مَنْwho مُنْصِفيone who does me justice مِنagainst مَعْشَرٍa company of people ألبَستُهُمI clothed them
مَنْ مُنْصِفي مِن مَعْشَرٍ ألبَستُهُم
مَدْحيmy praise وَظَنِّيand my belief أَنّهمthat they كُبَراءُgreat men
مَدْحي وَظَنِّي أَنّهم كُبَراءُ
Who will win me justice against a company I clothed
Who will do me justice against a company I clothed
in my panegyrics, believing them grandees?
In my praise, believing them to be great men?
قالواthey spoke وماbut not فعلواthey acted لِبُخلٍbecause of stinginess فيهمin them
قالوا وما فعلوا لِبُخلٍ فيهم
فكأنّهمْso as though they كانواwere همُthey themselves الشُّعراءُthe poets
فكأنّهمْ كانوا همُ الشُّعراءُ
They spoke, but did not act on their word, out of their stinginess—
They spoke but did not act, out of their stinginess;
as though they themselves were the poets.
So it was as though they themselves were the poets.
