نُبِّئتُ عُتبَةَ يَعوي كَي أُشاتِمَهُ

نُبِّئتُ عُتبَةَ يَعوي كَي أُشاتِمَهُ

اللَهُ أَكبَرُ أَنّى اِستَأسَدَ النَقَدُ

اللَهُ أَكبَرُ أَنّى اِستَأسَدَ النَقَدُ

I was told that ʿUtbah howls to make me trade insults with him.

I warned Utbah as he defamed me so I could insult him

God is greatest! How has the short-legged sheep turned lion?

God is greatest! How valorous satire has become!

ما كُنتُ أَحسِبُ أَنَّ الدَهرَ يُمهِلُني

ما كُنتُ أَحسِبُ أَنَّ الدَهرَ يُمهِلُني

حَتّى أَرى أَحَداً يَهجوهُ لا أَحَدُ

حَتّى أَرى أَحَداً يَهجوهُ لا أَحَدُ

I never thought that Time would spare me

I never thought time would give me respite

until I saw a somebody lampooned by a nobody.

Until I saw someone satirize him, no one.

بِحَسبِ عُتبَةَ داءٌ قَد تَضَمَّنَهُ

بِحَسبِ عُتبَةَ داءٌ قَد تَضَمَّنَهُ

لَو كانَ في أَسَدٍ لَم يَفرِسِ الأَسَدُ

لَو كانَ في أَسَدٍ لَم يَفرِسِ الأَسَدُ

For ʿUtbah, the ailment he harbors is enough:

For Utbah, a malady has afflicted him

were it in a lion, the lion would not kill prey.

Had it afflicted a lion, even lions would shun him

لَوِ اِعتَدى أَعوَجٌ يَعدو بِهِ المَرَطى

لَوِ اِعتَدى أَعوَجٌ يَعدو بِهِ المَرَطى

أَو لاحِقٌ لَتَمَنّى أَنَّهُ وَتَدُ

أَو لاحِقٌ لَتَمَنّى أَنَّهُ وَتَدُ

If Aʿwaj charged, borne along by a long-striding gallop,

Had a lame person attacked him with verses

or Lāḥiq, he would surely wish he were a stake.

Or a chatterbox, he would have wished to be abandoned

لَو كانَ يَكرَهُ أَن تَبدو فَضيحَتُهُ

لَو كانَ يَكرَهُ أَن تَبدو فَضيحَتُهُ

ما كانَ أَكثَرَ ما في شِعرِهِ العَمَدُ

ما كانَ أَكثَرَ ما في شِعرِهِ العَمَدُ

If he disliked seeing his disgrace exposed,

Had he disliked his shame being exposed

poles would not make up most of his poetry.

There would not be so many flaws in his poetry

فَإِن سَمِعتَ لَهُ نَعتَ القَنا عَبَثاً

فَإِن سَمِعتَ لَهُ نَعتَ القَنا عَبَثاً

فَقَد أَرادَ قَناً لَيسَت لَها عُقَدُ

فَقَد أَرادَ قَناً لَيسَت لَها عُقَدُ

So if you hear him idly describing spear shafts,

If you hear him wrongly describe “qina”

then he meant spear shafts that have no joints.

He meant a qina without rhymes

إِنّي لَأَعجَبُ مِمَّن في حَقيبَتِهِ

إِنّي لَأَعجَبُ مِمَّن في حَقيبَتِهِ

مِنَ المَنِيِّ بُحورٌ كَيفَ لا يَلِدُ

مِنَ المَنِيِّ بُحورٌ كَيفَ لا يَلِدُ

I truly marvel at one who has in his saddlebag

I am astonished by one whose satchel

seas of semen—how does he not give birth?

Contains volumes yet does not give birth!

لَو أَنَّ عُشرَ الَّذي أَمسى وَظَلَّ بِهِ

لَو أَنَّ عُشرَ الَّذي أَمسى وَظَلَّ بِهِ

بِالعالَمينَ مِنَ البَلوى إِذَن فَسَدوا

بِالعالَمينَ مِنَ البَلوى إِذَن فَسَدوا

If a tenth of what he endures, evening and day—

Had a tenth of what he did last night and still does

that affliction—befell all mankind, they would be ruined.

With both worlds of distress befallen them, they would have perished

لا يَدعُوَنَّ عَلى الأَعداءِ مُجتَهِداً

لا يَدعُوَنَّ عَلى الأَعداءِ مُجتَهِداً

إِلّا بِأَن يَجِدوا بَعضَ الَّذي يَجِدُ

إِلّا بِأَن يَجِدوا بَعضَ الَّذي يَجِدُ

Let him not pray earnestly against his enemies

They do not persistently invoke against enemies

except that they suffer some of what he suffers.

Unless they experience some of what he feels

وَقائِلٍ ما لَهُم يُغضونَ عَنكَ إِذا

وَقائِلٍ ما لَهُم يُغضونَ عَنكَ إِذا

أَتأَرتَ قُلتُ لَهُ إِنّي أَنا الرَمَدُ

أَتأَرتَ قُلتُ لَهُ إِنّي أَنا الرَمَدُ

And someone said, “Why do they avert their eyes from you when

And one who says “Why do they overlook you when

you take revenge?” I said to him, “I am ophthalmia.

You are satirized?” I say to him “I am the smallpox- the rabies- I am the

أَنا الحُسامُ أَنا المَوتُ الزُؤامُ أَنا ال

أَنا الحُسامُ أَنا المَوتُ الزُؤامُ أَنا ال

نارُ الضِرامُ أَنا الضِرغامَةُ العَبِدُ

نارُ الضِرامُ أَنا الضِرغامَةُ العَبِدُ

I am the keen sword; I am sudden death; I am the

Fire- the fierce lightning bolt- I am the scabies- the obedient servant

blazing fire; I am the enraged lion.”