نُبِّئتُ أَنَّ أَبا إِسحاقَ يَذكُرُني

نُبِّئتُ أَنَّ أَبا إِسحاقَ يَذكُرُني

وَذِكرُهُ لي مُخالٌ لَيسَ يَنفَعُهُ

وَذِكرُهُ لي مُخالٌ لَيسَ يَنفَعُهُ

I am told that Abu Ishaq speaks of me,

I have been told that Abu Ishaq mentions me.

and a close companion mentions him to me, though he does him no good.

And his mentioning me is folly; it does him no good.

فَلا يُعَرِّض زُجاجَ العِرضِ مِنهُ إِلى

فَلا يُعَرِّض زُجاجَ العِرضِ مِنهُ إِلى

شِعري فَإِن حَصاةً مِنهُ تَصدَعُهُ

شِعري فَإِن حَصاةً مِنهُ تَصدَعُهُ

Then let him not expose the glass of his honor to

So let him not expose the glass of his honor to

my verse—for a single pebble from it will crack that glass.

my verse, for a pebble from it will crack it.

كَم حامَ هَجوي عَلى أَن يَستَخِفَّ بِهِ

كَم حامَ هَجوي عَلى أَن يَستَخِفَّ بِهِ

حَتّى تَبَيَّنَ أَنَّ الهَجوَ يَرفَعُهُ

حَتّى تَبَيَّنَ أَنَّ الهَجوَ يَرفَعُهُ

How often my satire circled over him, poised to belittle him,

How often my satire hovered, intent on making light of him,

until it became clear that satire would only exalt him.

until it became clear that satire elevates him.

فَإِن هُوَ المَرءُ خَلّى عَن تَجَعمُصِهِ

فَإِن هُوَ المَرءُ خَلّى عَن تَجَعمُصِهِ

أَولا فَإِنَّ القَوافي سَوفَ تَصفَعُهُ

أَولا فَإِنَّ القَوافي سَوفَ تَصفَعُهُ

If he is truly a man, let him cast off his haughty posturing;

So whether the man gives up his swaggering

otherwise, the rhymes will slap him.

or not, the rhymes will surely slap him.