وُصِفَ ابنُ يُوسفَ لي بكلِّ فَضيلةٍ

وُصِفَ ابنُ يُوسفَ لي بكلِّ فَضيلةٍ

ورأيتُه فرأيتُ منه أثوَلا

ورأيتُه فرأيتُ منه أثوَلا

Ibn Yūsuf was described to me as possessing every virtue.

Ibn Yusuf was described to me with every virtue,

And I saw him, and found him a fool.

Yet when I saw him, I saw just the opposite.

ساءَلتُه عَن عِلمِه فكأنَّما

ساءَلتُه عَن عِلمِه فكأنَّما

ساءلتُ عن سُكَّانِه رَبعاً خَلا

ساءلتُ عن سُكَّانِه رَبعاً خَلا

I questioned him about his learning, and it was as though

I asked him about his knowledge, as if I had asked,

I had questioned a deserted dwelling about its inhabitants.

About the inhabitants of an empty ruin.

وعَجِبتُ من وَسَخٍ على أطرافِه

وعَجِبتُ من وَسَخٍ على أطرافِه

لو أُعمِلَت فيه المباردُ ما انجلُى

لو أُعمِلَت فيه المباردُ ما انجلُى

And I marveled at the filth upon his extremities:

And I was astonished by the filth on his fingertips,

Had files been worked upon it, it would not have come off.

Which no amount of washing could remove.

هذا الأديبُ برُغمِ أهلِ بلادِه

هذا الأديبُ برُغمِ أهلِ بلادِه

والشاعرُ الداعي إلى سُنَنِ العُلا

والشاعرُ الداعي إلى سُنَنِ العُلا

This is the man of letters, to his countrymen's chagrin,

This writer, despite the people of his country,

And the poet who calls to the paths of greatness.

And the poet calling for lofty principles.

ويقال إنَّ الشيخَ يأكلُ دائباً

ويقال إنَّ الشيخَ يأكلُ دائباً

عَضَلاً يُداوي منه خَطباً مُعضِلا

عَضَلاً يُداوي منه خَطباً مُعضِلا

And it is said that the old man constantly eats

It is said this old man always eats,

Field mice, with which he treats an intractable affliction.

Tough food to remedy his severe troubles.

إن كان مكذوبا عليه فلم دعا

إن كان مكذوبا عليه فلم دعا

عبد السلام ولم تحذف وآطلى

عبد السلام ولم تحذف وآطلى

If he has been lied about, then why did he summon

If lies were told about him, why did Abdelsalam,

ʿAbd al-Salām, and why did he groom himself and use a depilatory?

Not omit them, and leave them concealed?