1. دع با الجديد

    ومزق باوجه

    Leave [unclear word] the new one.

    And tear [unclear word].

  2. وَلا تَصفَع قَفا أَحد سِواه

    إِذا ما رُمت تَحظى بِالسعود

    And slap no one's nape but his,

    if you seek to be favored with good fortune.

  3. وَقُل يا أَنت فيما

    زَعمت مفند بين العَبيد

    And say: "You, in what

    you have claimed, are a fool among the slaves."

  4. عُلوم النجم حَظك صارَ منها

    شِهاب مثل شَيطان مَريد

    Your share in the sciences of the stars has become

    a meteor, like a rebellious devil.

  5. وَعلم الأَرض ما أَحرزت مِنهُ

    سِوى ما فيكَ مِن جَهل تَليد

    And from the science of the earth you have gained nothing

    but the age-old ignorance within you.

  6. وَلا تَعجب فَإِنَّك مِن

    وَفيها لَيسَ يوجد من

    And do not marvel, for indeed you are among...

    And in it no one is found who...

  7. وَأَنتَ الثَور لا بَل أَنتَ دُب

    تَقول لِنائل هَل مِن مَزيد

    And you are the Bull—no, rather, you are a bear,

    saying to a giver, "Is there any more?"

  8. وَأَنتَ الجدي لا بَل أَنتَ تَيس

    صَقيع الذَقن أَبرَد مِن جَليد

    And you are the Kid—no, rather, you are a he-goat,

    frost-white of beard, colder than ice.

  9. فَيا دَجال هَذا العَصر يا مَن

    غَدا في المسخ أَشبَهَ بِالقُرود

    So, O charlatan of this age, O you who

    in your grotesque transformation have grown more like apes,

  10. وَيا مَن خزيه في الكَون أَضحى

    بِلَيل الغيّ مَنشورَ البُنود

    and O you whose disgrace in the world has come

    to unfurl its banners in the night of error,

  11. إِلى كَم تَدّعي علماً وَفهماً

    وَأَنتَ مِن الغَباوة في قُيود

    how long will you claim knowledge and understanding,

    while you are fettered by stupidity?

  12. أَما إِن العُلوم لَها رِجال

    تَردّ المَدعين عَن الوُرود

    Indeed, the sciences have their masters,

    who turn pretenders away from the watering place.

  13. فَمالَك تَدعي المِيقات جَهلاً

    وَعلم الرَمل يا اليَهود

    So why ignorantly claim timekeeping

    and geomancy, O Jews?

  14. أَمأمون الزَمان إِلَيكَ أَهدى

    مَعارفه بإرشاد

    Did the Ma'mun of the age bestow on you

    his knowledge through instruction?

  15. وَهَل شارَكت في الأَرصاد يَوماً

    بِمَصر خَليفة الوَقت العُبيدي

    And did you ever join in astronomical observations

    in Egypt with the 'Ubaydi caliph of the time?

  16. نعم شاركتهُ في شَر داء

    يُلازم كُل جَبارٍ عَنيد

    Yes, you shared with him the worst disease,

    which clings to every stubborn tyrant.

  17. فَمن دَعواك تب وَاِرجَع وَإلا

    صَفعتك بِالنعال عَلى الخُدود

    So repent of your claim and turn back, or else

    I will slap your cheeks with sandals.

  18. وَلا تعزى لكشيار ضَلالاً

    فَإِنَّك في الضَلالة كَاليزيد

    And do not misguidedly claim affiliation with Kushyar,

    for in misguidance you are like Yazid.

  19. وَلا تُسنِد لأولوغٍ قصوراً

    بِسُوء الفهم وَالذهن البَليد

    And do not impute shortcomings to Ulugh

    through poor understanding and a dull mind.

  20. وَلابن الشاطر الزيّاج فَضلٌ

    لَهُ اليعروف يُومي بِالسُجود

    And Ibn al-Shatir, the compiler of astronomical tables, has merit;

    to him al-Ya'ruf [unclear word] gestures in prostration.

  21. وَللبنّا ضُروبٌ مِن صَواب

    مُؤسسة عَلى رُكن مشيد

    And al-Banna has various sound judgments,

    founded upon a firmly built pillar.

  22. وَلا تركض بِخَيلك في مَجال

    بِهِ تَبقى طَعاماً لِلأُسود

    And do not gallop your horses into an arena

    where you will be food for lions.

  23. وَلا تَأخُذ مِن السُفليِّ عَهداً

    فَمن عاداته نَقض العُهود

    And take no pledge from the base one,

    for breaking pledges is among his habits.

  24. وَقَد جرّبته بِالأَمس لَمّا

    تَخلّى عَنك مِن خَوفٍ شَديد

    And indeed you tested him yesterday, when

    he abandoned you out of intense fear.

  25. وَلم تَظفر مِن التَعريض إِلّا

    بِتَلويثٍ وَضَرب بِالجَريد

    And from veiled taunts you gained nothing

    but befoulment and a beating with palm stalks.

  26. وَأَنت الآن مِن شَر البَرايا

    بِما قدّمت يا أَشقى ثَمود

    And now you are among the worst of creatures

    for what you have done, O most wretched of Thamud.

  27. وَفيك الهَجو بِالتكرار يَحلو

    إِذا ما مَرَّ في صُلب القَصيد

    And satire of you grows sweet with repetition

    whenever it passes through the heart of the poem.

  28. وَها أَنا مُستعدّ كُل وَقت

    لِقَمعك عَن ضَلال مَع جحود

    And here I am, ready at every moment

    to restrain you from error coupled with willful denial.

  29. وَيَكفي في هجاك الآن قولي

    دَع با الجَديد

    And for satirizing you, my saying now suffices:

    Leave [unclear word] the new one.