لا تعتب الوَغد اللَئيم إِذا أَسا
وَاِصبر عَلى مرِّ الإِساءة وَالأَسا
Do not blame the despicable scoundrel when he does wrong,
Be patient with bitterness and injury.
فَلرُبَّ عَتبٍ لا يفيدُ سِوى العَنا
أَو أَن تُهان بِهِ النُفوس فَتبخَسا
For many a reproach benefits naught but rancor,
Or humiliates noble souls, so they are debased.
لا ذَنبَ إِلّا لِلزَمان فَقَد بَغى
حَتّى دَعا الأَذناب أَن تَتَرأسا
No blame save for time, which has rebelled
Until it summoned ignoble men to lead.
تَبّاً لَهُ زَمَناً لَو اِستَقضيته
حَقّاً لَكانَ مِن اِبنِ يَوم أَفلَسا
Curse this time, that if I summoned it to trial
It would rightly be a bankrupt's son.
زَمَن يُؤخّر كُلّ رَبّ شَهامَةٍ
وَيُقدّم السفهاء أَن تَتَحَمَّسا
A time that delays every proud master
And promotes fools to be pretentious.
زَمَنٌ بِهِ ذلّ الأُسود كَما بِهِ
عزّ الكِلاب جُرأةً وَتَفرّسا
A time wherein the black are humiliated, and wherein
The dogs are emboldened, impudent and watchful.
زَمَنٌ بَنى بَيت الكَمال عَلى شَفا
جُرُفٍ وَبَيت النَقص شادَ وَأَسَّسا
A time that built the house of perfection on the brink
Of ravines, and founded and established the house of deficiency.
زَمَن تنكّر كُلّ مَعرفة بِهِ
أَوَ ما تَرى علَمَ العُلوم مُنَكَّسا
A time when all knowledge disowns it,
Do you not see the banner of sciences overturned?
أَوَ ما تَرى مَن كانَ خَير منعَّمٍ
أَمسى بِبَأساء الخُطوب مبأّسا
Do you not see one who was the best adorned
Has become afflicted with calamities by night?
أَو ما تَراهُ قَد اِدلهمَّ بخطبهِ
حَتّى أَراك مِن السِنين الحرمسا
Do you see how he humbled himself in his speech
Until I see you, after years, revered?
يَلقى اللَئيم بِوَجهِهِ مُتَبَسِّماً
حَتّى إِذا لَقيَ الكَريم تَعبَّسا
The villain meets him smiling
Until, meeting the noble, he scowls.
زَمَنٌ دَعاني أَن أُقابل وَجهَ مَن
لَو قابل البَحر الخضمّ لنجّسا
A time that invites me to meet the face of one
Whose spit the vast sea would pollute.
وَلَو اِنّ ذرّة رَوث كَلب أَجرَب
قيست بِهِ كانَت أَعَزَّ وَأَنفَسا
If but a speck of a mangy dog's dung
Were weighed against him, it would be nobler and finer.
لا شَمَّتت صبح الولادة حامِلٌ
إِن رامَ بَعدُ بمثلهِ أَن يَعطسا
The dawn of birth would not greet in good humor
One who later sought to sneeze like him.
وَلرُبَّ يَوم قَد ذرعت بِهِ الفَلا
أَفري المهاد تَعسّفاً وَتَوعّسا
And many a day have I traversed endless wastes,
Seeking wildly and wandering wretchedly,
بِمَهامهٍ قفرٍ يَضلُّ بِها القَطا
وَيَظلُّ حرباءُ الهَجير مرهمسا
Through desolate, confusing wilds where the lost
Wander, and the bewildered wander confused,
عَبثت بِها هوجُ الرِياح فَطالَما
دَعَت المَعالم دونَها أَن تطمسا
Which the violent winds have disturbed, so that ofttimes
The landmarks beneath them are erased.
فَغَدَوت أَسأل عَنهُ كُلّ مُقبَّحٍ
فَظٍّ تَشعّث صورَةً وَاِعلنكسا
I began asking about him, every ugly
Disheveled, unkempt figure of vile form.
