مُغَنّيكَ لِلبُغضِ فيهِ سِمَه
تَلوحُ عَلى خِلقَةٍ مُبهَمَه
Your singer of hatred has poison in him
Displaying an ambiguous nature
تَزيدُ الإِهانَةُ في شَأنِهِ
صَلاحاً وَتُفسِدُهُ التَكرِمَه
Insult increases his worth
Goodness corrupts and honor debases him
يُرَعِّشُ لَحيَيهِ عِندَ الغِناءِ
كَأَنَّ بِهِ النافِضَ المُؤلِمَه
His beard quivers during singing
As if stung by a painful scorpion
كَأَنَّ الكَشوتَ عَلى شَوكِهِ
تَعَقُّفُ لِحيَتِهِ المُجرِمَه
As if thistles prick his cheeks
His villainous beard bristling
وَأَنفٌ إِذا اِحمَرَّ في وَجهِهِ
وَقامَ تَوَهَّمتَهُ مِحجَمَه
His nose flares red when angry
You'd think it was a wine flask
وَمُنتَشِرُ الحَلقِ واهي اللَهاةِ
إِذا ما شَدا فاحِشُ الغَلصَمَه
His gaping throat and feeble voice
When the vulgar singer strains his vocal chords
إِذا صاحَ سالَت لَهُ مَخطَةٌ
عَلى العودِ وَاِنقَلَعَت بَلغَمَه
As he wails, spittle flies from his mouth
And phlegm splatters on the lute
فَكَم شَذرَةٍ ثَمَّ مَنسِيَّةٍ
أُطيحَت وَكَم نَغمَةٍ مُدغَمَه
How many notes tossed then forgotten
How many melodies muffled and mute
يُبَظرِمُهُ القَومُ مِن بُغضِهِ
جَهاراً وَقَلَّت لَهُ البَظرَمَه
People glare at him with loathing
Scowls and frowns scarcely concealed
عَرابِدُهُ أَبَداً جَمَّةٌ
وَأَخلاقُهُ كَزَّةٌ مُظلِمَه
Boorish always, spirits darkened
Restless and nervous, unstable and unreal
كَثيرُ التَلَفُّتِ وَالاِعتِرا
ضِ شَديدُ التَفَلُّتِ وَالهَمهَمَه
If we restrain him from a friend
He recoils, trying to worm free
إِذا ما حَجَرناهُ عَن صاحِبٍ
تَجَنّى وَحاوَلَ أَن نُسلِمَه
We tend to our needs
With the pure or the unclean
كَأَنّا نَمُتُّ بِحاجاتِنا
إِلى طاهِرٍ أَو إِلى هَرثَمَه
A bothersome fool we suffer all day
Our gathering with him a nightmare scene
هِراشٌ نُعانيهِ طولَ النَهارِ
فَمَجلِسُنا مَعَهُ مَلحَمَه
He brings what is sweet to him
If not for manners we'd shut his mouth clean
يَجيءُ بِما هُوَ طَهلٌ لَهُ
فَلَولا الحَياءُ كَسَرنا فَمَه
