ألْبِسْتَyou were clothed in جلبابَa cloak الخِسَارَهْloss
ألْبِسْتَ جلبابَ الخِسَارَهْ
وَجُبِلْتَand you were fashioned منfrom غيرِother than الطَّهارةpurity
وَجُبِلْتَ من غيرِ الطَّهارة
You were clothed in the cloak of loss,
You have worn the robe of loss
And you were fashioned from impurity.
And are molded without purity
رُمْتَyou sought الحكارةَhoarding جاهداًstriving hard
رُمْتَ الحكارةَ جاهداً
فهلكتَso you perished فيin طُرُقِthe paths الحِكّارَهthe hoarders
فهلكتَ في طُرُقِ الحِكّارَه
You zealously pursued hoarding,
You strove hard in defamation
So you perished on the hoarders' paths.
So you perished in the ways of jesters
لمّاwhen لجأتَyou resorted إلىto العِيارthe roguery (word continues)
لمّا لجأتَ إلى العِيار
رةِ(continuation of the preceding word) كنتَyou were غرّاًnaive بالعِيارَهْabout roguery
رةِ كنتَ غرّاً بالعِيارَهْ
When you resorted to roguery,
When you resorted to villainy
You were naive about roguery.
You were foolish in villainy
أوَand is it...? ماnot عجيبٌstrange أنthat يقوsay (word begins)
أوَ ما عجيبٌ أن يقو
لَ(completes 'say') ذووthose endowed with البراعةِskill والعبارهand eloquence
لَ ذوو البراعةِ والعباره
And is it not strange that they should say—
Is it strange that the eloquent say
Those masters of skill and eloquence:
He keeps insulting him until
ماnot زالceased يهجوهُhe lampoons him إِلىuntil أنthat
ما زال يهجوهُ إِلى أن
صارhe became يُرْمَىhe is pelted بالحجارهwith stones
صار يُرْمَى بالحجاره
He kept lampooning him until
He gets pelted with stones
He came to be pelted with stones.
And if you dared, then it is the nature of madmen to be daring
ولئنand even if جسرتَyou were bold فإنthen indeed منamong
ولئن جسرتَ فإن من
شأنthe traits المجانينِmadmen الجَسَارهboldness
شأن المجانينِ الجَسَاره
And even if you were bold, surely among
Do not be fooled, no debauched poet can succeed
The traits of madmen is boldness.
And if adultery is hinted at, the hint does not escape you
لاdo not تُخْدَعَنّbe deceived فليسfor not يُفsucceed (word begins)
لا تُخْدَعَنّ فليس يُف
لح(completes 'succeed') شاعرٌa poet عَبْلُthick الجزارهthe limbs
لح شاعرٌ عَبْلُ الجزاره
Do not be deceived, for success does not come to
A poet thick of limb.
وإذاand when يُشَارُa pointing gesture is made إلىtoward الزنيthe baseborn (word begins)
وإذا يُشَارُ إلى الزني
مِ(completes 'the baseborn') فليسَthen not تُخْطِيكَmisses you الإشارهthe gesture
مِ فليسَ تُخْطِيكَ الإشاره
And when the baseborn man is pointed out,
Then the gesture will not miss you.
Partial English translation: 12 of 16 Arabic lines translated.