حَتّى وَصَلت لِداره لا حُيّيت
طللا وَلا رحبت فناً وَمعرّسا
Until I reached his house - I did not greet it
With a roof's shade, nor spacious, splendid rooms.
فَنَظرت بَيتاً لا أَشكّ بِأَنَّهُ
بَيت الخَلاء لِمَن يُريد تَنفّسا
I saw a house I do not doubt
Is a house of solitude for one who would breathe free,
وَدَليله أنّ الخَنافس أَقسَمَت
أَن لا تُفارق في فَناه الجِرجِسا
Proven by the fact that beetles swore
Never to leave its courtyard filthy.
وَتَسابق الجرذان في عَرصاته
زُمَراً تَنوَّع جَيشها وَتجنّسا
And rats raced in his courtyards
As packs diverse in multitude and breed.
وَبِهِ العَناكب طالَما قَد خَيّمَت
أَو طنّبت حَتّى تَستّر وَاِكتَسى
Therein spiders oft pitched their tents
Or spun webs until covered and concealed.
نَسجت لَهُ أَردى كِساً فَكَأَنَّما
نَسجت لَهُ إِستَبرَقاً أَو سُندسا
They wove ragged patchwork cloaks for him
As though weaving silken satin fabrics for him.
بَيت بِهِ الحَشَرات وَالحَسرات تَس
تدعي بِهِ العفريت أَن لا يَجلسا
A house filled with bugs and sorrows that
Make jinn refrain from sitting therein.
بَيت تُجاوره القُبور وَما بِهِ
مَن يَستَحقّ إِذا قَضى أَن يرمسا
It adjoins tombs, and none who deserves, if he dies,
To have his memory preserved, resides therein.
فيهِ الذُباب تَنوَّعَتَ أَلوانُهُ
ما بَينَ أبرش مسبطرّ وَأَدبسا
The flies therein have diverse colors
Some spotted, some blue, veiling the sun, or
أَو أَزرَق قَد سَدَّ عَين الشَمس أَو
مَلأَ الفَضا لَو رامَ أَن يَتَشَمَّسا
Filling the air, though it longed to bask in sunlight,
And pink damselflies flocked to it in hordes
وَبَنات وردان إِلَيهِ تَوارَدَت
وَتَصادَرَت لَمّا أَتَتهُ تَبهلسا
Nearly moving above garbage heaps
Where it had settled and nearly died.
وَالبقّ كادَ بِهِ يَسير تَزحزحاً
لَو لَم يَكُن فَوقَ المَزابل قَد رَسى
More rightfully than its people it should perish
And more deservingly than them it should be buried.
وَنَما فَأَوشك أَن يَمور تَخاسفا
وَأحقّ مِنهُ بأهله أَن يخفسا
Fleas therein nearly grazed the soil in their hunger
Or the deaf cicada, so famished.
وَبِهِ بَراغيث تَكاد لِجوعها
تَرعى التُراب أَو الأَصمّ الحرمسا
They leap from each body like vigilant
Leopards, and cling to clothes like limpets.
مِن كُلّ ذي جسم تَراهُ جرافسا
وَتَخالهُ عِندَ الوُثوب حبرقسا
Their leaping has the grace of leopards
And their stillness the watchfulness of lions.
وَثَباتها وَثب الفُهود رَشاقَةً
وَثَباتها مثل الأُسود تَفرّسا
The Persian ants have become therein
Prouder than the hissing lizards and horses.
وَالفارسيّ النمل فيهِ لَقَد غَدا
أَسطى مِن اللَيث الهصور وَأَفرَسا
Black scorpions brandish swords
With red deaths sheathed in them.
وَعَقارب سود تسلّ صَوارماً
بيضاً لَها حمر المَنايا مُكتَسى
And centipedes shake cyan lances
With which they pierce smooth iron.
وَأَراقم رقطٌ تَهزّ أَسنّة
زُرقاً تَقدّ بِها الحَديد الأَملَسا
A house of malice with neither summer nor winter,
Which, like the dawn, gathers no light.
