وقائلة لم لا هجوت الذي هجا

وقائلة لم لا هجوت الذي هجا

فقلت لها هجر اللئيم بتركه

فقلت لها هجر اللئيم بتركه

And a woman asked, 'Why did you not satirize the one who satirized you?'

And she asks, why do you not satirize the one who satirized you?

So I told her: shunning the vile man means leaving him alone.

So I said to her, "Ignoring the vile one leaves him be."

هي انه اورى من الهجو ناره

هي انه اورى من الهجو ناره

لسبكي فما ذم النضار لسبكه

لسبكي فما ذم النضار لسبكه

It is that he kindled his fire with satire,

Indeed, his satire's fire illuminates him more

to smelt me; pure gold is not disparaged for being smelted.

Than my satirizing him illuminates me.

نزيف في نقدي واخلص معدني

نزيف في نقدي واخلص معدني

ولا يعرف الدنيار دون محكه

ولا يعرف الدنيار دون محكه

Draining in my coinage [wording unclear], and he purified my metal;

It bleeds my soul and tests my true mettle.

nor is a dinar recognized without its touchstone.

The coin knows not its worth sans the furnace.

ولي اسوة بالهاشمي وقد هجى

ولي اسوة بالهاشمي وقد هجى

على زهده في الأنباء ونسكه

على زهده في الأنباء ونسكه

I have an example in the Hashimite, who was indeed satirized,

And I emulate Al-Hashimi when he was satirized

despite his reported asceticism and his devotion.

For his asceticism in news and devotion.

أنزه شعري عن دناءة قدره

أنزه شعري عن دناءة قدره

وأنقى يقيني من دناسة شكه

وأنقى يقيني من دناسة شكه

I keep my poetry above the baseness of his worth,

I keep my poetry free of the baseness of his worth,

and my certainty is purer than the filth of his doubt.

And purify my faith from the filth of his doubts.

وقومي ادري يا بثين وقومه

وقومي ادري يا بثين وقومه

بصدقي في هذال المقال وافكه

بصدقي في هذال المقال وافكه

My people and his know best, O Buthayn,

And my people know, O Buthaina, and her people,

my truthfulness in this statement, and his lying.

My truthfulness in this discourse and its precision.

اما ومجر الزاغبية في الوغى

اما ومجر الزاغبية في الوغى

ومجد المذاكي في مجالي بضنكه

ومجد المذاكي في مجالي بضنكه

Indeed, by the dragging of Zaghibi lances [reading uncertain] in battle,

As for the slanderer wandering confusedly in calumny,

and by the glory of mature steeds in my arena's narrow confines,

And the glory of the envious in my tough circumstances,

ومد ذراع المشرفي كأنه

ومد ذراع المشرفي كأنه

يشير إلى صوني احتقاراً لهتكه

يشير إلى صوني احتقاراً لهتكه

and by the outstretched arm of the Mashrafi sword, as though it

And the outstretched arm of the proud one, as if

pointed toward my guarded honor, in contempt for his defamation;

Gesturing disdainfully at my exposure.

ومهوى رجوم من نجوم كنانة

ومهوى رجوم من نجوم كنانة

لمسترق سمعاً تخر بهلكه

لمسترق سمعاً تخر بهلكه

and by the plunge of missiles—stars from a quiver—

And the hurling of shooting stars from Kanaan's stars

upon a stealer of hearing, falling to his doom;

At one eavesdropping, to bring about his ruin.

وملقي الأعادي جحفلا بعد جحفل

وملقي الأعادي جحفلا بعد جحفل

بعزم افت النائبات بفتكه

بعزم افت النائبات بفتكه

and by the casting down of enemies, host after host,

And the casting of enemy crowds, one after another,

with resolve by whose deadly force I crush calamities;

With resolve that bloodies the fates with their havoc.

وحبيك من قلبي ألية مغرم

وحبيك من قلبي ألية مغرم

عليل هوى مضنى عليك بنهكه

عليل هوى مضنى عليك بنهكه

and by my love for you, from my heart—an enamored man's oath—

And your love that I've woven from my heart, O passionately obsessed,

love-sick, worn out over you by its wasting force,

Languishing with love, worn down in yearning for you.

يغالب مهما لحت عقدك دمعه

يغالب مهما لحت عقدك دمعه

ويمسي اشتياقا في النحول كسلكه

ويمسي اشتياقا في النحول كسلكه

whose tears, whenever you appear, vie with your necklace,

It wrestles however much your necklace sheds tears,

and who, by evening, from longing, is as thin as its thread:

And ends up emaciated, with longing like wire.

لو اني من يرضى المثالب خطة

لو اني من يرضى المثالب خطة

ويرغب في صفع الدني وحكه

ويرغب في صفع الدني وحكه

if I were one who accepted disgrace as a way of life,

If I were one who approves of blameworthy traits,

and wished to slap the base man and scratch him,

And desires to slap the lowly and obey them,

لنلت منالاً منه ما نال بعضه

لنلت منالاً منه ما نال بعضه

إذا ما طغا اليم المغم بفلكه

إذا ما طغا اليم المغم بفلكه

I would have dealt him harm he would not suffer even a fraction of,

I would have gained favors from them unmatched,

were the grief-bringing sea to surge over his ship.

When the new moon of misfortune waxed at its peak.

ولكن لي حلم ابن قيس وحذقه

ولكن لي حلم ابن قيس وحذقه

وفهم سليمانٍ وعزة ملكه

وفهم سليمانٍ وعزة ملكه

But I have Ibn Qays's forbearance and his acumen,

But I have the forbearance of Ibn Qais and his shrewdness,

and Solomon's understanding and the might of his kingdom.

And the wisdom of Solomon and the pride of his kingdom.