أبوه بلبلٌ ضاوٍ ويُكْنى

أبوه بلبلٌ ضاوٍ ويُكْنى

أبا صقرٍ فكنيتهُ مُحالَهْ

أبا صقرٍ فكنيتهُ مُحالَهْ

His father is Bulbul, a scrawny nightingale, and he is called

His father is a chirping nightingale, and his nickname

Abu Saqr (Father of the Falcon)—so his appellation is absurd.

Is "father of hawk", though the nickname seems absurd,

يجودُ بعِرْضهِ للشتمِ عفواً

يجودُ بعِرْضهِ للشتمِ عفواً

ويبخلُ بالقُلامةِ والخُلالهْ

ويبخلُ بالقُلامةِ والخُلالهْ

He freely offers up his honor to insults,

He generously offers his honor to be insulted,

yet begrudges nail-clippings and scraps picked from his teeth.

Yet is miserly about his turban and his gown.

وللأوغادِ أموالٌ تراها

وللأوغادِ أموالٌ تراها

مصوناتٍ بأعراضٍ مُذالَهْ

مصوناتٍ بأعراضٍ مُذالَهْ

And scoundrels have wealth that you see

And you see the vulgar have wealth that's protected

kept safe at the expense of honor brought low.

By unviolated reputations, though degraded.

ولم يكُ مَنْ نماهُ أبٌ كريمٌ

ولم يكُ مَنْ نماهُ أبٌ كريمٌ

ليبذُلَ عرضه ويصونَ مالهْ

ليبذُلَ عرضه ويصونَ مالهْ

Nor was the man who begot him a noble father,

No father raised him to be so noble

for him to give up his honor and safeguard his wealth.

As to expend his honor and guard his money.

تمحّلَ نِسبةً أعيت أباه

تمحّلَ نِسبةً أعيت أباه

وكان المرءُ يعجزُ لا المحالَهْ

وكان المرءُ يعجزُ لا المحالَهْ

He contrived a lineage that had baffled his father;

He boasts of lineage though it wearied his father,

and it was the man who fell short, not ingenuity.

For a man may be incapable, but not lineage.