ألاlisten! قُلsay لِذىto one possessed of حمقfolly تسربلclothed himself بالغدرِin treachery
ألا قُل لِذى حمق تسربل بالغدرِ
وجانبand shunned أهلthe people of العدلjustice والفضلand virtue والقدرِand dignity
وجانب أهل العدل والفضل والقدرِ
Listen: tell the man of folly who has clothed himself in treachery
and shunned the people of justice, virtue, and dignity:
تأهبprepare yourself لقدindeed جاشتhas surged قريحةُthe inspiration of ماهرٍa skilled poet
تأهب لقد جاشت قريحةُ ماهرٍ
عليكagainst you بأمواجin waves تلاطَمُcrashing together كالبحرِlike the sea
عليك بأمواج تلاطَمُ كالبحرِ
Prepare yourself: a master's poetic inspiration has surged
against you in waves crashing like the sea—
قوافٍrhymed verses كأمثالlike السيوفِswords قواطعاًkeen-cutting
قوافٍ كأمثال السيوفِ قواطعاً
رجوماًmissiles لأهلِagainst the people of الغدرِtreachery والزيغand deviation والمكرِand deceit
رجوماً لأهلِ الغدرِ والزيغ والمكرِ
rhymed verses, sharp as swords,
missiles against the people of treachery, deviation, and deceit.
ومنand whoever كانis ذاpossessed of حقدٍrancor فيسودُّthen turns black وجههhis face
ومن كان ذا حقدٍ فيسودُّ وجهه
ومنand whoever كانis ذاpossessed of وُدٍّaffection فيعرفُthen is known بالبِشْرِby cheerfulness
ومن كان ذا وُدٍّ فيعرفُ بالبِشْرِ
And whoever harbors rancor, his face grows black,
and whoever bears affection is known by his cheerful countenance.
ويعرفand are known أخلاقُthe characters of الورىhumankind بسماعِهاby hearing them
ويعرف أخلاقُ الورى بسماعِها
وتبدىand they reveal لناto us المكنونwhat is concealed فيin السرِّsecret والجهرِand public
وتبدى لنا المكنون في السرِّ والجهرِ
And people's characters are known when these verses are heard,
and they reveal to us what is concealed, in secret and in public.
فَذرْنىso leave me وهَجْوىand my satire للمخالفِof the dissenter والذيand the one who
فَذرْنى وهَجْوى للمخالفِ والذي
يعنِّفُharshly rebukes أهلَthe people of العدلِjustice والدينand religion والذكرِand remembrance
يعنِّفُ أهلَ العدلِ والدين والذكرِ
So leave me to my satire of the dissenter and the one who
harshly rebukes the people of justice, religion, and remembrance.
سأطلقI shall unleash أَمْراسىmy ropes عليهupon him سوابقاًracing ahead
سأطلق أَمْراسى عليه سوابقاً
تفتتُshattering منهof him أَعْظُمَthe bones of الظهرِthe back والصدرِand the chest
تفتتُ منه أَعْظُمَ الظهرِ والصدرِ
I shall unleash my ropes upon him, racing ahead,
shattering the bones of his back and chest.
فأرسلهاso I send them سَهماas an arrow علىat أمِّthe crown of رأسهhis head
فأرسلها سَهما على أمِّ رأسه
فتهوِىso they plunge بهwith him سفلاًdownward إلىto أعمقthe deepest القَعْرِdepth
فتهوِى به سفلاً إلى أعمق القَعْرِ
So I send them as an arrow at the crown of his head,
and they send him plummeting down to the deepest abyss.
إذاwhen قرئتare recited يوماًone day لهto him وهوwhile he حاضرٌis present
إذا قرئت يوماً له وهو حاضرٌ
يقولُhe says لهمto them ياoh ليتنىif only I كنتُwere فيin القبرِthe grave
يقولُ لهم يا ليتنى كنتُ في القبرِ
When they are recited to him one day while he is present,
he says to them: "Oh, if only I were in the grave!"
