تَلومُ المادَرائِيّينَ جَهلاً

تَلومُ المادَرائِيّينَ جَهلاً

وَبَعضُ اللَومِ أَولى بِالجَهولِ

وَبَعضُ اللَومِ أَولى بِالجَهولِ

You blame the Mādarāʾīs out of ignorance,

You blame the modernists out of ignorance,

And some blame more rightly belongs to the ignorant fool.

Yet some blame is more deserved by the ignorant.

وَتَعذُلُهُم إِذا نيكوا كَأَن لَم

وَتَعذُلُهُم إِذا نيكوا كَأَن لَم

تَنُل مِن قَبلِهِم شِيَعُ العَذولِ

تَنُل مِن قَبلِهِم شِيَعُ العَذولِ

And you reproach them when they are fucked, as though

You rebuke them when they do good, as though

The faultfinder’s followers had not experienced it before them.

The followers of convention never received their share of rebuke.

وَتَنسى حَظَّ خَولَةَ في المَخازي

وَتَنسى حَظَّ خَولَةَ في المَخازي

وَلِعبَ أَبي الفَوارِسِ بِالطَويلِ

وَلِعبَ أَبي الفَوارِسِ بِالطَويلِ

And you forget Khawla’s share in the disgraces,

You forget the portion of Khaulah in wine songs

And Abū al-Fawāris’s play with the tall one.

And the playing of Abi al-Fawaris with the long poem.

فَضائِحُ لا يَزالُ يُكَرُّ مِنها

فَضائِحُ لا يَزالُ يُكَرُّ مِنها

عَلى قالٍ تُعَرُّ بِهِ وَقيلِ

عَلى قالٍ تُعَرُّ بِهِ وَقيلِ

Scandals endlessly recounted,

Disgraces that do not cease to be repeated

In talk and hearsay that disgrace you.

In every saying and tale that is circulated.