تجلَّدَ عمرٌو للهجاء تجمُّلاً

تجلَّدَ عمرٌو للهجاء تجمُّلاً

وما زلتُ أرعى حرمةَ المتجملِ

وما زلتُ أرعى حرمةَ المتجملِ

ʿAmr put on fortitude against the lampoon, making a show of dignity,

ʿAmr steeled himself against satire, maintaining a dignified appearance.

and I have always honored the inviolable dignity of one who keeps up such a front.

And I have always respected the dignity of one who bears himself gracefully.

فأقسمتُ لا أهجوه ما عشتُ بعدها

فأقسمتُ لا أهجوه ما عشتُ بعدها

وقد تُسفر الحسناءُ للمتأملِ

وقد تُسفر الحسناءُ للمتأملِ

So I swore not to lampoon him for as long as I lived thereafter—

So I swore not to satirize him for as long as I lived thereafter.

yet a beautiful woman may unveil herself to the attentive beholder.

And the beautiful woman may unveil herself to the thoughtful observer.

ومن عادتي تكذيبُ ظنّ مُحاذري

ومن عادتي تكذيبُ ظنّ مُحاذري

كما عادتي تصديقُ ظن المؤملِ

كما عادتي تصديقُ ظن المؤملِ

It is my habit to belie the suspicion of one wary of me,

It is my custom to belie the expectations of one who fears me,

just as it is my habit to fulfill the hopeful one’s expectation.

just as it is my custom to fulfil the expectations of the hopeful.

فقولا لعمروٍ أنت حرٌّ سِيابُه

فقولا لعمروٍ أنت حرٌّ سِيابُه

لشيمةِ حرٍّ محسنِ الحلم مجْمِلِ

لشيمةِ حرٍّ محسنِ الحلم مجْمِلِ

You two, then, tell ʿAmr, “You are free”; letting him go

So tell ʿAmr, both of you: 'You are a nobleman whose garments [uncertain reading]

befits the nature of a free man, benevolent in forbearance and gracious in deed.

befit a nobleman's character, excellent in forbearance and gracious.'

فإنْ هو لم يحفلْ بنقمي ونعمتي

فإنْ هو لم يحفلْ بنقمي ونعمتي

فعندي له عَوْدُ المتمِّ المكمّلِ

فعندي له عَوْدُ المتمِّ المكمّلِ

But if he pays no heed to my vengeance or my favor,

If he pays no heed to my reprisals and my favor,

then I have in store for him a second pass that will finish and perfect the work—

then I have another round for him, as one who finishes and completes:

هجاءٌ إذا ما استافه قبلَ ذَوْقِهِ

هجاءٌ إذا ما استافه قبلَ ذَوْقِهِ

رأى فيه شوباً من ذعافِ المُثمَّلِ

رأى فيه شوباً من ذعافِ المُثمَّلِ

a lampoon which, whenever a heart appeals to him for pity, his taste

satire which, if he merely sniffs it before tasting it,

finds tinged with the nosebleed of intoxicating wine.

he will find contains a taint of deadly, steeped poison.

ولست أُراه لا يبالي وإن بدا

ولست أُراه لا يبالي وإن بدا

تضرُّمُه في ظَاهرٍ متعمِّلِ

تضرُّمُه في ظَاهرٍ متعمِّلِ

Nor do I think him truly unconcerned, though

Nor do I think him indifferent, even if there appears

the blaze he shows outwardly seems contrived.

his blazing anger in a contrived outward show.

رأيت بعينيه الكذوبينِ ما يرى

رأيت بعينيه الكذوبينِ ما يرى

متى حلتُ كيّاتِي له لم يُمَلمِلِ

متى حلتُ كيّاتِي له لم يُمَلمِلِ

In his two lying eyes I saw what he feels

I saw through his two lying eyes what he sees:

whenever my cauteries alight on him, though he never whimpers.

whenever my searing brands befell him, he did not writhe.