عام وعام وعام زرت سَاحتَه

عام وعام وعام زرت سَاحتَه

ثم أنثنيت ولا شر ولا جود

ثم أنثنيت ولا شر ولا جود

Year after year after year, I visited his courtyard.

Year after year after year I visited his abode

Then I turned back, with neither harm nor bounty.

Then I turned away, no harm and no generosity

وعد ووعد ووعد منه يتبعه

وعد ووعد ووعد منه يتبعه

وعدٌ وليس بوعِد يورق العود

وعدٌ وليس بوعِد يورق العود

A promise, and a promise, and a promise from him, followed by

Promise and promise and promise follows it

A promise; no promise makes a branch put forth leaves.

A promise not a promise that makes the wood flourish

فكيف امدحه دأباً ويمنعني

فكيف امدحه دأباً ويمنعني

وكيف يلزمني في الأمر مفقود

وكيف يلزمني في الأمر مفقود

How, then, can I praise him continually while he withholds from me?

So how can I praise him constantly when he prevents me

And how can something absent bind me in this matter?

And how can he obligate me when the matter is lost

ويل أمها خطةٌ ويل أم قائلها

ويل أمها خطةٌ ويل أم قائلها

لمثلها خلق المُهرية القود

لمثلها خلق المُهرية القود

Woe to the mother of such a course! Woe to the mother of whoever voices it!

Woe to the one who outlines it, woe to the one who says it

For the likes of it the long-necked Mahri camels were created.

For the likes of it, the fuel was created for the pyre

إنْ لم أكافي مسيئاً عن إساءته

إنْ لم أكافي مسيئاً عن إساءته

فلم تلدني قحطان ولا هود

فلم تلدني قحطان ولا هود

If I do not repay a wrongdoer for his wrongdoing,

If I do not repay the evildoer for his evil

Then neither Qahtan nor Hud begot me.

Why then did Kahlan or Hud give birth to me

وما المنابر فخرٌ حين يركبها

وما المنابر فخرٌ حين يركبها

من قد رَكِبْنَ عليه الأعبد السود

من قد رَكِبْنَ عليه الأعبد السود

And pulpits are no source of pride when mounted by

And the pulpits are no pride when mounted

One whom black slaves have mounted.

By one who the black slaves mounted upon him

فلا يغرنك شيء من مقالته

فلا يغرنك شيء من مقالته

فالعيب منه وفيه العيب مردود

فالعيب منه وفيه العيب مردود

So let nothing in his speech deceive you.

So let nothing of his words deceive you

For the fault comes from him, and upon him the fault rebounds.

The fault is his and in him the fault returns

ومن مديحي في القاضي لقيت إذى

ومن مديحي في القاضي لقيت إذى

وكل مَنْ يمدحُ المعرود معرود

وكل مَنْ يمدحُ المعرود معرود

And through my praise of the judge I suffered harm.

And from my praise of the judge I suffered harm

And everyone who praises the buggered man is himself buggered.

And all who praise the accursed are accursed