أَبا الحُسن اِستمع مَقال فتىً

أَبا الحُسن اِستمع مَقال فتىً

عوجل فيما يقولُ فارتَجلا

عوجل فيما يقولُ فارتَجلا

O Abu al-Husn, listen to a young man's words:

O Abu al-Husain, listen to the words of a young man

hurried in his speech, he improvised.

Who is hasty in what he says, so respond in verse

هذا أبو الوَحش جاءَ مجتجى ال

هذا أبو الوَحش جاءَ مجتجى ال

قوم فنَوِّه به إذا وَصَلا

قوم فنَوِّه به إذا وَصَلا

This is Abu al-Wahsh, come [apparently seeking gifts] from the

This is Abu al-Wahsh, he has come seeking refuge

people; so extol him when he arrives.

So greet him when he arrives

واتلُ عليهم بحُسن شَرحك ما

واتلُ عليهم بحُسن شَرحك ما

أتلوه من أمر شَأنه جُمَلا

أتلوه من أمر شَأنه جُمَلا

And recite to them, with your fine explanation, what

And recite to them with your eloquent explanation whatever

I recount in outline concerning his character.

I have conveyed of his affairs in summary

وَخبِّر القومَ أنه رجلٌ

وَخبِّر القومَ أنه رجلٌ

ما أَبصر الناسُ مثلَه رجُلا

ما أَبصر الناسُ مثلَه رجُلا

And tell the people that he is a man

And inform the people that he is a man

whose like they have never seen.

The likes of whom people have never seen before

تنوب عن وَصفه شَمائِلُه

تنوب عن وَصفه شَمائِلُه

لا يَبتغي عاقلٌ به بَدلا

لا يَبتغي عاقلٌ به بَدلا

His traits stand in for a description of him;

His traits spare any description of him

no sensible person seeks another in his place.

No reasonable person would seek to replace him

وهو على خِفَّة به أبداً

وهو على خِفَّة به أبداً

مُعترف أنَّهُ من الثُقَلا

مُعترف أنَّهُ من الثُقَلا

And despite the levity in him, he is always

And he is always swift despite his lightness

admitting that he is among the ponderous bores.

Admitting that he is of the heavy ones

يَمُتّ بالثَلب والرَقاعة والسُ

يَمُتّ بالثَلب والرَقاعة والسُ

خف وأمّا ما سِواه فَلا

خف وأمّا ما سِواه فَلا

He claims kinship with slander, impudence, and

He is pleased with fabrics and patches and slippers

foolishness; as for anything else, no.

As for anything else, no.

إن أنت فاتحتَهُ لتَخبُر ما

إن أنت فاتحتَهُ لتَخبُر ما

يَصدرُ عنه فتحتَ منهُ خلا

يَصدرُ عنه فتحتَ منهُ خلا

If you engage him in conversation to discover what

If you engage him to inform you of what

comes from him, you open a privy within him.

Flows from him, you have opened a stream from him

فَسُمهُ إن حلَّ خُطَّة الخَسف وال

فَسُمهُ إن حلَّ خُطَّة الخَسف وال

هون ورحِّب به إذا قَفَلا

هون ورحِّب به إذا قَفَلا

So, if he stays, subject him to a condition of abasement and

Call him if the matter of lowliness and ease befalls

humiliation; and welcome him when he heads back.

And welcome him when he returns

وَسَقِّه السُمّ إن ظَفِرتَ به

وَسَقِّه السُمّ إن ظَفِرتَ به

وامزُج له مِن لُعابكَ العَسلا

وامزُج له مِن لُعابكَ العَسلا

And give him poison to drink if you get hold of him,

And give him poison if you can seize him

and mix honey for him with some of your saliva.

And mix for him your honeyed saliva