خَلّوا مَلامي في هِجاءِ اِمرِىءٍ

خَلّوا مَلامي في هِجاءِ اِمرِىءٍ

يَصلُحُ بَعدَ الذَبحِ لِلخَلِّ

يَصلُحُ بَعدَ الذَبحِ لِلخَلِّ

Stop blaming me for lampooning a man

Leave my critics to rail against a man

Fit, once slaughtered, for pickling in vinegar.

Who can be reformed after slaughter like a camel colt.

لا تَعجَلوا إِنَّ العُجيلَ الَّذي

لا تَعجَلوا إِنَّ العُجيلَ الَّذي

أَطَلتُمُ مِن أَجلِهِ عَذلي

أَطَلتُمُ مِن أَجلِهِ عَذلي

Do not rush: al-ʿUjayl, the little calf for whom

Do not hasten, for the hasty one whom

You have prolonged your reproaches of me,

You have prolonged your censure for my sake,

عارٍ مِنَ الإِحسانِ وَالحُسنِ بَل

عارٍ مِنَ الإِحسانِ وَالحُسنِ بَل

خالٍ مِنَ الإِفضالِ وَالفَضلِ

خالٍ مِنَ الإِفضالِ وَالفَضلِ

Is bare of kindness and beauty—indeed,

Is devoid of kindness and goodness, rather

Devoid of generosity and merit.

Empty of generosity and merit.

قولوا لَهُ يا أَجهَلَ الناسِ إِذ

قولوا لَهُ يا أَجهَلَ الناسِ إِذ

أَفاضَ في جِدٍّ وَفي هَزلِ

أَفاضَ في جِدٍّ وَفي هَزلِ

Tell him, 'O most ignorant of men,' when

Say to him, “O most ignorant of men, since

He holds forth in earnest and in jest:

You have indulged in seriousness and in jest,

قَد عُبِدَ العِجلُ فَلا غَروَ أَن

قَد عُبِدَ العِجلُ فَلا غَروَ أَن

يُعَوِّلوا مِنكَ عَلى عِجلِ

يُعَوِّلوا مِنكَ عَلى عِجلِ

'The calf was worshipped; no wonder, then,

The calf has now been worshipped, so no wonder

That they should trust the calf they find in you.

They rely on you hastily.

وِلايَةٌ تِهتَ بِها بَعدُ في ال

وِلايَةٌ تِهتَ بِها بَعدُ في ال

قُوَّةِ لَم تَخرُج إِلى الفِعلِ

قُوَّةِ لَم تَخرُج إِلى الفِعلِ

An office you have boasted of is still in

A governorship that will lead you astray hereafter through

Potentiality; it has not passed into actuality.

Power that did not come into action.

قُلِّدتَ مِنها يَومَ قُلِّدتَها

قُلِّدتَ مِنها يَومَ قُلِّدتَها

نِيابَةً غِمداً بِلا نَصلِ

نِيابَةً غِمداً بِلا نَصلِ

From it, on the day you were invested with it, you received

You were appointed to it the day you were appointed

A deputyship—a scabbard without a blade.

As a deputy, a sheath without a blade.

فَهيَ وَما أَنتَ بِأَهلٍ لَها

فَهيَ وَما أَنتَ بِأَهلٍ لَها

في غَيرِ أَوطانٍ وَلا أَهلِ

في غَيرِ أَوطانٍ وَلا أَهلِ

So she—though you are unworthy of her—

It and you are not suited for each other

Is neither in her native lands nor among her own kin.

In other lands or with other people.

لَم تَرتَضِع دِرَّتَها أَو رَما

لَم تَرتَضِع دِرَّتَها أَو رَما

ها اللَهُ في الأَولادِ بِالثُكلِ

ها اللَهُ في الأَولادِ بِالثُكلِ

You have not suckled her milk—or she has been struck

You were not nurtured on her pearls or did

By God with the loss of her children.

God cast her children away through bereavement.

مُذ نُبتَ فيها لَم تُوَفَّق بِحَم

مُذ نُبتَ فيها لَم تُوَفَّق بِحَم

دِ اللَهِ في قَولٍ وَلا فِعلِ

دِ اللَهِ في قَولٍ وَلا فِعلِ

Since you became her deputy, you have not succeeded—praise

Since you sprouted there, you have not been guided by

Be to God—in word or deed.

The praise of God, neither in word nor deed.

فَلا يَغُرَّنَّكَ أَن لانَ في

فَلا يَغُرَّنَّكَ أَن لانَ في

كَفِّكَ مِنها مَلمَسُ الصِلِّ

كَفِّكَ مِنها مَلمَسُ الصِلِّ

So do not be deceived by the softness, in

So do not let it deceive you that the

Your palm, of the asp's touch that comes from her.'

Handling of her affairs is in your grasp.”