لنا حاكِمٌ فيه انخِناثٌ وإنَّهُ

لنا حاكِمٌ فيه انخِناثٌ وإنَّهُ

يقولُ بأني مولَعٌ بِلُواطِ

يقولُ بأني مولَعٌ بِلُواطِ

We have a judge with effeminate ways, and he

We have a ruler who is effeminate, and he

Says that I am infatuated with sodomy.

Says I am addicted to sodomy

لهُ أسهُمٌ في الانفِعال صوائِبٌ

لهُ أسهُمٌ في الانفِعال صوائِبٌ

وأسهُمُهُ في الفِعلِ جِدُّ خَواطِ

وأسهُمُهُ في الفِعلِ جِدُّ خَواطِ

His arrows strike true in the passive role,

He has apt emotions and sentiments

But in the active role his arrows badly miss.

Yet his deeds are those of an arrant sodomite

فَتبّاً لهُ من حاكِمٍ مُتَزَيِّدٍ

فَتبّاً لهُ من حاكِمٍ مُتَزَيِّدٍ

وشَيخِ لُواطٍ يَستجِيبُ لِوَاطِ

وشَيخِ لُواطٍ يَستجِيبُ لِوَاطِ

So damn him, that lying judge,

Curse him, the excessively tyrannical ruler

And old sodomite who responds to one who mounts him.

And the old sodomite who responds to sodomy

قد أتى لفظُكَ البَديعُ الّذي خر

قد أتى لفظُكَ البَديعُ الّذي خر

رَتْ سجُوداً لُحسنِهِ الألفاظُ

رَتْ سجُوداً لُحسنِهِ الألفاظُ

Your wondrous utterance has arrived, before which fell—

Your eloquent words have fallen

Words, prostrate before its beauty.

In prostration before their beauty, words

ومَعانيك إنَّهُنَّ وَفاءٌ

ومَعانيك إنَّهُنَّ وَفاءٌ

وسَخاءٌ ونَجْدةٌ وحِفاظُ

وسَخاءٌ ونَجْدةٌ وحِفاظُ

And your meanings are indeed loyalty,

And your meanings, they are loyalty

And generosity, valor, and the guarding of honor.

Generosity, help, and protection

ظِلُّ الفتى ينفَعُ مَنْ دونَهُ

ظِلُّ الفتى ينفَعُ مَنْ دونَهُ

ومالَهُ في ظِلِّهِ حَظُّ

ومالَهُ في ظِلِّهِ حَظُّ

A young man's shade benefits those beneath him,

A young man’s shadow benefits those under it

Yet he has no share in his own shade.

And in his shadow they have a share