رجل وجهه كضرع المردِّ

رجل وجهه كضرع المردِّ

حاش للَّه أو كسَحْر المُغِدِّ

حاش للَّه أو كسَحْر المُغِدِّ

A man whose face is like a she-camel’s swollen udder—

A man whose face is like a doe's udder

God forbid! Or like the lung of a gland-stricken camel.

God forbid! Or like the magic of one rising at dawn,

جَدَليٌّ إذا تُنُوزعَ شِعْرٌ

جَدَليٌّ إذا تُنُوزعَ شِعْرٌ

شاعِرٌ حضرةَ الجدال الألَدِّ

شاعِرٌ حضرةَ الجدال الألَدِّ

A dialectician when poetry is disputed,

A master debater when a hair is disputed,

A poet in the midst of bitter debate.

A poet in the heat of intense debate,

مستجير من ذكر هذا بهذا

مستجير من ذكر هذا بهذا

ما لديه لسائلٍ من مَرَدِّ

ما لديه لسائلٍ من مَرَدِّ

Seeking refuge from mention of one by turning to the other,

Seeking refuge from mentioning this with that,

He has no answer for a questioner.

He has no retort for one who asks,

وبغيض سبحانَه من بغيضٍ

وبغيض سبحانَه من بغيضٍ

وتعالى عن كل مِثْلٍ ونِدِّ

وتعالى عن كل مِثْلٍ ونِدِّ

And loathsome—glory be to him, how loathsome!

And far is the Glorious One from any despised,

And exalted above every likeness and equal.

And high above any rival or equal,

حَمَّلَ اللَّهُ أرضه ثَقَلَيْها

حَمَّلَ اللَّهُ أرضه ثَقَلَيْها

وعلاها بثالثٍ منه إدِّ

وعلاها بثالثٍ منه إدِّ

God burdened His earth with its two weighty races,

God charged His land with its heavy two,

And added him as a third, monstrous burden upon it.

And raised over it a third of Him, a fosterer.