تَبّاً لِلَحمِكَ أَيُّها اللَحّامُ

تَبّاً لِلَحمِكَ أَيُّها اللَحّامُ

وَلِخُبزِكَ الوَتِحِ الَّذي تَستامُ

وَلِخُبزِكَ الوَتِحِ الَّذي تَستامُ

Damn your meat, butcher!

Damn your meat, O butcher!

And your sordid bread, for which you demand a price!

And your paltry bread that you put a price on!

باكَرتَ خَلَّتَنا وَرَأسُكَ أَشيَبٌ

باكَرتَ خَلَّتَنا وَرَأسُكَ أَشيَبٌ

وَلَوَيتَ حاجَتَنا وَأَنتَ غُلامُ

وَلَوَيتَ حاجَتَنا وَأَنتَ غُلامُ

You hastened to our need though your head was gray,

You came early upon our need while your head was gray,

Yet turned aside our request when you were still a boy.

and stalled our request while you were a youth.

في كُلِّ حالَيكَ اِكتَسَبتَ مَذَمَّةً

في كُلِّ حالَيكَ اِكتَسَبتَ مَذَمَّةً

لا ثَروَةٌ حُمِدَت وَلا إِعدامُ

لا ثَروَةٌ حُمِدَت وَلا إِعدامُ

In both your states you earned reproach:

In both your conditions you earned reproach:

Neither wealth that won praise, nor poverty that excused.

neither your wealth nor your poverty was praised.

قَد كانَ واجِبُنا عَلَيكَ مَبَرَّةً

قَد كانَ واجِبُنا عَلَيكَ مَبَرَّةً

إِن لَم تُيَسَّر تُحفَةٌ فَسَلامُ

إِن لَم تُيَسَّر تُحفَةٌ فَسَلامُ

It was your duty to show us kindness;

What you owed us was a kindness;

If no gift could be managed, then at least a greeting.

if no gift could be provided, then a greeting.

ظَلنا بِبابِ الرومِ نَرقُبُ هَل نُرى

ظَلنا بِبابِ الرومِ نَرقُبُ هَل نُرى

نُزُلاً لِنازِلَةِ المُريجِ يُقامُ

نُزُلاً لِنازِلَةِ المُريجِ يُقامُ

We stayed at Bab al-Rum, watching to see whether

We lingered at the Gate of the Romans, watching: would we be shown

Hospitality would be laid out for those alighting at al-Murij.

a guest-meal prepared for those lodging at al-Murayj?

هَيهاتَ بَرقُكَ خُلَّبٌ عَن مِثلِ ما

هَيهاتَ بَرقُكَ خُلَّبٌ عَن مِثلِ ما

خِلنا وَغَيمُكَ دونَ ذاكَ جَهامُ

خِلنا وَغَيمُكَ دونَ ذاكَ جَهامُ

Far from it! Your lightning is false, unlike what

Far from it! Your lightning is deceptive, unlike what

We imagined, and your cloud falls short of that—a rainless cloud.

we imagined; your cloud falls short of that, rainless.

أَوَ لَم يُعَلِّمكَ اِبنُ أَيّوبِ النَدى

أَوَ لَم يُعَلِّمكَ اِبنُ أَيّوبِ النَدى

وَيُعِركَ مِنهُ فَضلَ ما يَعتامُ

وَيُعِركَ مِنهُ فَضلَ ما يَعتامُ

Has Ibn Ayyub not taught you generosity

Did not Ibn Ayyub teach you generosity,

And lent you from his bounty the choicest of what he chooses?

and lend you some of his choicest bounty?

بَل كَيفَ تَقدُرُ أَن تُحَوِّلَ شيمَةُ

بَل كَيفَ تَقدُرُ أَن تُحَوِّلَ شيمَةُ

ثَقُلَت قَواعِدُها فَلَيسَ تُرامُ

ثَقُلَت قَواعِدُها فَلَيسَ تُرامُ

But how can you hope to alter a disposition

But how can you change a disposition

Whose foundations lie so heavy that they cannot be moved?

whose foundations are so weighty that it cannot be assailed?

ما لِلجَزيرَةِ حيلَةٌ في مَذهَبٍ

ما لِلجَزيرَةِ حيلَةٌ في مَذهَبٍ

قَد أَفنَتِ المَجهودَ فيهِ الشامُ

قَد أَفنَتِ المَجهودَ فيهِ الشامُ

What recourse has al-Jazira in a course

Al-Jazira has no remedy for a way of conduct

On which al-Sham has exhausted every effort?

on which al-Sham has exhausted its utmost effort.

لا بُدَّ مِن كَلِمٍ يَسيرُ وَرُبَّما

لا بُدَّ مِن كَلِمٍ يَسيرُ وَرُبَّما

جازى الفَعالَ بِما جَناهُ كَلامُ

جازى الفَعالَ بِما جَناهُ كَلامُ

A few words must be spoken; sometimes

Words must travel; and sometimes

Words repay a deed with what that deed has earned.

speech repays deeds with what they have earned.

إِلّا يَكُن هَجوٌ يَعُرُّ فَإِنَّهُ

إِلّا يَكُن هَجوٌ يَعُرُّ فَإِنَّهُ

سَيَكونُ عَتبٌ مُعنِفٌ وَمَلامُ

سَيَكونُ عَتبٌ مُعنِفٌ وَمَلامُ

If it is not invective that brings disgrace,

If it is not satire that brings disgrace, then it

Then it will be a harsh rebuke and blame.

will be harsh reproach and blame.

