في ابن أبي حمَّادٍ لصائغِ

في ابن أبي حمَّادٍ لصائغِ

أُعجوبةُ المشغولِ والفارغِ

أُعجوبةُ المشغولِ والفارغِ

In Ibn Abī Ḥammād, for a goldsmith,

In Ibn Abi Hammad the jeweler

lies a marvel for the busy and the idle.

Is a wonder of the occupied and vacant

ما زال يستقرضُ مِنْ شادنٍ

ما زال يستقرضُ مِنْ شادنٍ

بين صغيرِ السنِّ والبالغ

بين صغيرِ السنِّ والبالغ

He kept seeking loans from a young gazelle

He kept borrowing from Shadin

between tender youth and adulthood,

Between a young age and maturity

حتى إذا السنُّ تعالَتْ به

حتى إذا السنُّ تعالَتْ به

إلى محلِّ القَرْهَبِ الصَّالغ

إلى محلِّ القَرْهَبِ الصَّالغ

until, when age had carried him up

Until when age progressed for him

to the station of an old, full-grown bull,

To the status of accomplished adulthood

أَحال بالقرضِ على بِنْتِه

أَحال بالقرضِ على بِنْتِه

إِحالةَ المنخزِلِ الرائغ

إِحالةَ المنخزِلِ الرائغ

he shifted the loan onto his daughter,

He referred the debt to his daughter

like one who withdraws and dodges.

A referral of the bankrupt borrower

والنقدُ لا يُؤخَذُ إلا كما

والنقدُ لا يُؤخَذُ إلا كما

يُعْطَى بِنَزْعِ العينِ والماضغ

يُعْطَى بِنَزْعِ العينِ والماضغ

And cash is taken only as

And cash is only taken as it’s given

it is given—by tearing out the eye and the molar.

By extracting the eye and chewing

يا ابنَ أبي حمَّادٍ المنبري

يا ابنَ أبي حمَّادٍ المنبري

برأسه للحجَر الدامغ

برأسه للحجَر الدامغ

O Ibn Abī Ḥammād, who steps forward

Oh Ibn Abi Hammad the preacher

with his head toward the skull-crushing stone:

With his head to the piercing rock

قُبِّحتَ ملدوغاً على موضعٍ

قُبِّحتَ ملدوغاً على موضعٍ

تلتذُّ فيه لدغةَ اللادغ

تلتذُّ فيه لدغةَ اللادغ

may you be disgraced, stung in a spot

You've been scorned, bitten in a place

where you relish the stinger’s sting.

Where the bite of the biter gives pleasure