أَتاني كِتابُكَ ذاكَ الَّذي

أَتاني كِتابُكَ ذاكَ الَّذي

تَهَدَّدتَ فيهِ ضَلالاً وَنوكا

تَهَدَّدتَ فيهِ ضَلالاً وَنوكا

Your letter reached me, that one in which

Your letter has reached me, the one

You threatened me, in error and stupidity.

In which you threatened misguidance and impudence

وَلَولا مَكانُ أَبيكَ الدَنِيُّ

وَلَولا مَكانُ أَبيكَ الدَنِيُّ

لَقَد كانَ شِعرُكَ وَشياً مَحوكا

لَقَد كانَ شِعرُكَ وَشياً مَحوكا

And were it not for your father's lowly station,

And were it not for your father’s lowly status

Your verse would indeed have been woven brocade.

Your poetry would have been mere nonsense

وَلَكِن وَرِثتَ عَنِ المَلأَمانِ

وَلَكِن وَرِثتَ عَنِ المَلأَمانِ

فَهماً غَليظاً وَرَأياً رَكيكا

فَهماً غَليظاً وَرَأياً رَكيكا

But you inherited from the vile wretch

But you have inherited from the wretched ones

A dull understanding and a feeble judgment.

A crude mind and despicable opinion

قَضَت لَكَ اِبنَتُهُ أَن تُناكَ

قَضَت لَكَ اِبنَتُهُ أَن تُناكَ

وَعاقَتكَ زُهرَتُهُ أَن تَنيكا

وَعاقَتكَ زُهرَتُهُ أَن تَنيكا

His daughter decreed that you be fucked,

His daughter ordained you to copulate with her

And his beauty kept you from fucking.

And his blossom refused you, to disgrace you

وَأَصدَقُ ما كُنتَ شُبهاً بِهِ

وَأَصدَقُ ما كُنتَ شُبهاً بِهِ

إِذا مَرِضَ الرَيرُ أَو ماتَ فيكا

إِذا مَرِضَ الرَيرُ أَو ماتَ فيكا

And you resemble him most truly

The truest resemblance you held

When the thin marrow sickens or dies within you.

Was when a mule got sick or died in you

عَلى أَنَّ قُبحَكَ مِن عاجِلِ ال

عَلى أَنَّ قُبحَكَ مِن عاجِلِ ال

عَذابِ المُبينِ عَلى ناكِحيكا

عَذابِ المُبينِ عَلى ناكِحيكا

Yet your ugliness is part of the immediate

Except your ugliness is from the imminent

Manifest torment upon those who fuck you.

Torment upon those who married you

فَقُل لِيَ يا وَغدُ لِم لَم تُرَدَّ

فَقُل لِيَ يا وَغدُ لِم لَم تُرَدَّ

مِن حَيثُ أَقبَلتَ رَدّاً وَشيكا

مِن حَيثُ أَقبَلتَ رَدّاً وَشيكا

So tell me, you wretch, why were you not sent back

So tell me, o degenerate, why have you not

The way you came, without delay?

Returned from whence you came, hastily retreating

وَلِم لَم يَثُب فيكَ مِن ذَنبِهِ

وَلِم لَم يَثُب فيكَ مِن ذَنبِهِ

فَيَأكُلكَ مُحتَسِباً مَن خَريكا

فَيَأكُلكَ مُحتَسِباً مَن خَريكا

And why did he not repent his sin concerning you,

And why has none of his sins persisted in you

Then eat you, seeking reward—the one who shat you?

To consume you, o vilest of the vile

وَكَيفَ تُجاري إِلى غايَةٍ

وَكَيفَ تُجاري إِلى غايَةٍ

وَأُمُّكَ كَشخانَةٌ مِن أَبيكا

وَأُمُّكَ كَشخانَةٌ مِن أَبيكا

And how can you race toward a goal,

And how can you aspire to any feat

When your mother is a bawd, thanks to your father?

When your mother is an old prostitute of your father