خساسةُ البيهقيِّ والبينِ

خساسةُ البيهقيِّ والبينِ

لم تُر في واحدٍ ولا اثنيْنِ

لم تُر في واحدٍ ولا اثنيْنِ

The baseness of al-Bayhaqi and al-Bayn

The wretched one, al-Bayhaqi, and the clear

has never been seen in one man, nor in two.

You will not see in one or two

في لؤم كلبيْن إن كشفتهما

في لؤم كلبيْن إن كشفتهما

كشف امتحانٍ وقبحِ قردين

كشف امتحانٍ وقبحِ قردين

They have the baseness of two dogs, if you examine them

In the vileness of two dog-like

with a probing test, and the ugliness of two monkeys;

The examination exposes their ugliness like two monkeys

وجهلِ عَيْرين إن سألتهما

وجهلِ عَيْرين إن سألتهما

عن بابِ علم وحُمق تيسين

عن بابِ علم وحُمق تيسين

and the ignorance of two asses, if you ask them

And the ignorance of two camels if you ask them

about a branch of knowledge, and the stupidity of two billy goats.

About the door of knowledge and the foolishness of two goats

إن وعدا أخلفاك ما وعدا

إن وعدا أخلفاك ما وعدا

أو حدّثا حدثاك بالمَيْن

أو حدّثا حدثاك بالمَيْن

If they promise, they do not keep their promise to you;

If they promised and broke their promise

or, if they speak, they tell you lies.

Or told you a tale of betrayal

أو حُمِّلا من أمانةٍ طَرَفاً

أو حُمِّلا من أمانةٍ طَرَفاً

كانا الظَّنينين لا الأمينيْن

كانا الظَّنينين لا الأمينيْن

Or, if they are entrusted with a portion of a trust,

Or carried from a trust just a bit

they prove suspect, not trustworthy.

They would be the suspicious, not the trustworthy

هذا يبيع القريضَ من شرهٍ

هذا يبيع القريضَ من شرهٍ

ووالديه معاً بفلسين

ووالديه معاً بفلسين

This one sells poetry out of greed,

This one sells verses for his evil

and his parents together for two copper coins.

While his parents are for just two cents

باع كلام الأمير مُرتغباً

باع كلام الأمير مُرتغباً

عنه بقُوَّارَتَي رغيفين

عنه بقُوَّارَتَي رغيفين

He sold the emir’s words, turning away

He sold the words of the prince greedily

from them, for two round pieces cut from two loaves,

For just two loaves of bread

وفَضلةٍ من عصيدةٍ خمختْ

وفَضلةٍ من عصيدةٍ خمختْ

وبائعُ الزينِ مُشتري الشين

وبائعُ الزينِ مُشتري الشين

and some leftover porridge that had spoiled.

And leftovers of boiled wheat that soured

And whoever sells beauty buys ugliness.

The seller of adornment is the buyer of disgrace

يا لك من بائع بلا وَرِقٍ

يا لك من بائع بلا وَرِقٍ

ينشُده ناقدٌ ولا عين

ينشُده ناقدٌ ولا عين

What a seller you are, with neither silver

Oh you unprincipled seller without any goods

for a payer to seek, nor gold!

Called out by no critic or eye

والبينُ في المخزيات يشرُكُهُ

والبينُ في المخزيات يشرُكُهُ

لا باركَ اللَّهُ في الشريكين

لا باركَ اللَّهُ في الشريكين

And al-Bayn joins him in shameful deeds;

And the Clear joins him in disgraces

may God never bless the two partners!

May Allah not bless the two partners

أسدِ إلى البينِ كل عارفةٍ

أسدِ إلى البينِ كل عارفةٍ

يَجْزِك من سيِّئٍ بضعفين

يَجْزِك من سيِّئٍ بضعفين

Bestow every kindness on al-Bayn:

Go back to the Clear, all who know him

he will repay you with evil twice over.

You have paid double for the evil

فيه وفي الباهليِّ مُعتبَرٌ

فيه وفي الباهليِّ مُعتبَرٌ

إياه أَسدى إليه عُرفين

إياه أَسدى إليه عُرفين

In him and al-Bahili there is a lesson:

In him and the Ignorant one there is a lesson

He bestowed two favors on that very man:

He gave him his respect doubly

وسَّطه مجلسُ الأمير وأح

وسَّطه مجلسُ الأمير وأح

ياهُ وقد مات مِيتة الدَّين

ياهُ وقد مات مِيتة الدَّين

The emir’s gathering placed him in its midst and revived

His assembly with the prince honored him

him, after he had died from debt.

But he died the death of religion

فكان ما كان من مثوبته

فكان ما كان من مثوبته

أَوْرَده اللَّه مَوْردَ الحَين

أَوْرَده اللَّه مَوْردَ الحَين

And so his repayment was what it was;

So his reward was what it was

may God lead him to death’s watering place!

God made him arrive at the place of ruin