قُل لِلَّذي ظَلَّ ذا لَونَينِ يأكُلُني

قُل لِلَّذي ظَلَّ ذا لَونَينِ يأكُلُني

لَقَد خَلَوتَ بِلَحمٍ عادمِ البَشَمِ

لَقَد خَلَوتَ بِلَحمٍ عادمِ البَشَمِ

Say to the two-faced man who keeps devouring me:

Tell the one with two-faced colors who eats me away,

You have indeed had flesh to yourself that brings no surfeit.

You have kept company with tasteless flesh.

إِيّاكَ لا أُلزَمَن لحيَيكَ مِن لَجَمي

إِيّاكَ لا أُلزَمَن لحيَيكَ مِن لَجَمي

نَكلاً يَنكِّلُ قَرّاصاً مِن اللُجَمِ

نَكلاً يَنكِّلُ قَرّاصاً مِن اللُجَمِ

Beware, lest I bind your jaws with one of my bridles—

I will not muzzle your cheeks with my bridle,

A curb that chastens, a biting one among bridles—

A spurning that spurns the biter from the bridles.

يَدُقُّ لحيَيكَ أَو تَنقادُ مُتَّبِعاً

يَدُقُّ لحيَيكَ أَو تَنقادُ مُتَّبِعاً

مَشيَ المُقيَّدِ ذي القِردانِ وَالحلَمِِ

مَشيَ المُقيَّدِ ذي القِردانِ وَالحلَمِِ

That crushes your jaws, or you submit, following

That beats your cheeks or you follow submissively,

The gait of a fettered beast with ticks and mites.

The walk of the fettered monkey and the dreamer.

إِنّي إِذا ما امرُؤٌ خَفَّت نَعامَتُهُ

إِنّي إِذا ما امرُؤٌ خَفَّت نَعامَتُهُ

إِلَيِّ وَاِستُحصَدت مِنه قوى الوَذَمِ

إِلَيِّ وَاِستُحصَدت مِنه قوى الوَذَمِ

Indeed, whenever a man rushes headlong

When a man's ostrich diminishes,

Toward me, and his bucket-strap strands grow firm,

His powers of blaming me are harvested.

عَقَدتُ في مُلتَقى أَوداجِ لُبَّتِهِ

عَقَدتُ في مُلتَقى أَوداجِ لُبَّتِهِ

طَوقَ الحَمامَةِ لا يَبلى عَلى القِدَمِ

طَوقَ الحَمامَةِ لا يَبلى عَلى القِدَمِ

I tie, where the jugular veins meet at his throat,

I tied in the meeting place of his joints,

A dove's collar that never wears out with age.

The necklace of a turtledove that does not wear out over time.

إِنّي امروءٌ لا أَصوغُ الحليَ تَعمَلُهُ

إِنّي امروءٌ لا أَصوغُ الحليَ تَعمَلُهُ

كَفّايَ لَكِن لِساني صائِغَ الكَلِمِ

كَفّايَ لَكِن لِساني صائِغَ الكَلِمِ

Indeed, I am a man who does not fashion jewelry made by

I am a man who does not forge jewelry that is made,

My two hands; rather, my tongue is a smith of words.

My palms suffice, but my tongue forges words.

إِنَّ الأَديمَ الَّذي أَمسيتَ تَقرِضَهُ

إِنَّ الأَديمَ الَّذي أَمسيتَ تَقرِضَهُ

جَهلاً لَذو نغَلٍ بادٍ وَذو حلَمِ

جَهلاً لَذو نغَلٍ بادٍ وَذو حلَمِ

Indeed, the hide you have taken to gnawing

The hide that you have become accustomed to tearing,

In ignorance surely bears visible rot and mites.

Ignorantly, is of a fading cream color and is forebearing.

وَلا يَئِطُّ بأَيدي الخالِقينَ وَلا

وَلا يَئِطُّ بأَيدي الخالِقينَ وَلا

أَيدي الخَوالقِ إِلّا جَيِّدُ الأَدَمِ

أَيدي الخَوالقِ إِلّا جَيِّدُ الأَدَمِ

And nothing creaks in male hide-cutters' hands, nor

The hands of creators cannot rend it, nor

In female hide-cutters' hands, except fine hides.

Can the hands of tailors, except excellent hide.