غَياثُGhiyath قَدindeed زادَhas increased تَمَصبَطرُمُهhis pomposity
غَياثُ قَد زادَ تَمَصبَطرُمُه
وَصارَand he has come to لاnot يُكرِمُhe honors مَنwhoever يَكرِمُهhonors him
وَصارَ لا يُكرِمُ مَن يَكرِمُه
Ghiyath's pomposity has grown,
His arrogance has grown, and he no longer honors those who honor him.
And he no longer honors those who honor him.
By God, the old man has no faults,
شَيخٌan old man لَعَمريby my life ماnot لَهُhe has آفَةٌa bane
شَيخٌ لَعَمري ما لَهُ آفَةٌ
فيin صَفعِهِslapping him بِالنَعلِwith a sandal إِلّاexcept فَمُهhis mouth
في صَفعِهِ بِالنَعلِ إِلّا فَمُه
An old man—by my life, his only bane
Except for his mouth when he lashes with his slipper.
When slapped with a sandal is his mouth.
If he were to rip his honor to shreds
لَوif قَطَّعَcut to pieces قَفاthe nape عِرضِهِhis honor
لَو قَطَّعَ قَفا عِرضِهِ
بِالهَجوِwith satire ماnot خَلَّصَهُsaved him دِرهَمُهhis dirham
بِالهَجوِ ما خَلَّصَهُ دِرهَمُه
If one shredded the nape of his honor
With insults, his money would not save him.
With satire, his dirham would not save him.
He recites to us from his wretched poetry what -
يُنشِدُناhe recites to us مِنfrom شِعرِهِhis poetry الغَثِّfeeble ماwhat
يُنشِدُنا مِن شِعرِهِ الغَثِّ ما
إِنif سيلَhe is asked عَنabout مَعناهُits meaning لاnot يَفهَمُهhe understands it
إِن سيلَ عَن مَعناهُ لا يَفهَمُه
He recites to us from his feeble verse what
If the flow strayed from its meaning - would not be understood.
He does not understand if asked about its meaning.
The height of ignorance is when the youth
وَغايَةُand the height الجَهلِignorance دُخولُentering الفَتىthe young man
وَغايَةُ الجَهلِ دُخولُ الفَتى
بِنَفسِهِon his own فيinto غَيرِother than ماwhat يَعلَمُهhe knows
بِنَفسِهِ في غَيرِ ما يَعلَمُه
And the height of ignorance is a young man's venturing
Thrusts himself into what he does not know.
On his own into what he does not know.
Partial English translation: 9 of 10 Arabic lines translated.