1. يا قالَةَ الشِعرِ أَما

    فيكُم فَتىً ذو مَحمِيَه

    O poets, is there not

    among you a young man with a sense of honor,

  2. يَأنَفُ أَن يَغشى مَقا

    ماتِ السُؤالِ المُخزِيَه

    who disdains to frequent the haunts

    of humiliating begging?

  3. إِلى مَتى جُفونُكُم

    عَلى قَذاها مُغضِيَه

    How long will your eyelids

    remain shut over their grit?

  4. وَكَم تَموتونَ بِأَد

    واءِ الهُمومِ المُدوِيَه

    And how often do you die from the ailments

    of debilitating cares?

  5. دَعوا المَديحَ وَاِبرُدوا

    صُدورَكُم بِالأَهجِيَه

    Abandon praise, and cool

    your breasts with satires.

  6. فَذَمُّ أَولادِ الزِنا

    ءِ فيهِ بَعضُ التَسلِيَة

    For reviling the children of fornication

    holds some consolation.

  7. وَرُبَّما شَفا الهِجاءُ

    مِن قُلوبٍ مُشفِيَه

    And often satire has healed

    hearts on the brink of death.

  8. وَما عَلى قاتِلِ أَع

    راضِ اللِئامِ مِن دِيَه

    And he who slays the honor

    of the base owes no blood-money.

  9. وَعُصبَةٍ صَحِبتُهُم

    لِلفُضَلاءِ مُضنِيَه

    And a band whose company I kept

    wore down men of merit.

  10. ما أَمَروا بِطاعَةٍ

    وَلا نَهَوا عَن مَعصِيَه

    They never enjoined obedience,

    nor forbade disobedience.

  11. تَمشي قَوافي الشِعرِ في

    مَدحِهِمِ مُستَعصِيَه

    The rhymes of verse tread

    reluctantly in their praise,

  12. وَطُصحِبُ الأَوزانُ في

    هِجائِهِم وَالأَبنِيَه

    while meters fall readily into place

    in lampooning them, as do poetic forms.

  13. لَهُم نُفوسٌ مُلِئَت

    فَقراً وَأَيدٍ مُثرِيَه

    They have souls filled

    with poverty, and wealthy hands.

  14. وَأَوجُهٌ كالِحَةٌ

    أَحسَنُ مِنها الأَقفِيَه

    And scowling faces—

    the backs of their necks are fairer than these.

  15. ناشِفَةِ الأَلوانِ مِن

    ماءِ الحَياءِ مُكدِيَه

    Their complexions are dried out,

    barren of the water of modesty.

  16. وَمَنطِقٌ إِفحاشُهُ

    تَخبُثُ مِنهُ الأَندِيَه

    And speech whose obscenity

    makes gatherings foul.

  17. ما لَهُمُ مِن شِيَمِ ال

    مُلوكِ غَيرُ التَسمِيَه

    They have none of the traits of

    kings, save the title.

  18. قَد قَنِعوا مِنَ العُلى

    بِأَن تُشادَ الأَبنِيَه

    For greatness they have been content

    with having buildings raised.

  19. مَنازِلٌ أَليَقُ مِن

    ها بِالهَناءِ التَعزِيَه

    Dwellings less deserving

    of congratulations than condolences are.

  20. يَضيقُ بوعاً أَهلُها

    وَهِيَ رِحابُ الأَفنِيَه

    Their inhabitants have a narrow reach,

    though their courtyards are spacious.

  21. كَم خَبَأَت مِن رَيبَةٍ

    بُيوتُهُم وَالأَخبِيَه

    How many dubious deeds have been hidden

    by their houses and tents,

  22. وَخِسَّةٍ تَحتَ الثِيا

    بِ مِنهُمُ وَالأَردِيَه

    and how much baseness beneath the garments

    and cloaks they wear!

  23. ما جِئتُهُم بِمَدحَةٍ

    في مَوسِمٍ وَتَهنِيَه

    I never brought them a poem of praise

    at a festival or by way of congratulations,

  24. إِلّا وَلي أَمامَها

    شَفاعَةٌ مُوَطِّيَه

    unless, before it, I had

    an intercession to pave the way.

  25. وَشَربَةُ المَطبوخِ لا

    بُدَّ لَها مِن تَقوِيَه

    And a draught of the boiled brew cannot

    do without something to strengthen it.

  26. تُريكَ مِن أَخلاقِهِم

    كُلَّ صَباحٍ مُخزِيَه

    You are shown something of their character

    by a disgrace each morning.

  27. لا تَقتَرِب مِنهُم فَأَخ

    لاقُ اللِئامِ مُعدِيَه

    Do not approach them, for the character

    of the base is contagious.

  28. يا رَبِّ جَنِّبَنا طَما

    عاتِ النُفوسِ المُردِيَه

    O my Lord, keep us from the cravings

    of souls—cravings that bring ruin.

  29. وَهَب لَنا قَناعَةً

    تَكونُ عَنهُم مُغنِيَه

    And grant us contentment

    that makes us independent of them.