هَل لِلنَدى عَدلٌ فَيَغدو مُنصِفاً

هَل لِلنَدى عَدلٌ فَيَغدو مُنصِفاً

مِن فِعلِ إِسماعيلِهِ اِبنِ شِهابِهِ

مِن فِعلِ إِسماعيلِهِ اِبنِ شِهابِهِ

Has generosity a just judge to grant it redress

For the deeds of its Isma‘il, son of its Shihab?

العارِضِ الثَجّاجِ في أَخلاقِهِ

العارِضِ الثَجّاجِ في أَخلاقِهِ

وَالرَوضَةِ الزَهراءِ في آدابِهِ

وَالرَوضَةِ الزَهراءِ في آدابِهِ

A rain cloud pouring torrents in his character,

And a radiant garden in his refinement.

أَزرى بِهِ مِن غَدرِهِ بِصَديقِهِ

أَزرى بِهِ مِن غَدرِهِ بِصَديقِهِ

وَعُقوقِهِ لِأَخيهِ ما أَزرى بِهِ

وَعُقوقِهِ لِأَخيهِ ما أَزرى بِهِ

His treachery toward his friend has disgraced him,

And his disloyalty to his brother—what shame it has brought him!

في كُلِّ يَومٍ وِقفَةٌ بِفِنائِهِ

في كُلِّ يَومٍ وِقفَةٌ بِفِنائِهِ

تُخزي الشَريفَ وَرِدَّةٌ عَن بابِهِ

تُخزي الشَريفَ وَرِدَّةٌ عَن بابِهِ

Every day, a wait in his forecourt

That humiliates a noble man, and a rebuff from his door.

اِسمَع لِغَضبانٍ تَثَبَّتَ ساعَةً

اِسمَع لِغَضبانٍ تَثَبَّتَ ساعَةً

فَبَداكَ قَبلَ هِجائِهِ بِعِتابِهِ

فَبَداكَ قَبلَ هِجائِهِ بِعِتابِهِ

Listen to an angry man who held himself in check awhile,

Then addressed you first with reproach, before his satire.

تاللَهِ يَسهَرُ في مَديحِكَ لَيلَهُ

تاللَهِ يَسهَرُ في مَديحِكَ لَيلَهُ

مُتَمَلمِلاً وَتَنامُ دونَ ثَوابِهِ

مُتَمَلمِلاً وَتَنامُ دونَ ثَوابِهِ

By God, he spends his night awake praising you,

Restless, while you sleep without rewarding him.

يَقظانَ يَنتَخِبُ الكَلامَ كَأَنَّهُ

يَقظانَ يَنتَخِبُ الكَلامَ كَأَنَّهُ

جَيشٌ لَدَيهِ يُريدُ أَن يَلقى بِهِ

جَيشٌ لَدَيهِ يُريدُ أَن يَلقى بِهِ

Wakeful, he selects his words as though they were

An army at his command, with which he means to do battle.

فَأَتى بِهِ كَالسَيفِ رَقرَقَ صَيقَلٌ

فَأَتى بِهِ كَالسَيفِ رَقرَقَ صَيقَلٌ

ما بَينَ قائِمِ سِنخِهِ وَذُبابِهِ

ما بَينَ قائِمِ سِنخِهِ وَذُبابِهِ

So he brought it like a sword a polisher had made gleam

From the hilt at its base to its point.

وَحَجَبتَهُ حَتّى تَوَهَّمَ أَنَّهُ

وَحَجَبتَهُ حَتّى تَوَهَّمَ أَنَّهُ

هاجٍ أَتاكَ بِشَتمِهِ وَسِبابِهِ

هاجٍ أَتاكَ بِشَتمِهِ وَسِبابِهِ

Yet you denied him audience until he imagined he was

A satirist who had come to you with his insults and abuse.

وَإِذا الفَتى صَحِبَ التَباعُدَ وَاِكتَسى

وَإِذا الفَتى صَحِبَ التَباعُدَ وَاِكتَسى

كِبراً عَلِيَّ فَلَستُ مِن أَصحابِهِ

كِبراً عَلِيَّ فَلَستُ مِن أَصحابِهِ

And when a man keeps company with aloofness and clothes himself

In arrogance toward me, I am no companion of his.

وَلَرُبَّ مُغرٍ لي بِعِرضِكَ زادَني

وَلَرُبَّ مُغرٍ لي بِعِرضِكَ زادَني

غَيظاً بِجَيئَةِ قَولِهِ وَذَهابِهِ

غَيظاً بِجَيئَةِ قَولِهِ وَذَهابِهِ

And many a man inciting me against your honor has increased

My anger with the coming and going of his words.

لَولا الصَفاءُ وَذِمَّةٌ أَعطَيتُها

لَولا الصَفاءُ وَذِمَّةٌ أَعطَيتُها

حَقَّ الوَفاءِ قَضَيتُ مِن آرابِهِ

حَقَّ الوَفاءِ قَضَيتُ مِن آرابِهِ

But for sincere friendship and a pledge to which I gave

Its due of loyalty, I would have fulfilled some of his wishes.