يا عامِلاً مَعروفَهُ مُتَباطي

يا عامِلاً مَعروفَهُ مُتَباطي

لِمْ حامَ غَدرُكَ بي عَلى إِسخاطي

لِمْ حامَ غَدرُكَ بي عَلى إِسخاطي

O official, whose favors are slow to come,

O you whose kindness was continuous

Why did your treachery circle about me, intent on angering me?

Why did your betrayal annoy me?

هَذا وَبِرُّكَ لَيسَ يَظفَرُ ناظِرٌ

هَذا وَبِرُّكَ لَيسَ يَظفَرُ ناظِرٌ

مِنهُ بِحُسنٍ لا وَلا بِنَشاطِ

مِنهُ بِحُسنٍ لا وَلا بِنَشاطِ

This, though no observer finds in your kindness

This, while your righteousness does not gain

Any beauty—no, nor any eagerness.

For the viewer any goodness or liveliness

يا اِبنَ العَبيدِ الرومِ لَيسَ بِمُسلِمٍ

يا اِبنَ العَبيدِ الرومِ لَيسَ بِمُسلِمٍ

مَن أَسلَمَ الأَشرافَ لِلأَقباطِ

مَن أَسلَمَ الأَشرافَ لِلأَقباطِ

O son of Roman slaves, no Muslim is

O son of the Roman slaves, not Muslim is

He who surrendered the nobles to the Copts.

He who subjugated the nobles to the Copts

يا وَيلَ أُمِّكَ لَم جَسَرتَ أَلَم تَكُن

يا وَيلَ أُمِّكَ لَم جَسَرتَ أَلَم تَكُن

تَخشى عَلى كَتَفَيكَ مِن أَسواطي

تَخشى عَلى كَتَفَيكَ مِن أَسواطي

Woe to your mother! Why did you dare? Were you not

Oh woe to your mother! How dare you? Were you not

Afraid of my whips upon your shoulders?

Afraid for your shoulders from my whips?

أَو لَيتَني ما كُنتُ أَعلى رُتبَةً

أَو لَيتَني ما كُنتُ أَعلى رُتبَةً

مِنهُ وَلَم تَطلُب سِوى إِحطاطي

مِنهُ وَلَم تَطلُب سِوى إِحطاطي

Or would that I had not been higher in rank

If only I had not been of higher station

Than him—and you sought nothing but my abasement.

Than him and sought only to debase myself

وَتَرضكتَ شِعري إِذا أَتاكَ مُطَأطَئاً

وَتَرضكتَ شِعري إِذا أَتاكَ مُطَأطَئاً

خَجَلاً وَلَم يَكُ قَطُّ بِالمُتَعاطي

خَجَلاً وَلَم يَكُ قَطُّ بِالمُتَعاطي

And you [unclear verb] my poetry when it came to you, head bowed,

You would have been satisfied with my poetry if it came

In shame, and it had never been presumptuous.

To you humble, never with pride

فَعَلامَ لَم تَعرِف لَهُ مِقدارَهُ

فَعَلامَ لَم تَعرِف لَهُ مِقدارَهُ

لَمّا أَتاكَ مُطَرَّزُ الأَنماطِ

لَمّا أَتاكَ مُطَرَّزُ الأَنماطِ

So why did you not acknowledge its worth

Why then did you not recognize his worth

When it came to you embroidered with patterns?

When he came to you adorned in splendor?

لَو كُنتَ مِن تَنّيسَ عَرَّكَ هَجوُهُ

لَو كُنتَ مِن تَنّيسَ عَرَّكَ هَجوُهُ

أَلفا فَكَيفَ وَأَنتَ مِن دِمياطِ

أَلفا فَكَيفَ وَأَنتَ مِن دِمياطِ

Had you been from Tinnis, its satire would have disgraced you

Had he been one who stripped you bare with his lampoon

A thousand times—how much more, then, when you are from Damietta?

A thousand fold, then how, you being from Damietta?