بَيت الخَنا لا صَيف فيهِ وَلا شِتا
يُلفى كَما لا صُبح فيهِ وَلا مسا
A house, if the universe were too narrow for it,
No man would desire to befriend.
بَيت لَوَ اِنّ الخَلق ضاقَ بِها الفَضا
ما ودَّ إِنسان بِهِ أَن يَأنَسا
If summoned by Solomon it would not serve him,
And rightly he would imprison it.
وَلَو اِنّ آصف قَد عَصاهُ الجنّ لَم
يَحكم عَلَيهِ بِغَيرِهِ أَن يُحبَسا
And indeed I say, having visited its courtyard
And witnessed these cultivated habits:
وَلَقَد أَقول وَقَد طَرقت فَناءه
وَشَهدت هاتيك الرُسوم الدرَّسا
Why do the dogs growl to guard it
If not a pig, what guards it?
ما لِلكِلاب نَوابِحاً بوصيده
أَفَغير خنزير هُناك فَيحرسا
So I came to him, and before my mount a servant
Named Cackles or Filth greeted me,
فَأَتيته وَأَمام مَهريَ خادم
قَد كانَ يُدعى قِرقِساً أَو مرجسا
And invited him to come to me. He approached
Feeling his way, restless and zealous.
وَدَعاهُ أَن يَأتي إِليَّ فَجاءه
مُتحسّساً مَتململاً مُتحَمِّسا
He hurried to me wearing a gown
In the gait of a recalcitrant dog wearing a gown.
وَسَعى إِلَيَّ وَقَد تَزمَّل برنساً
في مشيةِ الكَلب العَقور تبرنسا
So from behind the veil I discerned everything
His fiendish soul within him had tempted.
فَفطنت مِن خلل الستار بِكُلّ ما
شَيطانه في صَدرِهِ قَد وَسوَسا
Treachery that if but a speck of it
Tested the dawn, it would revert to ignorance.
مَكر لَو اِبتليَ الصَباح بذرّةٍ
مِنهُ لَعادَ عَلى البَديهة حُندسا
If damned Iblis himself came to him
And saw the snares of his treachery, he would be wary.
وَلوَ اِنّ إِبليس اللعين أَتى لَهُ
وَرَأى حَبائل مَكره لتحرَّسا
Until I appeared before his face, and saw him
Devising, estimating, then acting corruptedly,
حَتّى ظَهَرتُ لِوجهِهِ فَرَأيتهُ
قَد خمَّس الفكر الخَبيث وَسدَّسا
Straying, misleading, sinning, then conscienceless.
And I hoped for his immoral, false promise,
وَلَقد أَحالوني بِقبض دَراهمٍ
مِنهُ عَلَيهِ فَحينَ لَم يَستأنِسا
And saw the night of betrayal grow long and murky
Until I despaired of the dawn, for if it
وَلّى وَقَهقهر وَاِكفهرّ بخلقةٍ
شَخناءَ تَكسوها الدجنّة عنجسا
Were alive, it would have breathed.
For villainy, that it have lasting
وَأَبى وَفكَّرَ ثُم قَدَّرَ ثُم أَد
بَرَ باسِراً فَغَوى فَضلّ فَأَبلسا
Fame among people, never shall be.
I clothed him in the shame of blame and censure
وَطَمعت مِنهُ بِفَجر وَعدٍ كاذبٍ
فَرَأَيت لَيل الخلف طالَ وَعَسعَسا
As if he wore garments of praise.
Like one hoping for reward from a traitor -
حَتّى أَيستُ مِن الصَباح لِأَنَّهُ
لَو كانَ في قَيد الحَياة تَنَفَّسا
The hope for reward from hellfire kindled.
The obstinate fool hopes in his ignorance for a
مَن للرذيلِ بِأن يكونَ له بهِ
ذكرٌ على طولِ المدى لا يُنتسى
Gift from me that would smooth his grim face.
So I will leave him today as spiteful gossip
ألبستهُ خزيَ المذمّة وَالهجا
فَكَأَنَّهُ حلل المَدائح ألبسا
Elevated among the people as a bell ringer.