وَصِحابُكَ الكُتّابُ لَم يَكُ عِندَهُم

وَصِحابُكَ الكُتّابُ لَم يَكُ عِندَهُم

نَقضٌ بِصالِحَةٍ وَلا إِبرامُ

نَقضٌ بِصالِحَةٍ وَلا إِبرامُ

Your companions, the scribes, possessed

And your companions, the scribes, had

Neither power to undo nor ratify any worthy deed.

no say in undoing or carrying through a good turn.

لا قُدِّسَت تِلكَ الدَويُّ وَلا زَكَت

لا قُدِّسَت تِلكَ الدَويُّ وَلا زَكَت

يَومَ التَغابُنِ تِلكُمُ الأَقلامُ

يَومَ التَغابُنِ تِلكُمُ الأَقلامُ

May those inkwells never be hallowed, nor may there flourish

May those inkwells never be blessed, and may no purity come

On the Day of Mutual Loss, those pens—

on the Day of Mutual Loss to those pens of yours.

كَعُوَيمِلِ الصَدقاتِ مُزدَهِياً بِها

كَعُوَيمِلِ الصَدقاتِ مُزدَهِياً بِها

وَالكَلبُ فيها سارِقٌ ظَلّامُ

وَالكَلبُ فيها سارِقٌ ظَلّامُ

Like some petty collector of alms, strutting proudly over them,

Like the petty alms collector, swaggering over them,

While the dog among them is a thieving tyrant.

while the dog, in handling them, is a thief and an utter wrongdoer.

وَأَظُنُّها حِلّاً لَهُ مِن فاقَةِ ال

وَأَظُنُّها حِلّاً لَهُ مِن فاقَةِ ال

إِملاقِ إِذ هِيَ لِليَتيمِ حَرامُ

إِملاقِ إِذ هِيَ لِليَتيمِ حَرامُ

I suppose he counts it lawful for himself, from the dire want of

And I suppose them lawful for him because of the need of

Poverty—though it is forbidden to the orphan.

destitution, while they are forbidden to the orphan.

نَسِيَ الخُلالَةَ وَالصَفاءَ وَلَم تَطُل

نَسِيَ الخُلالَةَ وَالصَفاءَ وَلَم تَطُل

بَيني وَبَينَ الحائِنِ الأَيّامُ

بَيني وَبَينَ الحائِنِ الأَيّامُ

He forgot friendship and sincerity; not many

He forgot friendship and sincere affection, though not many days had passed

Days had passed between me and that doomed man.

between me and that doomed man.

وَتَستُرُ اِبنِ أَبي الرَبيعِ مَوائِلاً

وَتَستُرُ اِبنِ أَبي الرَبيعِ مَوائِلاً

مِنّا كَأَنّا خَلفَهُ عُرّامُ

مِنّا كَأَنّا خَلفَهُ عُرّامُ

And you shelter Ibn Abi al-Rabi as he seeks refuge

And Ibn Abi al-Rabi hides, seeking refuge

From us, as though behind him we were a raging horde.

from us, as though we were ruffians at his heels.

وَتَخَوُّفُ المَصّاصِ أَن يَغشى لَنا

وَتَخَوُّفُ المَصّاصِ أَن يَغشى لَنا

رِجلاً فَماذا يَرهَبُ الحَجّامُ

رِجلاً فَماذا يَرهَبُ الحَجّامُ

And the bloodsucker fears that he might attend for us

And the bloodsucker fears to approach one of our

A foot—what, then, has the cupper to fear?

feet—what, then, does the cupper fear?

ثَكِلَتكُمُ أُمّاتُكُم أَفَلا يَدٌ

ثَكِلَتكُمُ أُمّاتُكُم أَفَلا يَدٌ

تُرعى أَلا وَصلٌ أَلا إِلمامُ

تُرعى أَلا وَصلٌ أَلا إِلمامُ

May your mothers be bereaved of you! Is there no favor

May your mothers be bereaved of you! Is there no favor

To be honored, no bond, no visit?

to be honored? No bond of friendship? No visit?

أَينَ التَقَيُّدُ أَن يُخَلَّ بِواجِبٍ

أَينَ التَقَيُّدُ أَن يُخَلَّ بِواجِبٍ

أَو أَن يُضاعَ مِنَ الصَديقِ ذِمامُ

أَو أَن يُضاعَ مِنَ الصَديقِ ذِمامُ

Where is the scruple against neglecting a duty

Where is the scruple against neglecting a duty,

Or letting a friend’s pledge go to waste?

or squandering a friend's bond of honor?

ماذا عَلى إِسحاقَ أَن تَصفو لَنا

ماذا عَلى إِسحاقَ أَن تَصفو لَنا

مَعَكُم مَوَدَّةُ عِشرَةٍ وَمُدامُ

مَعَكُم مَوَدَّةُ عِشرَةٍ وَمُدامُ

What would it cost Ishaq if there were pure for us

What would it cost Ishaq for us to enjoy, unclouded,

With you the affection born of fellowship and wine?

with you, the affection of companionship and wine?

جَحَدَت نَصيبونَ الإِخاءِ وَأَنكَرَت

جَحَدَت نَصيبونَ الإِخاءِ وَأَنكَرَت

مِن حَقِّنا ما يَعرِفُ الأَقوامُ

مِن حَقِّنا ما يَعرِفُ الأَقوامُ

Nisibis has denied fraternity and disowned

Nisibis has disavowed brotherhood and denied

Our right, which all peoples recognize.

those rights of ours that peoples recognize.

فُقِدَ الوَفاءُ بِها وَإِنّي خائِفٌ

فُقِدَ الوَفاءُ بِها وَإِنّي خائِفٌ

في أَهلِها أَن يُفقَدَ الإِسلامُ

في أَهلِها أَن يُفقَدَ الإِسلامُ

Fidelity is lost there, and I fear

Loyalty has been lost there, and I fear

That among its people Islam itself may be lost.

that Islam may be lost among its people.