهن عرّض نَفسَه
لِهذا البَلا مِن جَهله بِمَقامي
Yet an obtuse minded person exposed himself
To this affliction out of ignorance of my stature.
فَأَنكرني وَالفَضل يعرف وَطأتي
وَحَسبي شَهيداً في العُلوم غَرامي
He denied me while merit recognizes my prominence,
My passion for knowledge suffices as a witness.
وَقَد ظَن أَني بِالكِتابة جاهلٌ
وَنجمي في الإنشا كَبَدرِ تَمام
And he thought I was ignorant in writing
While my star in prose is like the full moon.
فَإِن كانَ لِلتَحرير أَصبَح ناظِراً
فَقَد أَورَث التَحريرُ كُلَّ تعامي
For if he were to become an observer of composition,
Composition has bequeathed all my industry.
فَما صادِراً يَدري وَلا وارِداً لَهُ
بِهِ خبرةٌ سل عَنهُ أَيّ غلام
He knows not what flows from me nor what comes to him,
Ask any boy about him, what lad!
وَما هُوَ إِلّا في الغَباوة
وَلِلسوء يَسعى سَعيه لِطَعام
He is none other than confused,
His efforts are for evil, to obtain food.
وَيَقتحم الأَهوال في فعل رَيبة
بِضوء نهار أَو بجنح ظَلام
And he boldly commits abhorrent deeds in daylight
Or under the cover of darkness.
وَيَطغى إِذا اِستَغنى وَكَم مِن صَنيعة
أَضاع وَلَم يَسمَح بردّ سَلام
He becomes tyrannical when he becomes self-sufficient, and how much graft
He wasted without allowing a greeting of peace.
وَلما اِعتَدى في السَبت جوزي بمسخة
عَلى مَسخة مِن بَعد دق عظام
And when he transgressed on Saturday, his punishment was transfiguration,
Upon transfiguration after the crumbling of his bones.
وَبالغ في الإضرار بِالناس فَاِنتَهى
بِهِ أَمرُه لِلطَرد أَوّل عام
And he exceeded in harming people so his matter concluded
With his expulsion in the first year.
فَما صانَ وَجهاً كَالكِرام لِأَنَّهُ
لَئيمٌ مهين مِن نتاج لئام
He spared no face like the generous for he
Is despicable, disgraced, from the progeny of scoundrels.
وَقَد كانَ عِندَ العَزل يُرسل دَمعَه
عَلى أَرض خدّيه كقطر غمام
And when he was fired, he would send his tears
Down his cheeks like drops of rainclouds.
وَما كانَ هَذا النوح مِنهُ تَأسُّفاً
على نعمة زالَت وَأَكل حَرام
This weeping was not from remorse
Over a departed bounty or illicit consumption.
وَلَكن لِبعد واِحتجاب عَن الأَذى
وَعَن مَنع إِحسان وَنَقض ذمام
Rather for the distance and isolation from harm
And prevention of benevolence and breach of reins.
وَكُنا اِستَرَحنا مِنهُ يَوماً وَلَيلة
وَقُلنا سَقاه اللَه كَأس حمام
We felt relieved from him for a day and night,
And we said, "May God quench him with the cup of oblivion."
فَعادَ عَلى الأَعقاب بِالمكر والدَّها
وَجرّد لِلأَضرار كُلَّ حسام
But he returned spitefully and cunningly
And unleashed every sword for injury.
وَأَقسم لا يَنفك عَن أَكل رمة
وَلَو مزقت أَعضاؤه بِسهام
He swore to never desist from consuming illegitimate gain
Even if his limbs were torn by arrows.
وَأَن لا يَرى في داره وَهوَ موسرٌ
سِوى جائع بَينَ العِيال وَظامي
That he would never see in his household, while affluent,
Anything but a starving one among his dependents and guest.
وَأَن لا يصلّي مطلقاً وَهوَ طاهر
وَأَن لا يؤدّي عَنهُ فَرض صيام
That he would never pray, ever, while pure
Nor fulfill the duty of fasting on his behalf.
وَأَن لا يحج البيت إِلّا إِذا اِرتَشى
بِمال يَتيم أَوبوقف إِمام
That he would only make pilgrimage if bribed
With an orphan's money or an imam's endowment.
أَلم يَخشَ يَوم الدين إِن كانَ آخِذاً
عَلى زَعمه مِن دَهره بِزمام
Did he not fear the Day of Faith if he was holding
By his claim, the reins of his world?
فَتباً لَهُ مِن مُجرم ضاع عُمره
هَباء وَلَم يَعمل لِحُسن خِتام
So away with him, what a criminal whose life was lost
Futilely, and did not work for a good end.
