عيوبٌ لابن مالكَ قد كفَتنى

عيوبٌ لابن مالكَ قد كفَتنى

عَناءَ الذمِّ فيه والأهاجى

عَناءَ الذمِّ فيه والأهاجى

Ibn Malik's faults have spared me

Faults of Ibn Malik have wearied me

the trouble of censuring him and composing lampoons.

Of blaming him or railing bitterly.

بلى قالوا له جارٌ جرىءٌ

بلى قالوا له جارٌ جرىءٌ

على نِسوان عمال الخراجِ

على نِسوان عمال الخراجِ

Yes, they say he has a neighbor who is bold

Nay, some have charged that he, a neighbor, dared

with the wives of the land-tax officials.

To flirt with women who collect the tax;

وليس بطالبٍ منهنّ شيأ

وليس بطالبٍ منهنّ شيأ

سوى طلب الديوك من الدَّجاجِ

سوى طلب الديوك من الدَّجاجِ

And he seeks nothing from them

He seeks from them but what a rooster takes

but what roosters seek from hens.

From hens—just eggs, and nothing else in fact.

له رمحٌ بأسفلِ حالبيْهِ

له رمحٌ بأسفلِ حالبيْهِ

يجيد الطعنَ في يوم الهياجِ

يجيد الطعنَ في يوم الهياجِ

He has a spear at the base of his two ureters;

Below his robes a spear concealed does rest

he excels at thrusting on the day of frenzy.

Well skilled to thrust in any fierce attack.

وقد نقَهتْ عليه عِرسُ يحيَى

وقد نقَهتْ عليه عِرسُ يحيَى

على وجه التداوى والعلاجِ

على وجه التداوى والعلاجِ

And Yahya's wife has recovered upon it,

And cures for him the healer Yahya sought

by way of healing and treatment,

To heal and help what maladies he lacked,

لأنَّ بها على ما قيل يَبْسا

لأنَّ بها على ما قيل يَبْسا

وأنّ صديقَها رطبُ المِزاجِ

وأنّ صديقَها رطبُ المِزاجِ

because she has dryness, so it is said,

Since, so they say, from wetness he does suffer,

and her friend is moist in temperament.

While his friend is quite blessed with moist in tact.

فحاز النَّيكَ رِحْمٌ فيلسوفٌ

فحاز النَّيكَ رِحْمٌ فيلسوفٌ

ببرهانٍ صحيحٍ واحتجاجِ

ببرهانٍ صحيحٍ واحتجاجِ

Thus a philosophical womb won a fuck,

So in the end our wise philosopher

by sound proof and argument.

By valid logic his good name extracted.

فلا تفْرِر بها شرقا وغربا

فلا تفْرِر بها شرقا وغربا

فما أحدٌ من الحدثانِ ناجِ

فما أحدٌ من الحدثانِ ناجِ

So do not flee with her eastward and westward,

Then spread no tales of him through east and west

for no one escapes the vicissitudes of time.

For no newcomer leaves a hero sacked.