صَبَوتُ إِلى الآداب قَبل فطامي

صَبَوتُ إِلى الآداب قَبل فطامي

وَهمتُ بِها حَتّى بَلغت مَرامي

وَهمتُ بِها حَتّى بَلغت مَرامي

I fell in love with literature before I was weaned,

I inclined to literature before I was weaned,

and was enraptured by it until I attained my aim.

And I was preoccupied with it until I attained my wish.

فَكَم مِن فَريد في المَليح اِقترحتُه

فَكَم مِن فَريد في المَليح اِقترحتُه

عَلى فكرَتي في يَقظة وَمَنام

عَلى فكرَتي في يَقظة وَمَنام

How many a peerless work of beauty I have conceived

How many unique poems I composed in witticism,

in my mind, in waking and in sleep.

Occurring to my thoughts while awake and asleep.

وَكَم مِن قَصيد في المَديح اِبتدعتُه

وَكَم مِن قَصيد في المَديح اِبتدعتُه

بِأَبدَع لَفظ وَاِنسِجام كَلام

بِأَبدَع لَفظ وَاِنسِجام كَلام

And how many a poem of praise I have created

And how many eulogies I innovated in praise,

with the most exquisite wording and harmonious speech.

With the most eloquent diction and coherence of speech.

وَما لي بإِحياء الهجا قَطُّ عادة

وَما لي بإِحياء الهجا قَطُّ عادة

وَلا حدّثتني همتي بخصام

وَلا حدّثتني همتي بخصام

And reviving satire has never been a habit of mine,

I never had the habit of satirizing,

nor has my ambition spoken to me of strife.

Nor did my resolve discuss contention.

وَإِنّ غبيّ الذهن عرّض نَفسَه

وَإِنّ غبيّ الذهن عرّض نَفسَه

لِهذا البَلا مِن جَهله بِمَقامي

لِهذا البَلا مِن جَهله بِمَقامي

And indeed, a dull-witted man exposed himself

Yet an obtuse minded person exposed himself

to this affliction through his ignorance of my standing.

To this affliction out of ignorance of my stature.

فَأَنكرني وَالفَضل يعرف وَطأتي

فَأَنكرني وَالفَضل يعرف وَطأتي

وَحَسبي شَهيداً في العُلوم غَرامي

وَحَسبي شَهيداً في العُلوم غَرامي

So he denied my worth, though excellence knows my tread,

He denied me while merit recognizes my prominence,

and my passion for learning is witness enough for me.

My passion for knowledge suffices as a witness.

وَقَد ظَن أَني بِالكِتابة جاهلٌ

وَقَد ظَن أَني بِالكِتابة جاهلٌ

وَنجمي في الإنشا كَبَدرِ تَمام

وَنجمي في الإنشا كَبَدرِ تَمام

And he supposed that I was ignorant of writing,

And he thought I was ignorant in writing

while my star in prose composition is like the moon at its full.

While my star in prose is like the full moon.

فَإِن كانَ لِلتَحرير أَصبَح ناظِراً

فَإِن كانَ لِلتَحرير أَصبَح ناظِراً

فَقَد أَورَث التَحريرُ كُلَّ تعامي

فَقَد أَورَث التَحريرُ كُلَّ تعامي

So if he has become a supervisor of correspondence,

For if he were to become an observer of composition,

then correspondence has bequeathed him utter willful blindness.

Composition has bequeathed all my industry.

فَما صادِراً يَدري وَلا وارِداً لَهُ

فَما صادِراً يَدري وَلا وارِداً لَهُ

بِهِ خبرةٌ سل عَنهُ أَيّ غلام

بِهِ خبرةٌ سل عَنهُ أَيّ غلام

So he knows nothing of outgoing correspondence; as for incoming, he has

He knows not what flows from me nor what comes to him,

no knowledge of it—ask any boy about him.

Ask any boy about him, what lad!

وَما هُوَ إِلّا في الغَباوة

وَما هُوَ إِلّا في الغَباوة

وَلِلسوء يَسعى سَعيه لِطَعام

وَلِلسوء يَسعى سَعيه لِطَعام

And he is steeped in nothing but stupidity,

He is none other than confused,

and strives for evil as he strives for food.

His efforts are for evil, to obtain food.

وَيَقتحم الأَهوال في فعل رَيبة

وَيَقتحم الأَهوال في فعل رَيبة

بِضوء نهار أَو بجنح ظَلام

بِضوء نهار أَو بجنح ظَلام

And he plunges into perils to commit a suspect deed,

And he boldly commits abhorrent deeds in daylight

in the light of day or under the cover of darkness.

Or under the cover of darkness.

وَيَطغى إِذا اِستَغنى وَكَم مِن صَنيعة

وَيَطغى إِذا اِستَغنى وَكَم مِن صَنيعة

أَضاع وَلَم يَسمَح بردّ سَلام

أَضاع وَلَم يَسمَح بردّ سَلام

And he grows tyrannical when rich; how many a kindness

He becomes tyrannical when he becomes self-sufficient, and how much graft

he has squandered, unwilling even to return a greeting.

He wasted without allowing a greeting of peace.

وَلما اِعتَدى في السَبت جوزي بمسخة

وَلما اِعتَدى في السَبت جوزي بمسخة

عَلى مَسخة مِن بَعد دق عظام

عَلى مَسخة مِن بَعد دق عظام

And when he transgressed on the Sabbath, he was punished with one monstrous transformation

And when he transgressed on Saturday, his punishment was transfiguration,

upon another, after his bones were crushed.

Upon transfiguration after the crumbling of his bones.

