يا قالَةَ الشِعرِ أَما
فيكُم فَتىً ذو مَحمِيَه
O gatherers of poetry, is there not
Among you a man of valor
يَأنَفُ أَن يَغشى مَقا
ماتِ السُؤالِ المُخزِيَه
Who scorns to beg at the doors
Of those who bring shame?
إِلى مَتى جُفونُكُم
عَلى قَذاها مُغضِيَه
How long will you remain
With eyes averted in avoidance?
وَكَم تَموتونَ بِأَد
واءِ الهُمومِ المُدوِيَه
And how often do you die from
Ills that rack the soul?
دَعوا المَديحَ وَاِبرُدوا
صُدورَكُم بِالأَهجِيَه
Leave off praise and cool
Your breasts with satire -
فَذَمُّ أَولادِ الزِنا
ءِ فيهِ بَعضُ التَسلِيَة
Mocking the sons of adultery
Can bring some relief,
وَرُبَّما شَفا الهِجاءُ
مِن قُلوبٍ مُشفِيَه
And raillery may heal
The sickness in hearts.
وَما عَلى قاتِلِ أَع
راضِ اللِئامِ مِن دِيَه
No blood-price is owed for killing
Vile men who deny virtue,
وَعُصبَةٍ صَحِبتُهُم
لِلفُضَلاءِ مُضنِيَه
A gang who aggrieve
The noble and high-minded,
ما أَمَروا بِطاعَةٍ
وَلا نَهَوا عَن مَعصِيَه
Commanding no good,
Forbidding no evil.
تَمشي قَوافي الشِعرِ في
مَدحِهِمِ مُستَعصِيَه
The rhymes of verse rebel
Against praising them,
وَطُصحِبُ الأَوزانُ في
هِجائِهِم وَالأَبنِيَه
Meters break and lose form
When put to lampooning them.
لَهُم نُفوسٌ مُلِئَت
فَقراً وَأَيدٍ مُثرِيَه
They have souls filled
With poverty and grasping hands.
وَأَوجُهٌ كالِحَةٌ
أَحسَنُ مِنها الأَقفِيَه
Their faces are more repulsive
Than skulls picked clean.
ناشِفَةِ الأَلوانِ مِن
ماءِ الحَياءِ مُكدِيَه
The hues of modesty long since
Faded from their color.
وَمَنطِقٌ إِفحاشُهُ
تَخبُثُ مِنهُ الأَندِيَه
Their vile speech is more rotten
ThanAdd to dictionary the foulest privy.
ما لَهُمُ مِن شِيَمِ ال
مُلوكِ غَيرُ التَسمِيَه
They have no princely traits
Save their borrowed titles.
قَد قَنِعوا مِنَ العُلى
بِأَن تُشادَ الأَبنِيَه
They are content if their halls
And edifices are exalted.
مَنازِلٌ أَليَقُ مِن
ها بِالهَناءِ التَعزِيَه
Homes less fit for them
Would be ruins and rubble
يَضيقُ بوعاً أَهلُها
وَهِيَ رِحابُ الأَفنِيَه
Heaped in courtyards wide -
How many misgivings and fears
كَم خَبَأَت مِن رَيبَةٍ
بُيوتُهُم وَالأَخبِيَه
Their houses hide,
How much baseness and vileness
وَخِسَّةٍ تَحتَ الثِيا
بِ مِنهُمُ وَالأَردِيَه
Under cloak and robe!
Never have I brought them
ما جِئتُهُم بِمَدحَةٍ
في مَوسِمٍ وَتَهنِيَه
Eulogy or congratulations
Without first making intercession
إِلّا وَلي أَمامَها
شَفاعَةٌ مُوَطِّيَه
And devious petition.
Even their cooked food must have
وَشَربَةُ المَطبوخِ لا
بُدَّ لَها مِن تَقوِيَه
Spices to make it palatable.
Each morn their ways
تُريكَ مِن أَخلاقِهِم
كُلَّ صَباحٍ مُخزِيَه
Show more disgrace.
Draw not nigh them, for the ethics
لا تَقتَرِب مِنهُم فَأَخ
لاقُ اللِئامِ مُعدِيَه
Of villains are infectious.
O Lord, save us from souls
يا رَبِّ جَنِّبَنا طَما
عاتِ النُفوسِ المُردِيَه
Fallen into corruption,
And grant us a contentment
وَهَب لَنا قَناعَةً
تَكونُ عَنهُم مُغنِيَه
To make us independent of them!
