وَجَدنا الأَزدَ مِن بَصَلٍ وَثومٍ
وَأَدنى الناسِ مِن دَنَسٍ وَعارِ
We found the Azd eating onions and garlic,
And the basest of people in vileness and shame.
صَرارِيّونَ يَنضَحُ في لِحاهُم
نَفِيُّ الماءِ مِن خَشَبٍ وَقارِ
Stubborn, with water dripping from their beards,
That rejects wood and dignity.
وَكائِن لِلمَهَلَّبِ مِن نَسيبٍ
تَرى بِلَبانِهِ أَثَرَ الزِيارِ
And being for the jester some relative
Whose lips show the trace of frequenting.
بِخارَكَ لَم يَقُد فَرَساً وَلَكِن
يَقودُ الساجَ بَالمَرَسِ المُغارِ
Your father Kharik never led a horse,
But leads the yearling with nose ring.
مِنَ المُتَنَطِّقينَ عَلى لِحاهُم
دَليلَ اللَيلِ في اللُجَجِ الغِمارِ
Of those who prate, on their lips
A guide to night in dark ravines.
يُنَبِّئُ بِالرِياحِ وَما أَتَتهُ
عَلى دَقَلِ السَفينَةِ كَالصَراري
Foretelling the winds and what news came
To the chafing strap of the ship, like cracks.
وَلَو رُدَّ المَهَلَّبُ حَيثُ ضَمَّت
عَلَيهِ الغافَ أَرضُ أَبي صُفارِ
If the jester were restored where
The burial mound covers him in Abi Suffar's land,
إِلى أُمِّ المُهَلَّبِ حَيثُ أَعطَت
بِثَديِ اللُؤمِ فاهَ مَعَ الصِغارِ
To the mother of the jester where she gave
His vile mouth her breast along with the infants,
تَبَيَّنَ أَنَّهُ نَبَطِيُّ بَحرٍ
وَأَنَّ لَهُ اللَئيمَ مِنَ الدِيارِ
It would be clear he is a vulgar Nabataean,
And that he has the baseborn among homes.
بِلادٌ لا يُعَدُّ بِها غُلامٌ
لَهُ أَبَوَينِ مُغزِلَةُ الجَواري
A land where no boy is counted
Who has not both parents weavers of striped cloth.
وَكَيفَ وَلَم يَقُد فَرَساً أَبوكُم
وَلَم يَحمِل بَنيهِ إِلى الدَوارِ
And how, when your father never led a horse
And never carried his sons to assemblies?
وَلَم يَعبُد يَغوثَ وَلَم يُشاهِد
لِحِميَرَ ما تَدينُ وَلا نِزارِ
He worshipped neither Yaghuth nor attended
To the donkeys - what they owe or own.
وَما لِلَّهِ تَسجُدُ أَزدُ بُصرى
وَلَكِن يَسجُدونَ بِكُلِّ نارِ
The Azd of Bussra do not bow to God,
Rather they bow to every fire.
