وذيand one possessed of نَخوةٍhaughtiness يَختالُstruts ثانيturning aside عِطفِهِhis shoulder
وذي نَخوةٍ يَختالُ ثاني عِطفِهِ
فَلولاso, were it not for تَناهيthe extremity of لُؤمهِhis baseness قُلتُI would say أَصيَدُlordly
فَلولا تَناهي لُؤمهِ قُلتُ أَصيَدُ
And a haughty man struts, turning his shoulder away;
Were it not for his utter baseness, I would call him lordly.
لهُhe has نظرةُthe gaze of الزّرقاءal-Zarqa فيin كُلِّevery بِدعَةٍheresy
لهُ نظرةُ الزّرقاء في كُلِّ بِدعَةٍ
ولكنَّهُand yet he عنwith regard to مَسلكِthe path of الحَقِّtruth أَرمَدُblear-eyed
ولكنَّهُ عن مَسلكِ الحَقِّ أَرمَدُ
He has al-Zarqa’s keen sight for every heresy,
Yet toward the path of truth he is blear-eyed.