نَفَقتَ نُفوقَ الحِمارِ الذَكَر

نَفَقتَ نُفوقَ الحِمارِ الذَكَر

وَبانَ ضُراطُكَ مِنّا فَمَر

وَبانَ ضُراطُكَ مِنّا فَمَر

You died the death of a male ass,

You expired like a male donkey's fart

and your farting left us, then passed away.

And your flaws became exposed, like a loose waist wrap

يَقولُ الطَبيبُ بِهِ فالِجٌ

يَقولُ الطَبيبُ بِهِ فالِجٌ

فَقُلتُ كَذَبتَ وَلَكِن قَصَر

فَقُلتُ كَذَبتَ وَلَكِن قَصَر

The physician says, 'He has palsy.'

The doctor says you're suffering from paralysis

So I said, 'You lie; rather, it is a beast's neck disease.'

But I said you lied, he's just deficient

وَقَد يُتَوَقَّعُ مَوتُ الحِما

وَقَد يُتَوَقَّعُ مَوتُ الحِما

رِ إِلّا بِبَعضِ مَنايا الحُمُر

رِ إِلّا بِبَعضِ مَنايا الحُمُر

And an ass's death may indeed be expected

And the death of a donkey is seldom expected

only through one of the deaths that befall asses.

Except through some other donkeys' demises

فَقَدنا يَهودِيَّ قُطرُبُّلٍ

فَقَدنا يَهودِيَّ قُطرُبُّلٍ

وَما فَقدُناهُ بِإِحدى الكُبَر

وَما فَقدُناهُ بِإِحدى الكُبَر

We have lost the Jew of Qutrubbul,

So we lost a Jew, Al-Qutrobol

and our loss of him is no great calamity.

And we didn't lose him through one of the major calamities

عُلَيجٌ يَدينُ بِأَن لا إِلَ

عُلَيجٌ يَدينُ بِأَن لا إِلَ

هَ وَأَن لا قَضاءَ وَأَن لا قَدَر

هَ وَأَن لا قَضاءَ وَأَن لا قَدَر

A little foreign lout who professes that there is no god,

Al-Ulaij who professes there's no God

and no divine decree, and no predestination;

And no ordainment and no destiny

وَشَتّامَةٌ لِصِحابِ النَبِي

وَشَتّامَةٌ لِصِحابِ النَبِي

يِ يُزجَرُ عَنهُم فَما يَنزَجِر

يِ يُزجَرُ عَنهُم فَما يَنزَجِر

and a relentless abuser of the Prophet's Companions:

And who insults the Prophet's companions

he is warned to leave them alone, yet will not desist.

Yet he's not deterred from that, how strange!

إِذا جَحَدَ اللَهَ وَالمُرسَلي

إِذا جَحَدَ اللَهَ وَالمُرسَلي

نَ فَكَيفَ نُعاتِبُهُ في عُمَر

نَ فَكَيفَ نُعاتِبُهُ في عُمَر

If he denies God and the messengers,

If he denies God and the messengers

then how can we reproach him over Umar?

How can we blame him for denying a life

وَساوَرَ دِجلَةَ لَولا الحَيا

وَساوَرَ دِجلَةَ لَولا الحَيا

ءُ لِيَقطَعَ جِريَتَها بِالبِدَر

ءُ لِيَقطَعَ جِريَتَها بِالبِدَر

And, but for shame, he would have assailed the Tigris

He flanked the Tigris River, if not for dignity

to cut off its flow with bags of coin.

He would have severed its flow with his penis

فَأَينَ الخَليفَةَ عَمّا أَعَدَّ

فَأَينَ الخَليفَةَ عَمّا أَعَدَّ

وَعَمّا أَفادَ وَعَمّا اِدَّخَر

وَعَمّا أَفادَ وَعَمّا اِدَّخَر

So where is the caliph regarding what he laid by,

Where is the Caliph regarding what was brewed

and what he acquired, and what he hoarded?

And what was gained and what was prepared?

أَيَترُكُ ما كانَ مُستَخفِياً

أَيَترُكُ ما كانَ مُستَخفِياً

فَكَيفَ بِتَركِ الَّذي قَد ظَهَر

فَكَيفَ بِتَركِ الَّذي قَد ظَهَر

Will he leave untouched what was hidden?

Will he leave what was done secretly?

Then how could he leave what has come to light?

How can he with what has been made public?

لَهُ خَلَفٌ مِثلُ غَرزِ الجَرا

لَهُ خَلَفٌ مِثلُ غَرزِ الجَرا

دِ بَعيدونَ مِن كُلِّ أَمرٍ يَسُر

دِ بَعيدونَ مِن كُلِّ أَمرٍ يَسُر

He has offspring like the spawn of locusts,

They have supporters like desert thorns

far from anything that brings delight.

Far from any matter of goodness and ease

أَيَعقوبَ أَختارُ أَم صالِحاً

أَيَعقوبَ أَختارُ أَم صالِحاً

وَما فيهِما مِن خِيارٍ لِحُر

وَما فيهِما مِن خِيارٍ لِحُر

Shall I choose Yaqub or Salih?

