أَبا أَحمَدٍ شَتّانَ عِندَكَ ناشِرٌ

أَبا أَحمَدٍ شَتّانَ عِندَكَ ناشِرٌ

لِذَمِّكَ مِن تَحتِ القَريضِ وَحامِدُ

لِذَمِّكَ مِن تَحتِ القَريضِ وَحامِدُ

Abu Ahmad, how vast in your eyes is the gulf between one who spreads

O Abu Ahmad, how different in your eyes are one who spreads

censure of you under cover of verse, and one who sings your praise!

Censure of you from beneath verse, and one who praises.

خِلالُكَ لَو كُنتَ الخَليلَ قَبيحَةٌ

خِلالُكَ لَو كُنتَ الخَليلَ قَبيحَةٌ

وَطَبعُكَ لَو كُنتَ المُبَرِّدَ بارِدُ

وَطَبعُكَ لَو كُنتَ المُبَرِّدَ بارِدُ

Your traits—even were you al-Khalil—would still be ugly;

Your traits are ugly, even if you were al-Khalil;

your nature—even were you al-Mubarrad—would still be cold.

And your nature is cold, even if you were al-Mubarrid.

تَغالَطَ في النَحوِ الَّذي ما قَرَأتَهُ

تَغالَطَ في النَحوِ الَّذي ما قَرَأتَهُ

عَلى أَحَدٍ مِن أَهلِهِ وَتَكابَدُ

عَلى أَحَدٍ مِن أَهلِهِ وَتَكابَدُ

You quibble over grammar, though you have never studied it

You quibble over grammar, which you have not studied

under any of its masters, yet you strain and struggle.

Under any of its scholars, and you struggle.

سَأَبعَثُ هَجواً مِن أَهاجٍ نَبَحتُها

سَأَبعَثُ هَجواً مِن أَهاجٍ نَبَحتُها

لِعِرضِكَ تَحدوها إِلَيكَ القَصائِدُ

لِعِرضِكَ تَحدوها إِلَيكَ القَصائِدُ

I shall unleash a lampoon, one of the satires I have barked out,

I shall send satire from lampoons I have barked

against your honor; the poems shall drive it onward to you.

Against your honor; the odes drive them toward you.

فَعَيُّكَ حَيٌّ وَاِحتِجاجِكَ مَيِّتٌ

فَعَيُّكَ حَيٌّ وَاِحتِجاجِكَ مَيِّتٌ

وَجَهلُكَ يَقظانٌ وَعَقلُكَ راقِدُ

وَجَهلُكَ يَقظانٌ وَعَقلُكَ راقِدُ

For your inarticulacy is alive, while your argument is dead;

So your inarticulacy is alive, and your argument is dead;

your ignorance is awake, while your reason lies asleep.

And your ignorance is awake, and your intellect asleep.