أأنصف ممن طبعهم من مقابح

أأنصف ممن طبعهم من مقابح

ولم يعنهم مدحي ولم يؤذهم هجوى

ولم يعنهم مدحي ولم يؤذهم هجوى

Am I to be treated fairly by those whose nature is made of vices?

Is it fair of those whose nature is ugly

And my praise did not benefit them, nor did my satire hurt them.

That my praise does not help them, nor my satire harm them

نبيهم السكرباج والشيخ ربهم

نبيهم السكرباج والشيخ ربهم

وعزهم ذل الفقيه أو النحوى

وعزهم ذل الفقيه أو النحوى

Their prophet is sikarbāj stew, and the sheikh is their lord.

Their prophet is the wine-seller, their lord the sheikh

And their glory lies in the humiliation of the jurist or the grammarian.

Their pride is the humiliation of the jurist or the grammarian

فمن عجب أرجو من الشمس شربة

فمن عجب أرجو من الشمس شربة

وطال رشا الآمال حتى وهي داوى

وطال رشا الآمال حتى وهي داوى

How strange, then, that I hope for a draught from the sun!

So it is no wonder I hope for a drink from the sun

And the rope of hopes grew long, until [unclear] grew weak.

And the irrigation of hopes continues though it withers me