لَرَدَّدتُ العِتابَ عَلَيكَ حَتّى

لَرَدَّدتُ العِتابَ عَلَيكَ حَتّى

سَئِمتُ وَآخِرُ الوُدِّ العِتابُ

سَئِمتُ وَآخِرُ الوُدِّ العِتابُ

Indeed, I repeated my reproaches to you until

I repeatedly reproached you

I grew weary; reproach is affection’s last act.

Until I grew weary, and reproof is the end of love.

فَلَم أُبعِدكَ مِن أَدَبٍ وَلَكِن

فَلَم أُبعِدكَ مِن أَدَبٍ وَلَكِن

شِهابٌ في التَخَلُّفِ ما شِهابُ

شِهابٌ في التَخَلُّفِ ما شِهابُ

I did not deem you far from refinement, but

Yet I did not banish you from courtesy, but

Shihab—how backward Shihab is!

A shooting star in being left behind is no shooting star.

وَحانَ عَلَيكَ سُخطي حينَ تَغدو

وَحانَ عَلَيكَ سُخطي حينَ تَغدو

بِعِرضٍ لَيسَ تَقتُلُهُ الكِلابُ

بِعِرضٍ لَيسَ تَقتُلُهُ الكِلابُ

And my wrath against you came due when you went forth

And my anger turned against you when you went

With a reputation the dogs cannot kill.

With a reputation, which even dogs do not kill,

وَهَل يَشفي السِبابُ مِنِ اِبنِ لُؤمٍ

وَهَل يَشفي السِبابُ مِنِ اِبنِ لُؤمٍ

دَنيءٍ لَيسَ يُؤلِمُهُ السِبابُ

دَنيءٍ لَيسَ يُؤلِمُهُ السِبابُ

And can insults soothe one’s anger at a son of baseness,

Can abuse heal the son of a base woman

A vile man whom insults do not hurt?

Of no account, whom abuse does not hurt?

فَعُمرانُ اِستِهِ جَمٌّ وَلَكِن

فَعُمرانُ اِستِهِ جَمٌّ وَلَكِن

لَهُ قُدّامَهُ أَيرٌ خَرابُ

لَهُ قُدّامَهُ أَيرٌ خَرابُ

For his arse is much frequented, but

So his life is a blot, but

In front of it he has a cock in ruins.

Ahead of him is a ruinous site.