أَلا يا اِبنَ الحَصينِ جَمَعتَ نَفساً

أَلا يا اِبنَ الحَصينِ جَمَعتَ نَفساً

مُذَمَّمَةً إِلى خُلُقٍ قَبيحِ

مُذَمَّمَةً إِلى خُلُقٍ قَبيحِ

Ah, son of al-Ḥaṣīn, you have coupled a soul

Alas, O son of Al-Hasin, you have gathered

worthy of blame with an ugly character.

An ignoble soul prone to ugly behavior.

وَكُنتَ تُعابُ قِدماً بِالوَدادِ ال

وَكُنتَ تُعابُ قِدماً بِالوَدادِ ال

مَشوبِ فَجِئتَ بِاللُؤمِ الطَريحِ

مَشوبِ فَجِئتَ بِاللُؤمِ الطَريحِ

And long ago you were reproached for affection

You were once reproached for pure affection -

tainted—then you brought abject baseness.

Yet you came with vile and wretched treachery.

هَجَمتَ عَلى حِمى مالٍ مَصونٍ

هَجَمتَ عَلى حِمى مالٍ مَصونٍ

بِذِمَّةِ مُستَحِلٍ مُستَبيحِ

بِذِمَّةِ مُستَحِلٍ مُستَبيحِ

You stormed the sanctuary of protected wealth

You attacked protected wealth

with the conscience of one who deems it lawful and violates its sanctity.

With the morals of a transgressor and despoiler,

عَلى مالٍ تَجَمَّعَ مِن جَوادٍ

عَلى مالٍ تَجَمَّعَ مِن جَوادٍ

سَخِيِّ الراحَتَينِ وَمِن شَحيحِ

سَخِيِّ الراحَتَينِ وَمِن شَحيحِ

Upon wealth accumulated from a generous giver,

Wealth gathered from the generous

lavish with both hands, and from a miser.

And the stingy alike.

فَكَم فيما أَغرَت عَلَيَّ مِنهُ

فَكَم فيما أَغرَت عَلَيَّ مِنهُ

لَحاكَ اللَهُ مِن وَجهٍ صَبيحِ

لَحاكَ اللَهُ مِن وَجهٍ صَبيحِ

How many, in that wealth you plundered from me—

How much did you trick me out of

God curse you!—were fair faces!

May Allah shame your radiant face!

وَكَم غادَرتَ بِالوُزَراءِ لَمّا

وَكَم غادَرتَ بِالوُزَراءِ لَمّا

نَوَيتَ الغَدرَ مِن قَلبٍ قَريحِ

نَوَيتَ الغَدرَ مِن قَلبٍ قَريحِ

And how many you left among the viziers, when

How many ministers did you cheat

you planned betrayal—hearts sorely wounded,

When you plotted betrayal in your wretched heart

يَحِنُّ إِلَيكَ لا طَرَباً وَشَوقاً

يَحِنُّ إِلَيكَ لا طَرَباً وَشَوقاً

إِلى لُقياكَ ياوَجهَ الصَبوحِ

إِلى لُقياكَ ياوَجهَ الصَبوحِ

yearning for you, not from delight and longing

That yearns not for you in delight

to meet you, O face of the morning draught!

Or longing to see your bright face.

تَعُدُّ الغَدرَ دَأباً في الوَضيِّ ال

تَعُدُّ الغَدرَ دَأباً في الوَضيِّ ال

ميلِ فَكيفَ في الجَهمِ القَبيحِ

ميلِ فَكيفَ في الجَهمِ القَبيحِ

You deem treachery a habit in the fair and

You count betrayal as habit in playfulness

[handsome?]—so what of the grim and ugly?

So how much more in serious ugly sin!

لَقَد أَصبَحتَ أَكذَبَ مِن سَجاحٍ

لَقَد أَصبَحتَ أَكذَبَ مِن سَجاحٍ

فَلَيتَكَ كُنتَ ذا خُلُقٍ صَحيحِ

فَلَيتَكَ كُنتَ ذا خُلُقٍ صَحيحِ

Indeed, you have become a greater liar than Sajāḥ.

You have become more lying than a barking dog

If only, then, you had sound character!

Would that you had an honest character!

أَغَرتَ عَلى مُغيرٍ بِالقَوافي

أَغَرتَ عَلى مُغيرٍ بِالقَوافي

وَجَوَّزتَ اِستِماحَةَ مُستَميحِ

وَجَوَّزتَ اِستِماحَةَ مُستَميحِ

You raided a raider with rhymes,

You fooled me with rhyming couplets

and permitted a supplicant's asking for gifts.

And claimed the forgiveness of one pleading,

وَبِعتَ دَريسَ عِرضِكَ مُستَهيناً

وَبِعتَ دَريسَ عِرضِكَ مُستَهيناً

بِهِ وَنَجَوت بِالثَمَنِ الرَبيحِ

بِهِ وَنَجَوت بِالثَمَنِ الرَبيحِ

And you sold your honor's threadbare garment, disdainful

You sold your honor cheap, disdaining it,

of it, and got away with a profitable price.

And escaped for a paltry profit.

وَلَم تَنظُر لِنَفسِكَ في صَلاحٍ

وَلَم تَنظُر لِنَفسِكَ في صَلاحٍ

وَلا أَرعَيتَ سَمعَكَ لِلنَصيحِ

وَلا أَرعَيتَ سَمعَكَ لِلنَصيحِ

And you gave no thought to your own good,

You did not look to better yourself

nor lent your ear to a sincere adviser.

Or heed advice and good counsel.

وَلَيتَكَ لَم تُعَرِّضها لِذَمٍّ

وَلَيتَكَ لَم تُعَرِّضها لِذَمٍّ

إِذا كانَت تَقِلُّ عَنِ المَديحِ

إِذا كانَت تَقِلُّ عَنِ المَديحِ

And if only you had not exposed it to blame,

Would that you had not exposed yourself to blame

when it fell short of deserving praise.

When you fall short of praise!