ضَرْطَةُ إبراهيم في البَرْبَخِ

ضَرْطَةُ إبراهيم في البَرْبَخِ

كنفْخة النَّافخ في المِنْفَخِ

كنفْخة النَّافخ في المِنْفَخِ

Ibrahim's fart in the drainpipe

The fart of Ibrahim in the privy

is like the blower's puff into the bellows.

Is like the blower's breath in the bellows

رِيعَ لها الأحياءُ من هوْلها

رِيعَ لها الأحياءُ من هوْلها

وأفزع الأموات في البرزخِ

وأفزع الأموات في البرزخِ

The living were terrified by its horror,

The living shrieked from its horror

and it frightened the dead in the intermediate realm.

And it startled the dead in the intermediate realm

لولا دفاعُ اللَّه قد زُلزلت

لولا دفاعُ اللَّه قد زُلزلت

بالأرض في أجبالها الشمَّخِ

بالأرض في أجبالها الشمَّخِ

But for God's protection, there would surely have been a quake

Were it not for God's protection, it would have shaken

in the earth, amid its towering mountains.

The earth with its lofty mountains

قد أحسَن اللَّه بأسماعنا

قد أحسَن اللَّه بأسماعنا

إذْ سَلمتْ منها فلم تُصْمَخِ

إذْ سَلمتْ منها فلم تُصْمَخِ

God has been kind to our ears,

God has been good to our hearing

since they escaped it and were not battered.

As it was spared so it did not go deaf

أنْذَرْتُ من في دراه مَطْبخٌ

أنْذَرْتُ من في دراه مَطْبخٌ

ضَرْطَةَ إبراهيمَ من فرسخِ

ضَرْطَةَ إبراهيمَ من فرسخِ

I warned anyone with a kitchen in his dwelling

I warned whoever has a kitchen in his house

of Ibrahim's fart, from a parasang away.

Of Ibrahim's fart from a league away

الريحُ والنارُ هُما ما هُما

الريحُ والنارُ هُما ما هُما

فَلْتُحْذَرِ الريحُ على المطْبَخِ

فَلْتُحْذَرِ الريحُ على المطْبَخِ

Wind and fire are what they are;

The wind and fire are what they are

so beware of the wind at the kitchen.

So let the wind beware of the kitchen

أعاذَ من شرِّهما ربُّنَا

أعاذَ من شرِّهما ربُّنَا

دارَ الأمير السيِّد الأبْلخِ

دارَ الأمير السيِّد الأبْلخِ

May our Lord shelter from their harm

Our Lord protected us

the house of the prince, the haughty lord.

From their evil, the home of the noble master

بخ بَخ لإبراهيم من ضارِطٍ

بخ بَخ لإبراهيم من ضارِطٍ

ذي ضَرْطة مَرْهُوبة بَخ بَخِ

ذي ضَرْطة مَرْهُوبة بَخ بَخِ

Bravo, bravo for Ibrahim—what a farter,

Fart fart for Ibrahim the farter

with a dreaded fart! Bravo, bravo!

With a frightening widely heard fart, fart fart

يظلُّ من يسمع أهْوالها

يظلُّ من يسمع أهْوالها

من صارخٍ ذُعْراً ومسْتَصرخِ

من صارخٍ ذُعْراً ومسْتَصرخِ

Whoever hears its horrors remains

Whoever hears of its horrors

among those screaming in panic and calling for help.

Will shriek in fear and cry for help

قلْ لأبي إسحاق بَيِّنْ لنا

قلْ لأبي إسحاق بَيِّنْ لنا

فأنت في العلم من الرُّسَّخِ

فأنت في العلم من الرُّسَّخِ

Say to Abu Ishaq: explain to us,

Say to Abu Ishaq explain to us

for you are among those firmly grounded in knowledge:

For you are firmly grounded in knowledge

ما طَائرٌ ذو بيضةٍ ضخمةٍ

ما طَائرٌ ذو بيضةٍ ضخمةٍ

لكنَّه ليس بِمُستَفْرِخِ

لكنَّه ليس بِمُستَفْرِخِ

what bird has a huge egg,

What bird is it with a huge egg

yet does not hatch chicks?

Yet it does not hatch

ولِمْ حَكَيْتَ القردَ في قُبْحه

ولِمْ حَكَيْتَ القردَ في قُبْحه

والقردُ ممسوخٌ ولم تُمْسَخِ

والقردُ ممسوخٌ ولم تُمْسَخِ

And why did you imitate the monkey's ugliness,

And why did you portray the monkey in its ugliness

though the monkey has been transformed and you have not?

When the monkey is transfigured and not transfigured

وما تشاجيك على شاعرٍ

وما تشاجيك على شاعرٍ

بحشِّك الأبخر ذي البَربَخِ

بحشِّك الأبخر ذي البَربَخِ

And why do you pick a quarrel with a poet,

What is your quarrel with a poet

with your reeking privy and its drainpipe?

With your most pungent invective and fart

لي مَنْجَنِيقٌ كنتَ في مَعْزِلٍ

لي مَنْجَنِيقٌ كنتَ في مَعْزِلٍ

عنها وعن أحْجَارها الشُّدَّخِ

عنها وعن أحْجَارها الشُّدَّخِ

I have a catapult; you were well apart

I have a catapult you were safe

from it and its head-crushing stones.

From it and its pelting rocks

فلِمْ تعرَّضتَ لها طائعاً

فلِمْ تعرَّضتَ لها طائعاً

ولِمْ تلطَّخْتَ ولم تُلْطَخِ

ولِمْ تلطَّخْتَ ولم تُلْطَخِ

So why did you willingly expose yourself to it,

So why did you expose yourself to it willingly

and why did you soil yourself when you had not been soiled?

And why were you smeared when you were not smeared

عِرضي كعرضِ البَيْنِ يا ابن اسْتِهَا

عِرضي كعرضِ البَيْنِ يا ابن اسْتِهَا

ذاكَ الأرَثِّ الأنْتَنِ الأوْسَخِ

ذاكَ الأرَثِّ الأنْتَنِ الأوْسَخِ

May my honor be like the honor of separation, you son of her arse—

My honor is like a full moon, O son of disgrace

that shabbiest, stinkiest, filthiest honor—

That foul stinking inheritance

إنْ رجع الطَّرفُ متى رِبْتَنِي

إنْ رجع الطَّرفُ متى رِبْتَنِي

وأنتَ من عِرْضك لم تُسْلخِ

وأنتَ من عِرْضك لم تُسْلخِ

if, whenever you trouble me, my glance returns

If the gaze returns when you have won me over

while you have not been flayed of your honor.

And your honor is not stripped away