وَبالغ في الإضرار بِالناس فَاِنتَهى

وَبالغ في الإضرار بِالناس فَاِنتَهى

بِهِ أَمرُه لِلطَرد أَوّل عام

بِهِ أَمرُه لِلطَرد أَوّل عام

And he went to extremes in harming people, so

And he exceeded in harming people so his matter concluded

his course led him to dismissal in the first year.

With his expulsion in the first year.

فَما صانَ وَجهاً كَالكِرام لِأَنَّهُ

فَما صانَ وَجهاً كَالكِرام لِأَنَّهُ

لَئيمٌ مهين مِن نتاج لئام

لَئيمٌ مهين مِن نتاج لئام

So he did not save face like noble men, for he is

He spared no face like the generous for he

base and contemptible, the offspring of base men.

Is despicable, disgraced, from the progeny of scoundrels.

وَقَد كانَ عِندَ العَزل يُرسل دَمعَه

وَقَد كانَ عِندَ العَزل يُرسل دَمعَه

عَلى أَرض خدّيه كقطر غمام

عَلى أَرض خدّيه كقطر غمام

And at his dismissal he let his tears flow

And when he was fired, he would send his tears

over the ground of his cheeks like rain from clouds.

Down his cheeks like drops of rainclouds.

وَما كانَ هَذا النوح مِنهُ تَأسُّفاً

وَما كانَ هَذا النوح مِنهُ تَأسُّفاً

على نعمة زالَت وَأَكل حَرام

على نعمة زالَت وَأَكل حَرام

And this wailing of his was not in grief

This weeping was not from remorse

over a blessing lost and the eating of forbidden food,

Over a departed bounty or illicit consumption.

وَلَكن لِبعد واِحتجاب عَن الأَذى

وَلَكن لِبعد واِحتجاب عَن الأَذى

وَعَن مَنع إِحسان وَنَقض ذمام

وَعَن مَنع إِحسان وَنَقض ذمام

but over being distanced and barred from doing harm,

Rather for the distance and isolation from harm

and from withholding kindness and breaking pledges.

And prevention of benevolence and breach of reins.

وَكُنا اِستَرَحنا مِنهُ يَوماً وَلَيلة

وَكُنا اِستَرَحنا مِنهُ يَوماً وَلَيلة

وَقُلنا سَقاه اللَه كَأس حمام

وَقُلنا سَقاه اللَه كَأس حمام

And we had found relief from him for a day and a night,

We felt relieved from him for a day and night,

and said, “May God make him drink the cup of death!”

And we said, "May God quench him with the cup of oblivion."

فَعادَ عَلى الأَعقاب بِالمكر والدَّها

فَعادَ عَلى الأَعقاب بِالمكر والدَّها

وَجرّد لِلأَضرار كُلَّ حسام

وَجرّد لِلأَضرار كُلَّ حسام

Then he turned back on his heels through cunning and guile,

But he returned spitefully and cunningly

and unsheathed every keen sword to do harm.

And unleashed every sword for injury.

وَأَقسم لا يَنفك عَن أَكل رمة

وَأَقسم لا يَنفك عَن أَكل رمة

وَلَو مزقت أَعضاؤه بِسهام

وَلَو مزقت أَعضاؤه بِسهام

And he swore never to stop eating carrion,

He swore to never desist from consuming illegitimate gain

even if his limbs were torn apart by arrows;

Even if his limbs were torn by arrows.

وَأَن لا يَرى في داره وَهوَ موسرٌ

وَأَن لا يَرى في داره وَهوَ موسرٌ

سِوى جائع بَينَ العِيال وَظامي

سِوى جائع بَينَ العِيال وَظامي

and that in his house, though wealthy, he would see none

That he would never see in his household, while affluent,

but the hungry and thirsty among his dependents;

Anything but a starving one among his dependents and guest.

وَأَن لا يصلّي مطلقاً وَهوَ طاهر

وَأَن لا يصلّي مطلقاً وَهوَ طاهر

وَأَن لا يؤدّي عَنهُ فَرض صيام

وَأَن لا يؤدّي عَنهُ فَرض صيام

and that he would never pray while ritually pure,

That he would never pray, ever, while pure

and that he would not discharge his obligation to fast;

Nor fulfill the duty of fasting on his behalf.

وَأَن لا يحج البيت إِلّا إِذا اِرتَشى

وَأَن لا يحج البيت إِلّا إِذا اِرتَشى

بِمال يَتيم أَوبوقف إِمام

بِمال يَتيم أَوبوقف إِمام

and that he would not make pilgrimage to the House unless he took a bribe

That he would only make pilgrimage if bribed

from an orphan's wealth or an imam's endowment.

With an orphan's money or an imam's endowment.

أَلم يَخشَ يَوم الدين إِن كانَ آخِذاً

أَلم يَخشَ يَوم الدين إِن كانَ آخِذاً

عَلى زَعمه مِن دَهره بِزمام

عَلى زَعمه مِن دَهره بِزمام

Did he not fear the Day of Judgment, if he held

Did he not fear the Day of Faith if he was holding

the reins of his fate, as he claims?

By his claim, the reins of his world?

فَتباً لَهُ مِن مُجرم ضاع عُمره

فَتباً لَهُ مِن مُجرم ضاع عُمره

هَباء وَلَم يَعمل لِحُسن خِتام

هَباء وَلَم يَعمل لِحُسن خِتام

So woe to him, a criminal whose life was wasted

So away with him, what a criminal whose life was lost

like scattered dust, and who did nothing to secure a good end.

Futilely, and did not work for a good end.