وتعصفهمand buffet them عصفَthe buffeting of الرياحِthe winds بشدةfiercely
وتعصفهم عصفَ الرياحِ بشدة
فتتركهمso they leave them صَرْعىstruck down علىupon الأرضthe earth بالقَمْرِthrough overpowering
فتتركهم صَرْعى على الأرض بالقَمْرِ
And they buffet them fiercely, as winds do,
so they leave them struck down upon the earth, overpowered.
أحاطَhas engulfed بهمthem فيin دهرهمtheir lifetime سوءُthe evil of مكرهمtheir plotting
أحاطَ بهم في دهرهم سوءُ مكرهم
وأكثرand most ماwhat أغوتهمُled them astray نخوةُthe swagger of الكِبْرِarrogance
وأكثر ما أغوتهمُ نخوةُ الكِبْرِ
The evil of their plotting has engulfed them in their lifetime,
and what most led them astray was the swagger of arrogance.
ولوand had فكرواthey thought فيabout أمرهمtheir situation لتدبَّرُواthey would have reflected
ولو فكروا في أمرهم لتدبَّرُوا
ولكنهمbut they حَمْقَىare fools تعَامواwillfully blinded themselves عنto الفِكرِthought
ولكنهم حَمْقَى تعَاموا عن الفِكرِ
And had they thought about their situation, they would have reflected,
but they are fools who willfully blinded themselves to thought.
فتبّاًso ruin وخسراناًand loss لهمupon them ضلَّwent astray سعيُهمtheir striving
فتبّاً وخسراناً لهم ضلَّ سعيُهم
ودارتand turned عليهمagainst them دائراتٌcalamities مِنfrom الدهرِtime
ودارت عليهم دائراتٌ مِن الدهرِ
So ruin and loss upon them! Their striving has gone astray,
and the calamities of time have turned against them.
قدindeed استحوذَhas gained mastery الشيطانSatan جهلاthrough ignorance عليهمُover them
قد استحوذَ الشيطان جهلا عليهمُ
فأنساهُمُso he made them forget ذكرَremembrance of القيامةِJudgment Day والنشْرِand resurrection
فأنساهُمُ ذكرَ القيامةِ والنشْرِ
Satan has indeed gained mastery over them through ignorance,
so he made them forget remembrance of Judgment Day and resurrection.
فحادُواso they strayed وخانُواand betrayed واشرأبُّواand raised their heads وخالفواand dissented
فحادُوا وخانُوا واشرأبُّوا وخالفوا
وباتُواand spent the night ونامواand slept واستقامُواand remained steadfast علىin النُّكرِwrongdoing
وباتُوا وناموا واستقامُوا على النُّكرِ
So they strayed, betrayed, reared their heads, and dissented,
and spent the night, slept, and remained steadfast in wrongdoing.
فماso not نفعتهمbenefited them رأفةٌcompassion ولطافةٌand gentleness
فما نفعتهم رأفةٌ ولطافةٌ
وهلand does ينفعhelp المقباسُa torch فيin ظلمةِthe darkness of القبرِthe grave
وهل ينفع المقباسُ في ظلمةِ القبرِ
So compassion and gentleness did them no good;
and can a torch help in the darkness of the grave?
ولسْنَاand we are not نُبالىconcerned باللئامِwith the base وطعنهمand their attacks
ولسْنَا نُبالى باللئامِ وطعنهم
عليناagainst us وفيناwhile among us سيدُthe lord of البَدْوthe nomads والحضْرِand townsfolk
علينا وفينا سيدُ البَدْو والحضْرِ
And we care nothing for the base and their attacks
against us, while among us is the lord of nomads and townsfolk.