Pitiful is enmity towards a poet
مثل المؤمّل مِن مَواعدِهِ وفاً
مَثَلُ المؤمّل مِن جهنّم مقبسا
Who has drained the drafts of the arts.
Do poets not wield a cutting sword,
طَمع العَنيدُ لجهله بِهديّةٍ
منّي تسهّل وَجهُهُ المدلمسا
Vanquishing necks and smiting heads?
I have, in coins of mean censure, riches
فَلأتركنه اليَوم مضغة قادحٍ
يَرقى بِهِ بين الأَنام عرندسا
That if spent would not diminish and be depleted.
And the branches of my slender pens, since they thrived
بئس العَداوة أَن يُعادي شاعِراً
من راح أَقداح الفُنون قَد اِحتَسى
In the garden of Tarsh, have been honed.
They are watered with a water whose like
أَو لَيسَ لِلشُعراء سَيف قاطع
ماضٍ يطيرُ عَن الرِقاب الأرؤُسا
Has never been used, so their roots flourish.
A necklace that if I breathed upon with charm
عِندي مِن الذمّ الذَميم دَراهم
بِالصَرف مِنها لا تقلُّ فَأفلسا
Solomon's brother would seek its protection.
They believe it a necklace that unties sorrows
وَغُصون أَقلامي النديَّة ما اِنبَرَت
مُنذُ اِنبَرَت في رَوض طرسي ميَّسا
And breathes relief to captive souls.
Keen of perception, never tiring for one honored -
تسقى بِماءٍ قَطّ ما سُقيت بِهِ
إِلّا زَكَت أَصلاً وَطابَت مغرسا
Rather, the heart for it does not harden.
You forget eloquence for his incoherent chatter
عقد إِذا نَفثت بِهنّ مَحابر
مِنها اِستَعاذ أَخو الحجا أَن يُبئسا
Deeming speechless one who has not yet spoken.
It takes black ink as its raiment
عَقدوا عَلَيها بِالخَناصر أَنَّها
عقد تحلُّ بِها الكُروب تَنَفّسا
So it deserved to be honored and breathed free.
And whitest vellum became its resting place,
شَمّاءُ ما لانَت لِغَير مكرَّم
كَلّا وَلا مِنهُ الفُؤاد لَها قَسا
And so deserved to be exalted and prized.
That which belongs to the loyal
مِن كُلّ مَمشوق القَوام تَخالهُ
في تيهه الرَشأ الأَغنّ الأَلعسا
And to enemies continues a foe.
I shielded it from the blame of a wicked sinner
ينسيكَ سحبان البَيان فَصاحَةً
وَتَظنّهُ قَبل التَكَلُّم أَخرَسا
Lest they say I lambasted a righteous man.
Your registers of rhythm insult with his mention,
تَخذ السَواد مِن المداد مَلابِساً
سوداً فَكانَت تِلكَ أَحسَن مُكتَسى
Which nearly cannot be touched.
And the vulgar is restrained if his vile nature
وَغَدا لَهُ أَسنى البَياض مواطِئاً
وَلِذا اِستَحَقَّ لِأَن يجلّ وَينفسا
Vents but some of what was stamped upon him.
He who hopes for reward from a stubborn soul
تِلكَ الَّتي هِيَ خلّة لِذَوي الوَفا
وَعَلى الأَعادي لا تَزال درومسا
Will soon weary and despair.
And he who wears betrayal where he finds
نَزّهتها عَن ذَمّ أَفجر ناقص
كَي لا يَقولوا قَد هَجَوت مبرطسا
Nothing but disgrace to clothe him.
The obstinate are engrossed in deceit just as
تَعرو قَراطيس النِظام إِهانَةً
مِن ذِكرِهِ فَتَكاد أَن لا تمسسا
The flies are engrossed in the dung of cattle.
But the coiled serpent is the ugliest thing that frightens you
وَيُراع إِن فاه اليَراعُ بِبَعض ما
طبعت عَلَيهِ طِباعه أَن يدنسا
And the softest is what pleases you to touch.
How can one be honored among people
مَن علَّل النَفس الأَبيّة بِالمُنى
لا شَكّ يوشك أَن يَملّ فَييئَسا
Who is uglier than an unlucky omen?
