وَناصِحٍ أَسرف في النَكيرِ

وَناصِحٍ أَسرف في النَكيرِ

يَقولُ لي سُدتَ بِلا نَظيرِ

يَقولُ لي سُدتَ بِلا نَظيرِ

A well-wisher went too far in his rebuke,

A harsh critic rebuked me beyond measure

Saying to me, 'You have attained eminence without a peer;

Saying, "You have composed peerless verse!"

فَكَيفَ صُغتَ الهَجو في حَقير

فَكَيفَ صُغتَ الهَجو في حَقير

مِقدارُهُ أَقَلُّ من نَقيرِ

مِقدارُهُ أَقَلُّ من نَقيرِ

How, then, did you compose satire against a contemptible man

"How could you satirize one so lowly?

Whose worth is less than a tiny dimple in a date stone?'

He is lesser than a speck of dust!"

فَقُلتُ لا تنكر وَكُن عَذيري

فَقُلتُ لا تنكر وَكُن عَذيري

كَم صارِمٍ جُرِّبَ في خَنزيرِ

كَم صارِمٍ جُرِّبَ في خَنزيرِ

So I said, 'Do not object, and be my defender:

I replied, "Do not condemn me, excuse me instead.

Many a sharp sword has been tested on a pig.'

Many a sharp sword has been tried on a pig."