واغضباOh, what anger! مِنْat شاعرٍa poet
واغضبا مِنْ شاعرٍ
وإنْand even if أقلَّhe had little وافتقرْand was poor
وإنْ أقلَّ وافتقرْ
Oh, what anger at a poet—
And be angry at a poet
even if he had little and was poor—
Even if he is weak and poor
أهانَhe debased ماwhat يعلمُهُhe knows it
أهانَ ما يعلمُهُ
فقلَّدَso he adorned with a necklace الدرَّpearls البقرْcattle
فقلَّدَ الدرَّ البقرْ
who debased what he knows
Who degraded what he knows
and so hung pearls around cattle’s necks!
So he made the pearl like a cow