وَوَضيعٍ يُقاوِمُ الشَرَفاءَ

وَوَضيعٍ يُقاوِمُ الشَرَفاءَ

وَيُناوي المُلوكَ وَالكُبَراءَ

وَيُناوي المُلوكَ وَالكُبَراءَ

And a base man who contends with the noble,

The base opposes the noble

and rivals kings and grandees.

And conspires against kings and dignitaries

ساحِلِيٌّ يُغدو بِهِ الهَجوُ أَرضاً

ساحِلِيٌّ يُغدو بِهِ الهَجوُ أَرضاً

كُلَّما راحَ بِالهِجاءِ سَماءَ

كُلَّما راحَ بِالهِجاءِ سَماءَ

A man of the coast—through him satire sinks to earth,

My poetry is ground for their slander

whenever through satire he rises to the sky.

Wherever they take their slander, it is the sky

ذَلَّ شِعري في عِرضِهِ بَعدَ عِزٍّ

ذَلَّ شِعري في عِرضِهِ بَعدَ عِزٍّ

فَكَأَنّي بِهِ هَجَوتُ الهِجاءَ

فَكَأَنّي بِهِ هَجَوتُ الهِجاءَ

My poetry, once honored, was debased in assailing his honor,

My poetry has been debased after glory

so it is as though, through him, I had satirized satire itself.

As if by it, I have slandered slander itself