مَدَحْتُ ابنَ الفَدَّاغ نظمي

مَدَحْتُ ابنَ الفَدَّاغ نظمي

فخابَ في مَدْحِه النظامُ

فخابَ في مَدْحِه النظامُ

I praised Ibn al-Faddagh in my verse,

I praised Ibn al-Faddagh in my verse,

But in praising him, the composition failed.

So the versifier was disappointed in praising him.

وجئتهُ والنهار ولَّى

وجئتهُ والنهار ولَّى

وكادَ أن يهجمَ الظَّلام

وكادَ أن يهجمَ الظَّلام

I came to him as daylight withdrew

And I came to him as the day departed,

And darkness was about to descend.

And darkness was about to rush in.

فساءهُ عندها مجيئي

فساءهُ عندها مجيئي

كأَنَّما جاءهُ الحِمام

كأَنَّما جاءهُ الحِمام

My arrival then displeased him,

So my arrival displeased him then,

As though death itself had come to him.

As though death had come to him.

أقمتُ في دارِه طويلاً

أقمتُ في دارِه طويلاً

فلا كلام ولا سلام

فلا كلام ولا سلام

I remained in his house a long while:

I stayed a long while in his house,

Not a word, not even a greeting.

Yet there was no word and no greeting.

وضارَ عمداً يصُدُّ عنِّي

وضارَ عمداً يصُدُّ عنِّي

أهكذا تفعلُ الكرام

أهكذا تفعلُ الكرام

He deliberately slighted me, turning away—

And he deliberately caused hurt, turning away from me.

Is this how noble men behave?

Is this how noble men behave?

لمَّا رأيناهُ وهُوَ مُغضٍ

لمَّا رأيناهُ وهُوَ مُغضٍ

وما بدا منه لي ابتسام

وما بدا منه لي ابتسام

When we saw him with downcast eyes,

When we saw him with his eyes lowered,

And no smile appeared from him for me,

And he offered me no smile,

مَزَّقْتُ إذ قمتُ صحف شعري

مَزَّقْتُ إذ قمتُ صحف شعري

وسرَّني منهمُ القيام

وسرَّني منهمُ القيام

I tore up the pages of my poetry as I rose,

I tore up the pages of my verse as I rose,

And was glad to rise and leave them.

And I was glad to leave them.

ومن يكنْ وجههُ عَبوساً

ومن يكنْ وجههُ عَبوساً

عليَّ إكرامه حرام

عليَّ إكرامه حرام

Whoever wears a scowling face toward me,

And whoever has a scowling face,

It is forbidden for me to honor him.

It is forbidden for me to honor him.

ولا أرجّي ندى بخيلٍ

ولا أرجّي ندى بخيلٍ

لوَ انَّ في كفِّه الغمام

لوَ انَّ في كفِّه الغمام

I expect no bounty from a miser,

Nor do I hope for a miser's bounty,

Even if the rain clouds were held in his palm.

Even if the clouds were in his palm.

فكان كالبحر وهو ملحٌ

فكان كالبحر وهو ملحٌ

لم يُرْوَ من مائه أوام

لم يُرْوَ من مائه أوام

For though he were like the sea, its water is salt:

So he was like the sea, salty as it is:

No thirsting man would be quenched by its water.

No thirst was quenched by its water.

رأى لساني إذنْ كليلاً

رأى لساني إذنْ كليلاً

وما دَرى أنَّه حسام

وما دَرى أنَّه حسام

He thought my tongue was blunt, then,

He then thought my tongue was blunt,

Not knowing that it was a sword.

And he did not know it was a sharp sword.

ولا أُداري ولا أُماري

ولا أُداري ولا أُماري

وليسَ في ذمَّتي الأثام

وليسَ في ذمَّتي الأثام

I neither flatter nor engage in false dispute,

And I neither placate nor argue,

And no sins lie upon my conscience.

And no sin rests on my conscience.

فلا تلمني على فعالي

فلا تلمني على فعالي

عليك في ذلك الملام

عليك في ذلك الملام

So do not blame me for what I did;

So do not blame me for my actions;

The blame for that lies with you.

The blame for that rests on you.