وَجهُ حُمَيدٍ إِن تَأَمَّلتَهُ

وَجهُ حُمَيدٍ إِن تَأَمَّلتَهُ

أَقبَحُ خَلقِ اللَهِ ديباجَه

أَقبَحُ خَلقِ اللَهِ ديباجَه

Humayd’s face—if you contemplate it—

Humayd’s face, if you contemplate it,

is the ugliest in countenance of all God’s creatures.

is the ugliest in countenance of all God’s creation.

وَجهٌ قَليلُ الخَيرِ ما فيهِ لِل

وَجهٌ قَليلُ الخَيرِ ما فيهِ لِل

راجي مَكانٌ لِقَضا حاجَه

راجي مَكانٌ لِقَضا حاجَه

A face so scant in good: nowhere in it is there, for

A face with little goodness, with no room in it for the

one who hopes, a place where a need might be fulfilled.

hopeful to have a need fulfilled.

مُشَوَّهٌ في وَسطِهِ مَنخَرٌ

مُشَوَّهٌ في وَسطِهِ مَنخَرٌ

أَوسَعُ مِن تَنّورِ زَجّاجَه

أَوسَعُ مِن تَنّورِ زَجّاجَه

Misshapen, with a nostril in its midst

Disfigured, with a nostril in its middle,

wider than a glassmaker’s furnace.

wider than Zajjāja’s oven.

مُستَثقَلُ الروحِ لَهُ راحَةٌ

مُستَثقَلُ الروحِ لَهُ راحَةٌ

إِلى طَبيخِ الزَيتِ مُحتاجَه

إِلى طَبيخِ الزَيتِ مُحتاجَه

Odious in spirit, he has a palm

An insufferable soul, he has a palm

in need of being cooked in oil.

in need of boiled oil.

يَنسَمِرُ الدينارُ فيها كَما

يَنسَمِرُ الدينارُ فيها كَما

يَنسَمِرُ المِسمارُ في الساجَه

يَنسَمِرُ المِسمارُ في الساجَه

A dinar is driven fast into it, just as

The dinar sticks fast in it, just as

a nail is driven into teakwood.

a nail sticks fast in a teak plank.

تَشقى إِذا حاوَلتَ بِغَيرِ

تَشقى إِذا حاوَلتَ بِغَيرِ

الفَأسِ وَالمِبزَغِ إِخراجَه

الفَأسِ وَالمِبزَغِ إِخراجَه

You will come to grief if you attempt, without

You suffer if you try, without

an axe and a lancet, to prise it out.

the axe and the lancet, to extract it.

يَرَبِّ لا تَجعَل لِحُرٍّ إِلى

يَرَبِّ لا تَجعَل لِحُرٍّ إِلى

نَذلٍ لَئيمٍ أَبَداً حاجَه

نَذلٍ لَئيمٍ أَبَداً حاجَه

O Lord, never leave a freeborn man

O Lord, do not let a free man

in need of a base and ignoble wretch.

ever have need of a base, ignoble man.