إِن تَصلُح فَإِنَّكَ عابِدِيٌّ

وَصُلحُ العابِدِيِّ إِلى فَسادِ

If you are righteous, you are but a worshipper

And the righteousness of a worshipper leads to corruption

وَإِن تَفسُد فَما أُلفيتَ إِلّا

بَعيداً ما عَلِمتُ مِنَ السَدادِ

If you are corrupt, you were never anything

But far from rectitude, as far as I knew

وَتَلقاهُ عَلى ما كانَ فيهِ

مِنَ الهَفَواتِ أَو نوكِ الفُؤادِ

And I find him as he was

Full of folly, or sickness of heart

مُبينَ الغَيِّ لا يَعيا عَلَيهِ

وَيَعيا بَعدُ عَن سُبُلِ الرَشادِ

Revealing evil, not perceiving it

And perceiving later, astray from the path of guidance

فَفيمَ تَقولُ يَشتُمُني لَئيمٌ

كَخِنزيرٍ تَمَرَّغَ في رَمادِ

Why does a scoundrel insult me?

Like a pig wallowing in ashes

فَأَشهَدُ أَنَّ أُمَّكَ مِلبَغايا

وَأَنَّ أَباكَ مِن شَرِّ العِبادِ

I bear witness that your mother is a whore

And your father among the worst of men

فَلَن أَنفَكَّ أَهجو عابِدِيّاً

طَوالَ الدَهرِ ما نادى المُنادي

So I shall never cease lampooning a worshipper

As long as the caller calls

وَقَد سارَت قَوافٍ باقِياتٌ

تَناشَدَها الرُواةُ بِكُلِّ وادي

And rhymes have circulated

Recited by narrators in every valley

فَقُبِّحَ عابِدٌ وَبَنو أَبيهِ

فَإِنَّ مَعادَهُم شَرُّ المَعادِ

So cursed is the worshipper and the sons of his father

For their fate is the worst fate