Does an origin prosper though it be uglier than a mote
وَمَن اِرتَدى بِالخلف عُرّيَ حَيث لا
يَلقى سِوى العار المَهين لَهُ كسا
That has no origin to be named and known?
The claim of one who cannot claim a tenth
عَكف العَنيد عَلى الخَديعة مِثلَما
عَكَفت عَلى رَوث البَهيم الخُنفسا
Of a tribe is altered, and the pearl seems clay.
When his people named him Son of Malice,
وَالصلُّ أَشأَم ما يَروعك معطبا
مِنهُ وَأَنعَمُ ما يَروقك مَلمَسا
Wrongly, though he was baser and filthier,
He opposed them and denied it, claiming lineage
أَنّى يَكون لَدى الأَنام مكرَّما
مَن كانَ أَشأم مِن طويس وَأَنحَسا
Though he lied in his claim, artful.
He grew used to eating acorns until he deemed them
أَيَطيب أَصلاً وَهوَ أَقبَح مِن قَذىً
لا أَصَل يُدعى للدعيّ فيأرسا
Sweeter than ripe dates and smoother.
If he fell ill, they described to him as a draft
فَدعاءُ ما حَلَبت عشار قَبيلةٍ
إِلّا اِستَحال الدرُّ أن يَتبَجّسا
Before sleep, dog piss he would gulp down,
And after that, his meal would be
لَمّا دَعاهُ قَومهُ بِاِبن الخَنا
غَلطاً وَكانَ أَذلّ مِنهُ وَأَنجَسا
What putrified, rotted, and decomposed.
O most despicable of miserable folk, until when
أَضحى يُعارضهم فَأَنكَر وَاِدَّعى
نَسَباً وَكانَ بِما اِدَّعاهُ مدلسا
Does my hope excuse you - maybe, perhaps, if only?
You tasked me with composing satire, and it was not
وَاِعتادَ أَكل البعر حَتّى ظَنَّهُ
أَحلى مِن الرطب الجنيِّ وَأَسلَسا
My habit, but sorrow cannot be forgotten.
A singular gift came to you - if it had reached
وَربا فَكانَ إِذا تَمرّض طَبعه
وَأتوا بِهِ كَي يَعرضوه عَلى الإِسا
Damned Iblis, O son of the most wicked, he would perish!
It matched your length, O stupid one, in its length
وَصَفوا لَهُ بَول الكِلاب تَرشّفاً
قَبل المَنام وَبَعد ذَاكَ تَغطّسا
No, there is no comparison that reflects.
Its ornate eloquence is ornate
وَعقيب ذَلك أَن يَكون غِذاؤُهُ
مِمّا سلحنَ تَمعلكاً وَتَمعلسا
Though you are muddied and it pure.
But its meaning is gentler than the morning breeze
يا أَرذل القَوم اللئام إِلى مَتى
أَملي يَعلّله لعلَّ وَهَل عَسى
In subtlety, to one intimate with verse.
You insult the wafting of its perfume, as though
كَلّفتني نظمَ الهِجاء وَلَم يَكُن
دَأبي وَلَكنَّ الأَسى لا يُنتَسى
You insult the basil of maidens' gardens.
And when the likes of you offends me, it recites
وَلَقد أَتَتكَ فَريدة لَو شامَها
إِبليس يا اِبن الأَرذلين لأُبلسا
"Do not blame the despicable scoundrel when he does wrong."
قابلت طولك يا بَليد بطولها
بَل لَيسَ مَوضوع هُناكَ فَيعكسا
وَتَعجرفت أَلفاظها بِمعجرفٍ
فَهيَ العملّس حَيث كُنت غَملّسا
لَكنّ مَعناها أَرَقّ مِن الصبا
لطفاً لَدى مَن بِالقَريض اِستَأنَسا
تَشتمُّ نَشر عَبيرها فَكَأَنَّما
تَشتمّ مِن رَوض العَباهر نَرجسا
وَإِذا أَساءَ إِليّ مثلك أَنشَدَت
لا تعتب الوَغد اللَئيم إِذا أَسا
