قُلsay لِأَبيto the father of النَقصِdeficiency وَالمَخازيand disgraces
قُل لِأَبي النَقصِ وَالمَخازي
ياO حَرَجَnarrow الصَدرِthe breast وَالفَناءِand the courtyard
يا حَرَجَ الصَدرِ وَالفَناءِ
Say to the father of defects and disgraces:
Say to Abu al-Naqs and reproaches,
O you of cramped breast and courtyard,
O anguish of the chest and perdition,
بِأَيِّby what رَأيٍjudgment وَأَيِّand what فَهمٍunderstanding
بِأَيِّ رَأيٍ وَأَيِّ فَهمٍ
ياO مُدَّعيclaimant to الفَهمَunderstanding وَالذَكاءَand intelligence
يا مُدَّعي الفَهمَ وَالذَكاءَ
By what judgment and what understanding,
With what opinion and what understanding,
O claimant to understanding and intelligence,
O pretender of understanding and intelligence,
قَدَّمتَyou preferred مُستَأثِراًselfishly عَلَيناover us
قَدَّمتَ مُستَأثِراً عَلَينا
أَحقَرَmore contemptible قَدراًin worth مِنthan الهَباءِdust motes
أَحقَرَ قَدراً مِن الهَباءِ
did you selfishly prefer over us
Did you present yourself monopolizing over us
one more contemptible in worth than dust,
The most despicable worth of nothingness?
أَبلَهَa fool قِدَماًof old يُرىis deemed وَيُربىand is surpassed
أَبلَهَ قِدَماً يُرى وَيُربى
عَلَيهِover him فيin قِلَّةِlack of الحَياءِmodesty
عَلَيهِ في قِلَّةِ الحَياءِ
long reckoned a fool, and surpassed
A foolish foot seen and nurtured
in his lack of shame?
Upon it in scarcity of shame.
لَهُhe has فَمٌa mouth كَالكَنيفِlike a privy يَلقىhe meets
لَهُ فَمٌ كَالكَنيفِ يَلقى
وَجهَكَyour face مِنهُfrom it بِبَيتِwith a house or verse ماءِwater
وَجهَكَ مِنهُ بِبَيتِ ماءِ
He has a mouth like a privy; he greets
It has a mouth like a water-skin that throws
your face with a 'water-closet' verse from it.
Your face from it with a house of water,
وَحاشَand far be it لِلّاهِfor God أَنَّthat مَدحاًpraise
وَحاشَ لِلّاهِ أَنَّ مَدحاً
يَأتيكَcomes to you إِلّاexcept مِنَfrom الخَلاءِthe privy
يَأتيكَ إِلّا مِنَ الخَلاءِ
And God forbid that praise
And God forbid that praise
should come to you except from the privy!
Would come to you except from the dishonorable,
لَهُhe has عَلىaccording to زَعمِهِhis claim مَديحٌa praise-poem
لَهُ عَلى زَعمِهِ مَديحٌ
أَقبَحُuglier عِنديin my view مِنَthan الهِجاءِsatire
أَقبَحُ عِندي مِنَ الهِجاءِ
He has, according to his claim, a praise-poem
He has according to his claim a praise
uglier in my eyes than satire.
Uglier in my view than lampooning,
مُكَرَّرٌrehashed غادَرَتهُhave left it أَيديhands of الthe
مُكَرَّرٌ غادَرَتهُ أَيدي ال
أَنامِpeople مُخلَولِقَthreadbare الرِداءِthe cloak
أَنامِ مُخلَولِقَ الرِداءِ
Rehashed, left by the hands of the
Repeated, the hands of sleepers have left it,
people with its cloak worn threadbare.
Wearers of the cloak made of tattered cloth.
كَمhow many قَدalready رَأىit has seen لِلمُلوكِbelonging to kings داراًa house
كَم قَد رَأى لِلمُلوكِ داراً
فيon يَومِa day of عيدٍa feast وَفيand amid هَناءِrejoicing
في يَومِ عيدٍ وَفي هَناءِ
How many a king's house it has seen
How much has he seen for kings a house
on a feast day and amid rejoicing!
On a feast day and in prosperity,
يَكسوكَhe clothes you مِنهُfrom it ثِيابَgarments of حَمدٍpraise
يَكسوكَ مِنهُ ثِيابَ حَمدٍ
قَليلَةَbrief in اللَبثِduration وَالبَقاءِand endurance
قَليلَةَ اللَبثِ وَالبَقاءِ
He clothes you from it in robes of praise,
It clothes you from it with clothes of praise
lasting and enduring only briefly.
Of little duration and survival,
بِالأَمسِyesterday كانَتthey were عَلىon رِجالٍmen
بِالأَمسِ كانَت عَلى رِجالٍ
تَقَسَّمَتهُمshared them out أَيديhands of الفَناءِdeath
تَقَسَّمَتهُم أَيدي الفَناءِ
Yesterday they were worn by men
Yesterday it was on men
whom the hands of death had divided among themselves.
Whose hands fate had divided,
وَسَوفَand will يُعريكَstrip you عَنafter قَليلٍa little while
وَسَوفَ يُعريكَ عَن قَليلٍ
مِنهاof them وَيُلقيكَand cast you بِالعَراءِinto the open
مِنها وَيُلقيكَ بِالعَراءِ
And before long he will strip you
And soon it will strip you of little
of them and cast you into the open.
Of it and cast you in the bareness,
فَاِرضَso be satisfied بِهِwith him قانِعاًcontentedly فَنَفسيfor my soul
فَاِرضَ بِهِ قانِعاً فَنَفسي
قَدalready قَنِعَتhas been content مِنكَfrom you بِالجَفاءِwith coldness
قَد قَنِعَت مِنكَ بِالجَفاءِ
So rest content with him; for my soul
So be content with it satisfied, and my soul
has been content with coldness from you.
Is content with you with aloofness,
وَلاand do not تَصِلنيgive me gifts فَإِنَّfor أَخذيmy taking
وَلا تَصِلني فَإِنَّ أَخذي
عِرضَكَyour honor أَحلىsweeter مِنَthan العَطاءِbounty
عِرضَكَ أَحلى مِنَ العَطاءِ
And give me no gifts, for my assault on
And do not join me, for my taking
your honor is sweeter than bounty.
Your honor is sweeter than bestowal,
إِنif كانَhas (past auxiliary) أَغناكَspared you the need عَنfor مَديحيmy praise
إِن كانَ أَغناكَ عَن مَديحي
فَليسَthen he does not يُنجيكَsave you مِنfrom هِجائيmy satire
فَليسَ يُنجيكَ مِن هِجائي
If he has spared you the need for my praise,
If my praise has made you needless,
he will not save you from my satire.
Then lampooning will not save you from me.
Sol 6.1