Will he choose Jacob or Salih,

And neither is a worthy choice for a freeborn man.

When neither of them is up to leading a free man

وَكُنتُ وَكانا كَما قيلَ لِل

وَكُنتُ وَكانا كَما قيلَ لِل

عِبادِيِّ أَيُّ حِمارَيكَ شَرّ

عِبادِيِّ أَيُّ حِمارَيكَ شَرّ

And my case with those two was like the question put to the

But they are closer to mule- and donkey-like men

Ibadi: 'Which of your two asses is worse?'

The little one, whose evil is blatant and apparent

عَلى أَنَّ أَدناهُما سَنخَةً

عَلى أَنَّ أَدناهُما سَنخَةً

صَغيرُهُما الفاحِشُ المُحتَقَر

صَغيرُهُما الفاحِشُ المُحتَقَر

Though the baser of the two in stock

Is the son of Al-Qumashiyyah today refraining

is the younger, foul-mouthed and despised.

From sins, or insisting upon them unapologetically?

هَلِ اِبنُ القُماشِيَةِ اليَومَ لي

هَلِ اِبنُ القُماشِيَةِ اليَومَ لي

مُقيمٌ عَلى الذَنبِ أَم يَعتَذِر

مُقيمٌ عَلى الذَنبِ أَم يَعتَذِر

Is al-Qumashiyya's son today, in his conduct toward me,

Does he remember nights of his mother

persisting in his offense, or offering an apology?

Through the darkness of her veils in the pre-dawn hours?

وَهَل يَذكُرَنَّ سُرى أُمِّهِ

وَهَل يَذكُرَنَّ سُرى أُمِّهِ

بِلَيلٍ وَدَلجَتِها في السَحَر

بِلَيلٍ وَدَلجَتِها في السَحَر

And does he truly remember his mother's night journey,

And does he know that I'm a man

by night, and her travels before dawn?

Who won't tolerate those who offend him

وَهَل يَعلَمَنَّ بِأَنّي اِمرُؤٌ

وَهَل يَعلَمَنَّ بِأَنّي اِمرُؤٌ

عَلى ما يَسوؤُهُمُ مُقتَدِر

عَلى ما يَسوؤُهُمُ مُقتَدِر

And does he truly know that I am a man

A band of immoral men persisted with sin

able to do whatever will distress them?

Baring their asses and stubby penises

عِصابَةُ سوءٍ تَمادى بِها

عِصابَةُ سوءٍ تَمادى بِها

ضُراطُ الحَميرِ وَخَضمُ البَقَر

ضُراطُ الحَميرِ وَخَضمُ البَقَر

A wicked band, among whom run unchecked

And it doesn't sadden me that they have become

the farting of asses and the chomping of cattle.

Disgraced in a house of evil and impurity

وَما ساءَني أَنَّهُم أَصبَحوا

وَما ساءَني أَنَّهُم أَصبَحوا

مِنَ الخِزيِ في دارِ شَرٍّ وَعَر

مِنَ الخِزيِ في دارِ شَرٍّ وَعَر

And it did not grieve me that they ended up

And indeed the son of Azrah weeps

through disgrace, in an abode of evil and mange.

Over a blemish he himself cloaked

وَإِنَّ اِبنَ عَزرَةَ مُستَعبِرٌ

وَإِنَّ اِبنَ عَزرَةَ مُستَعبِرٌ

يُبَكّى عَلى خَلَلٍ قَد دَثَر

يُبَكّى عَلى خَلَلٍ قَد دَثَر

And Ibn Azra is indeed in tears,

The dripping tears on his cheek are slightest to me

made to weep over a hole now obliterated.

Compared to being drenched on the day of sprinkling

فَأَهوِن عَلَيَّ بِتِلكَ الدُمو

فَأَهوِن عَلَيَّ بِتِلكَ الدُمو

عِ تَرَقرَقَ في الخَدِّ أَو تَنحَدِر

عِ تَرَقرَقَ في الخَدِّ أَو تَنحَدِر

So how little those tears mean to me,

Perhaps Abu Al-Saqr will clear for us

whether they shimmer on the cheek or stream down!

The darkness of adversities with a radiant day

لَعَلَّ أَبا الصَقرِ يَجلو بِنا

لَعَلَّ أَبا الصَقرِ يَجلو بِنا

ظَلامَ الخُطوبِ بِيَومٍ أَغَرّ

ظَلامَ الخُطوبِ بِيَومٍ أَغَرّ

Perhaps Abu al-Saqr will dispel for us

A young man whose family raised him high

the darkness of calamities with a radiant day.

To where the stars rise and shine

فَتىً رَفَعَت بَيتَهُ وائِلٌ

فَتىً رَفَعَت بَيتَهُ وائِلٌ

إِلى حَيثُ تَرقى النُجومُ الزُهُر

إِلى حَيثُ تَرقى النُجومُ الزُهُر

A young man whose house Wa'il has raised

to where the bright stars ascend.