أَتَرىDo you see اللاحيthe fault-finder وَقَدand already أَرreeked (first part)
أَتَرى اللاحي وَقَد أَر
وَحَreeked (last part) مِنfrom نَتنِthe stench of خِلالِهhis character
وَحَ مِن نَتنِ خِلالِه
Do you see the fault-finder, now reeking
Do you see the shameless man whose stench permeates,
from the stench of his character?
Who was never ashamed though his morals reek of musk?
لَمnot يَكُنwas شيَمَwas sensed نَسيbreeze (first part)
لَم يَكُن شيَمَ نَسي
مُbreeze (last part) المِسكِmusk مِنfrom أَخلاقِthe traits of حالِهhis condition
مُ المِسكِ مِن أَخلاقِ حالِه
Never was a breath discerned
With no insight tied in the ropes of his ropes,
of musk from the traits of his character.
Never did the whims of that generous man cross his mind.
لاno وَرَأيٍby a judgment بَتَّsevered بِالحَزwith resolve (first part)
لا وَرَأيٍ بَتَّ بِالحَز
مِresolve (last part) حِباليmy cords مِنfrom حِبالِهhis cords
مِ حِبالي مِن حِبالِه
No—by a judgment that decisively severed
God increased him only in persisting in his ignorance.
my cords from his cords—
An enemy in his richness, and a friend in his ruin,
ماnot جَرىcrossed خاطِرُthe thought of ذاكَthat الكَthe generosity (first part)
ما جَرى خاطِرُ ذاكَ الكَ
رَمgenerosity (last part) المَحضِpure بِبالِهthrough his mind
رَم المَحضِ بِبالِه
never did the thought of that
A man cursed by glory for all his deeds,
pure generosity cross his mind.
If you were words, you would be some of his impossibilities,
ماnot زادَهُincreased him اللَهُGod إِلّاexcept
ما زادَهُ اللَهُ إِلّا
فيin التَماديpersisting فيin خَبالِهhis madness
في التَمادي في خَبالِه
God has only increased
Or a deed, you would be the excuse of a beloved and his illness.
his persistence in his madness.
ياO عَدُوّاًan enemy فيin غِناهُhis wealth
يا عَدُوّاً في غِناهُ
وَصَديقاًand a friend فيin اِختِلالِهhis poverty
وَصَديقاً في اِختِلالِه
O enemy when rich,
and friend when poor,
وَفَتىًand a youth يَلعَنُهُcurses him المَجglory (first part)
وَفَتىً يَلعَنُهُ المَج
دُglory (last part) عَلىfor كُلِّevery فِعالِهhis deeds
دُ عَلى كُلِّ فِعالِه
and a youth whom Glory curses
for every deed of his!
أَنتَyou لَوif كُنتَyou were كَلاماًspeech
أَنتَ لَو كُنتَ كَلاماً
كُنتَyou would be مِنamong بَعضِsome of مُحالِهits nonsense
كُنتَ مِن بَعضِ مُحالِه
You, if you were speech,
would be some of its nonsense.
أَوor فَعالاًdeeds كُنتَyou would be مِنamong عُذexcuse (first part)
أَو فَعالاً كُنتَ مِن عُذ
رِexcuse (last part) حَبيبٍHabib وَاِعتِلالِهand his pretexts
رِ حَبيبٍ وَاِعتِلالِه
Or, were you deeds, you would be among
Habib's excuses and his pretexts.
Partial English translation: 9 of 18 Arabic lines translated.