وَثَقيلٍ كَأَنَّهُ بَردُ كانو

وَثَقيلٍ كَأَنَّهُ بَردُ كانو

نٍ قَليلَ الحَياءِ جَمَّ الكَلامِ

نٍ قَليلَ الحَياءِ جَمَّ الكَلامِ

And a bore, as though he were the cold of Kānū-

Heavy as though it were the cold of Kanun

And a bore, heavy as the chill of Kanun,

n, with little shame and much talk.

A man of little modesty, voluble in speech

Scant of shame, abundant in speech;

لَيسَ يَدري بِأَنَّهُ لَيسَ يَدري

لَيسَ يَدري بِأَنَّهُ لَيسَ يَدري

إِنَّ بَعضَ الأَنامِ كَالأَنعامِ

إِنَّ بَعضَ الأَنامِ كَالأَنعامِ

He does not know that he does not know;

He does not know that he does not know

He knows not that he does not know

indeed, some people are like cattle.

Some men are like cattle

That some people are like livestock.

يَتَمَنّى يا بُعدَ ما يَتَمَنّى

يَتَمَنّى يا بُعدَ ما يَتَمَنّى

لَو جَرى ذِكرُهُ عَلى الأَقدامِ

لَو جَرى ذِكرُهُ عَلى الأَقدامِ

He wishes—how far-fetched his wish!—

He wishes, O distant one, what he wishes

He wishes—oh, how distant is what he wishes!—

that his name might run on feet.

If his name were mentioned on feet

That his name would circulate among the crowds.

وَالَّذي أَطمَعَ اللَئيمَ وَأَغراهُ

وَالَّذي أَطمَعَ اللَئيمَ وَأَغراهُ

بِسَبِّ الكِرامِ حُلمُ الكِرامِ

بِسَبِّ الكِرامِ حُلمُ الكِرامِ

And what emboldened the base man and tempted him

And he who made the vile man covetous and enticed him

What emboldened the scoundrel and tempted him

to revile the noble was the nobles' forbearance.

With insulting the generous, it is the patience of the generous

To insult the noble, is the noble's forbearance.

وَالَّذي صَيَّرَ الكَريمَ حَليماً

وَالَّذي صَيَّرَ الكَريمَ حَليماً

كِرهُهُ أَن يُعَدَّ صِنوَ الطَغامِ

كِرهُهُ أَن يُعَدَّ صِنوَ الطَغامِ

And what made the noble man forbearing

And He who made the generous man forbearing

And what made the noble one show restraint

was his aversion to being counted a peer of the rabble.

He disliked being counted among the mob

Is his loathing to be counted a peer of the riffraff.

مَنَعَ البومَ أَن يُصادَ وَيُرمى

مَنَعَ البومَ أَن يُصادَ وَيُرمى

كَونُهُ غَيرُ صالِحٍ لِلطَعامِ

كَونُهُ غَيرُ صالِحٍ لِلطَعامِ

What kept the owl from being hunted and shot at

He prevented the owl from being hunted and shot

What prevented the owl from being hunted and shot

was its being unfit for food.

Because it is unfit for food

Is the fact that it is unfit for eating.