أُريكَ الرِضا لَو أَخفَتِ النَفسُ خافِيا

أُريكَ الرِضا لَو أَخفَتِ النَفسُ خافِيا

وَما أَنا عَن نَفسي وَلا عَنكَ راضِيا

وَما أَنا عَن نَفسي وَلا عَنكَ راضِيا

I would show you contentment, if the soul could hide a secret;

I show you contentment though the soul hides discontent,

I show you favor, though my soul conceals its hidden thought,

And I am content neither with myself nor with you.

And I'm not pleased with myself nor with you.

While I am satisfied neither with myself nor with you.

أَمَيناً وَإِخلافاً وَغَدراً وَخِسَّةً

أَمَيناً وَإِخلافاً وَغَدراً وَخِسَّةً

وَجُبناً أَشَخصاً لُحتَ لي أَم مَخازِيا

وَجُبناً أَشَخصاً لُحتَ لي أَم مَخازِيا

Lying, broken promises, treachery, and baseness,

Trustworthiness and treachery, deceit and meanness,

Is it falsehood, broken vows, treachery, and baseness,

And cowardice? Did you appear to me as a person, or as a collection of disgraces?

And cowardice stand out clear for me or play tricks.

And cowardice? Did a man appear to me, or embodied disgrace?

تَظُنُّ اِبتِساماتي رَجاءً وَغِبطَةً

تَظُنُّ اِبتِساماتي رَجاءً وَغِبطَةً

وَما أَنا إِلّا ضاحِكٌ مِن رَجائِيا

وَما أَنا إِلّا ضاحِكٌ مِن رَجائِيا

You take my smiles for hope and delight,

You think my smiles are hope and joy,

You mistake my smiles for hope and admiration,

And I am only laughing at my own hope.

Yet I'm just laughing at my own hopes.

When I am but laughing at the folly of my own desires.

وَتُعجِبُني رِجلاكَ في النَعلِ إِنَّني

وَتُعجِبُني رِجلاكَ في النَعلِ إِنَّني

رَأَيتُكَ ذا نَعلٍ إِذا كُنتَ حافِيا

رَأَيتُكَ ذا نَعلٍ إِذا كُنتَ حافِيا

And your feet in sandals amaze me; indeed, I

And I like your feet in shoes though I've seen you

Your feet amuse me when they are clad in sandals,

Have seen you wearing sandals even when you were barefoot.

Barefoot when you had no shoes.

For I saw you shod in thick skin even when you were barefoot.

وَإِنَّكَ لا تَدري أَلَونُكَ أَسوَدٌ

وَإِنَّكَ لا تَدري أَلَونُكَ أَسوَدٌ

مِنَ الجَهلِ أَم قَد صارَ أَبيَضَ صافِيا

مِنَ الجَهلِ أَم قَد صارَ أَبيَضَ صافِيا

And you do not know whether your color is black—

And you don't know if your color is black

And truly, you do not know if your color is black

Such is your ignorance—or has turned pure white.

From ignorance or turned purely white.

Out of sheer ignorance, or if it has become pure white.

وَيُذكِرُني تَخيِيطُ كَعبِكَ شَقَّهُ

وَيُذكِرُني تَخيِيطُ كَعبِكَ شَقَّهُ

وَمَشيَكَ في ثَوبٍ مِنَ الزَيتِ عارِيا

وَمَشيَكَ في ثَوبٍ مِنَ الزَيتِ عارِيا

And the stitching of your heel reminds me of its split,

And your heel's patch reminds me of your walk

The cracking of your heel reminds me of a torn seam,

And of your walking naked in a garment of oil.

In a dress of oil, naked.

And of your walk, naked, in a garment of greasy grime.

وَلَولا فُضولُ الناسِ جِئتُكَ مادِحاً

وَلَولا فُضولُ الناسِ جِئتُكَ مادِحاً

بِما كُنتُ في سِرّي بِهِ لَكَ هاجِيا

بِما كُنتُ في سِرّي بِهِ لَكَ هاجِيا

And were it not for people's meddling, I would come to you with praise,

And were it not for people's meddling, I would have come to you praising

Were it not for the meddling of crowds, I would have praised you

With the very words I secretly used to lampoon you.

What I kept secret for you, aroused.

With the very words I used to satirize you in secret.

فَأَصبَحتَ مَسروراً بِما أَنا مُنشِدٌ

فَأَصبَحتَ مَسروراً بِما أَنا مُنشِدٌ

وَإِن كانَ بِالإِنشادِ هَجوُكَ غالِيا

وَإِن كانَ بِالإِنشادِ هَجوُكَ غالِيا

So you would be pleased with what I recited,

So you're happy with my singing though my singing

Then you would have rejoiced at what I recited,

Though lampooning you in verse would be too costly.

Is expensive satire against you.

Even if the poem was brimming with your ridicule.

فَإِن كُنتَ لا خَيراً أَفَدتَ فَإِنَّني

فَإِن كُنتَ لا خَيراً أَفَدتَ فَإِنَّني

أَفَدتُ بِلَحظي مِشفَرَيكَ المَلاهِيا

أَفَدتُ بِلَحظي مِشفَرَيكَ المَلاهِيا

So if you have bestowed no good, then I

And if you brought no good, I brought

So if you have bestowed no good upon me, I have at least

Have gained amusement by gazing at your camel-lips.

My glances that entertained your playful eyes.

Profited by finding amusement in the sight of your coarse lips.

وَمِثلُكَ يُؤتى مِن بِلادٍ بَعيدَةٍ

وَمِثلُكَ يُؤتى مِن بِلادٍ بَعيدَةٍ

لِيُضحِكَ رَبّاتِ الحِدادِ البَواكِيا

لِيُضحِكَ رَبّاتِ الحِدادِ البَواكِيا

And one like you is brought from distant lands

And the like of you is brought from faraway lands

A creature like you is brought from distant lands

To make the weeping women in mourning laugh.

To make the ladies in mourning laugh through their tears.

To force a laugh from mourning women as they weep.