وجاهلٍ أعرضتُ عن جهلهِ

وجاهلٍ أعرضتُ عن جهلهِ

حتى شكا كفِّي عنِ الشكوى

حتى شكا كفِّي عنِ الشكوى

An ignorant fool—I turned away from his ignorance,

And I turned away from a fool's ignorance,

until he complained that I refrained from complaining of him.

until he complained that I refrained from complaint.

قد هام وجْداً باكْتراثِي له

قد هام وجْداً باكْتراثِي له

وقد أبتْ نفسيَ ما يهوى

وقد أبتْ نفسيَ ما يهوى

He had grown deeply enamored of my taking notice of him,

He was wild with longing for my attention,

but my soul refused him what he desired.

yet my soul refused what he desired.

إنَّ مِنَ السلوى لخيلولةً

إنَّ مِنَ السلوى لخيلولةً

تُوهِمني البلوى به بلوى

تُوهِمني البلوى به بلوى

Indeed, among consolations there is a fantasy

Indeed, among consolations is a fancy

that makes me imagine affliction through him to be affliction.

that makes me imagine trouble with him is true affliction.

أحضرتُ نجوى النفسِ تمثالَهُ

أحضرتُ نجوى النفسِ تمثالَهُ

مستَحيِياً من شاهِد النجوى

مستَحيِياً من شاهِد النجوى

I summoned his likeness to my soul’s private council,

I summoned his likeness to my soul's secret counsel,

ashamed before the witness to that council.

ashamed to let anyone witness that counsel.

وقلت للشعر أَلا أَعِدْني

وقلت للشعر أَلا أَعِدْني

على طويلِ الغَيِّ مُسْتَهوَى

على طويلِ الغَيِّ مُسْتَهوَى

And I said to Poetry, “Will you not aid me

And I said to Poetry, 'Come, help me

against one long sunk in error, led astray?”

against one long steeped in error, beguiled.'

فقال من خاصمتَ مستهلَكٌ

فقال من خاصمتَ مستهلَكٌ

ليست على أمثالهِ عَدْوى

ليست على أمثالهِ عَدْوى

It said, “The one you would contest is already ruined;

It said, 'The man you quarrel with is utterly ruined;

against the likes of him there is no recourse.

there is no redress against his like.

لو كان لي في مثلهِ موضعٌ

لو كان لي في مثلهِ موضعٌ

غادرتُهُ أُحدوثةً تُروَى

غادرتُهُ أُحدوثةً تُروَى

Had I any opening against one like him,

If I had a foothold in one like him,

I would leave him a tale repeatedly told,

I would leave him a tale to be told,

بكل بيتٍ سائرٍ عائرٍ

بكل بيتٍ سائرٍ عائرٍ

يُسمَعُ والوجهُ لهُ يُزوَى

يُسمَعُ والوجهُ لهُ يُزوَى

through every verse that travels and roams,

with every verse that travels far and roams,

heard while faces turn away from him.

heard while faces grimace at it.

لكنّ من تُهدي له شتمَهُ

لكنّ من تُهدي له شتمَهُ

تُهدي إليه المَنَّ والسلوى

تُهدي إليه المَنَّ والسلوى

Yet whoever you make a gift of abuse to,

But the man to whom you offer abuse—

you present with manna and quails.

you offer him manna and quails.'

قوَّمتُهُ بالشتمِ يُهدَى لَهُ

قوَّمتُهُ بالشتمِ يُهدَى لَهُ

فلم أجدْ قيمتَهُ تَسوى

فلم أجدْ قيمتَهُ تَسوى

I valued him against the abuse to be bestowed on him,

I weighed his worth against the abuse offered him,

and found that his worth did not equal it.”

and found he was not worth it.