ماذاwhat رُميتَyou were afflicted بِهِwith it مِنin the form of
ماذا رُميتَ بِهِ مِن
شُوَيعِرٍa petty poet فيهِin him جَهلُignorance
شُوَيعِرٍ فيهِ جَهلُ
What have you been afflicted with—
What have you been accused of
a petty poet full of ignorance!
Of poetry in which there is ignorance
يَغتابُhe speaks ill of شِعرِيَmy poetry حَتّىuntil
يَغتابُ شِعرِيَ حَتّى
كَأَنَّهُas though he لِيَto me مِثلُan equal
كَأَنَّهُ لِيَ مِثلُ
He maligns my verse, until
That maligns my poetry as if
it is as though he were my equal.
It were equal to me
وَماand not سَمِعتَyou have heard بِعُلوٍof loftiness
وَما سَمِعتَ بِعُلوٍ
قَبليbefore me يُعاديهِis hostile to it سُفلُbaseness
قَبلي يُعاديهِ سُفلُ
And you have never heard of loftiness
And you have not heard of glory
before me, opposed by baseness.
Before me which baseness contradicts
هَذاthis كَماas قالَsaid قَومٌsome people
هَذا كَما قالَ قَومٌ
ماwhatever تَمَّis complete سَمّوهُthey called it فَضلُexcellence
ما تَمَّ سَمّوهُ فَضلُ
This is as some people have said:
This is as a people have said
"Whatever is complete, they call excellence."
Whose superiority was not complete
ياO مَليحَlovely الدَلالِcoy charm وَالإِدلالِand confident airs
يا مَليحَ الدَلالِ وَالإِدلالِ
لاdo not تُمِتنيkill me بِعِلَّةِunder the pretext of الإِعتِلالِillness
لا تُمِتني بِعِلَّةِ الإِعتِلالِ
O you of lovely coyness and confident airs,
O beautiful in charm and temptation
do not kill me under the pretext of illness.
Do not make me die from the excuse of abstinence
لَوif حَلَتwere sweet هَذِهِthese الخِصلُtraits وَطابَتand were pleasant
لَو حَلَت هَذِهِ الخِصلُ وَطابَت
لَمnot أَكُنI would have been مِنfrom ذَواقِهاtasting them كَالخِلالِlike a toothpick
لَم أَكُن مِن ذَواقِها كَالخِلالِ
Had these traits been sweet and pleasant,
If this trait were sound and good
I would not have been like a toothpick from tasting them.
I would not be one who tastes it like vinegar
فَتَدارَكso rescue خَفِيَّthe barely visible part of جِسميmy body وَإِلّاand if not
فَتَدارَك خَفِيَّ جِسمي وَإِلّا
لَمnot يَبِنbe discernible لِلخَيالِto imagination مِنّيof me خَياليmy phantom
لَم يَبِن لِلخَيالِ مِنّي خَيالي
So save my barely visible body, or else
So heal my hidden body, else
my phantom will not be discernible to imagination.
My image will not appear to the imagination
Sol 6.1