يا ربّ إن كنت ترى المبردا

يا ربّ إن كنت ترى المبردا

إن قاس في النحو قياساً أفسدا

إن قاس في النحو قياساً أفسدا

O Lord, if You should see al-Mubarrad—

O Lord, if You see al-Mubarrad—

O Lord, if you see Al-Mubarrad

whenever he reasons by analogy in grammar, he corrupts it;

If he draws an analogy in grammar, he botches it;

Making analogies in grammar that corrupt

ويكسر الشعر إذا ما أنشدا

ويكسر الشعر إذا ما أنشدا

وإنْ تحسّى الكأس يوماً عربدا

وإنْ تحسّى الكأس يوماً عربدا

he mangles the meter whenever he recites verse;

And he breaks the meter of poetry whenever he recites;

And breaking poetry when he recites

and if one day he drains the wine cup, he turns belligerent—

And if he sips the cup one day, he grows rowdy—

And if he arrogantly drinks wine one day

فاقدد له حية قفّ أسودا

فاقدد له حية قفّ أسودا

أنيابه عوج كأمثال المدى

أنيابه عوج كأمثال المدى

then set upon him a black serpent of Qaff,

Then fashion for him a black serpent of a rocky hill,

Then make for him a black cobra

its fangs crooked like knife blades.

Its fangs crooked like knives;

With crooked fangs like swords

لو نكز الفيل العظيم الأربدا

لو نكز الفيل العظيم الأربدا

بنابه جرّعه كأس الردى

بنابه جرّعه كأس الردى

Were it to strike even the great, ash-gray elephant

Were it to bite the huge, dark-gray elephant,

If it strikes the mighty elephant

with one fang, it would make him drink the cup of death.

With its fang, it would make it drink the cup of death.

With its fang, it will make it drink the cup of destruction