فذاكَfor that is إمامُthe imam of المسلمينthe Muslims بلعربٍBilʿarab
فذاكَ إمامُ المسلمين بلعربٍ
سلالةscion of سلطانSultan الفتىthe youth المرتضَىthe esteemed الذَّمْرthe valiant
سلالة سلطان الفتى المرتضَى الذَّمْر
For that is the Muslims' imam, Bilʿarab,
scion of Sultan, the esteemed and valiant youth.
جوادٌa generous man لهhe has كفٌّa hand إذاwhen انهلَّpours forth جودُهhis bounty
جوادٌ له كفٌّ إذا انهلَّ جودُه
علىupon الخلقcreation أغْناهمspares them the need عنfor الغيثِrain والقَطْرِand showers
على الخلق أغْناهم عن الغيثِ والقَطْرِ
Generous is he: when his hand's bounty pours
upon creation, it spares them the need for rain and showers.
أياديهhis favors لاnot تُحصىare counted عداداًin number وكثرةًand abundance
أياديه لا تُحصى عداداً وكثرةً
تجلُّare too great عنfor الإحصاءِenumeration والعدّand counting والحصرِand exhaustive reckoning
تجلُّ عن الإحصاءِ والعدّ والحصرِ
His favors are beyond reckoning in number and abundance;
they are too great for tallying, counting, and exhaustive reckoning.
يقيسونهthey compare him بالبحرِto the sea والبحرُyet the sea مالحُis salty
يقيسونه بالبحرِ والبحرُ مالحُ
وقدand indeed يصفونthey describe البحرthe sea بالمدِّby the flow والجزرِand the ebb
وقد يصفون البحر بالمدِّ والجزرِ
They compare him to the sea, yet the sea is salty,
and indeed, they describe the sea by its flow and ebb.
لهhis is الشرفُthe honor الأعلَىhighest علىabove كلevery باذخٍexalted one
له الشرفُ الأعلَى على كل باذخٍ
ولاand may not زالَcease فيin يسرٍease وقاليهand his hater فيin عُسرِhardship
ولا زالَ في يسرٍ وقاليه في عُسرِ
His is the highest honor, above every exalted one.
And may he ever remain in ease, and his hater in hardship.
ولاand may not زالَcease فيin مجدٍglory وعزٍّand might ورِفعةٍand eminence
ولا زالَ في مجدٍ وعزٍّ ورِفعةٍ
مدىthroughout العمرlife منصورَaided to victory الكتائبthe battalions بالنَّصرِby victory
مدى العمر منصورَ الكتائب بالنَّصرِ
And may he ever remain in glory, might, and eminence,
throughout his life, his battalions aided by victory.
ولاand may not زالَcease منwhoever والاهُis loyal to him فيin الأمنsafety راتعاًenjoying plenty
ولا زالَ من والاهُ في الأمن راتعاً
وأعداؤُهand his enemies فيin البُؤسِmisery والذُّلِّand humiliation والْخُسْرِand loss
وأعداؤُه في البُؤسِ والذُّلِّ والْخُسْرِ
And may whoever is loyal to him ever enjoy plenty in safety,
and his enemies remain in misery, humiliation, and loss.
إمامَO Imam of الهدىguidance خذهاtake them قوافىَrhymed verses ضمنتْhave contained
إمامَ الهدى خذها قوافىَ ضمنتْ
معانىَmeanings of محضِpure الودِّaffection والحمدِand praise والشُّكرِand gratitude
معانىَ محضِ الودِّ والحمدِ والشُّكرِ
Imam of guidance, accept these rhymed verses, which embody
meanings of pure affection, praise, and gratitude.
وعشْand live أبدfor the duration of الدنياthe world مليكاًas a king مخلّداًmade everlasting
وعشْ أبد الدنيا مليكاً مخلّداً
ودمْand endure وابقَand remain دهراًfor ages مالكَpossessing النهْىِthe power to forbid فيin الأمرِaffairs
ودمْ وابقَ دهراً مالكَ النهْىِ في الأمرِ
And live as an immortal king for as long as the world endures,
and endure and remain through the ages, wielding the power to forbid in affairs.