لاmay not فَتَحَopen اللَهُGod عَلىfor فَتحِFath
لا فَتَحَ اللَهُ عَلى فَتحِ
باباa door مِنَof الرُشدِright guidance أَوor النُجحِsuccess
بابا مِنَ الرُشدِ أَو النُجحِ
May God not open for Fath
a door to right guidance or success.
فَإِنَّهُfor he is السِفلَةُthe basest بَينَamong الوَرىhumankind
فَإِنَّهُ السِفلَةُ بَينَ الوَرى
أَنساهُمُthe most forgetful of them لِلخُبزِof bread وَالمِلحِand salt
أَنساهُمُ لِلخُبزِ وَالمِلحِ
For he is the basest among humankind,
the most forgetful of bread and salt.
أَقَلُّthe least ماthat which قاسَيتُI suffered مِنfrom مَطلِهِhis stalling
أَقَلُّ ما قاسَيتُ مِن مَطلِهِ
أَكثَرُthe most ماthat which يَبلُغُهُreaches it شَرحيmy account
أَكثَرُ ما يَبلُغُهُ شَرحي
The least I have suffered from his stalling
is the utmost my account can convey.
فَلاso may not رَعاهُprotect him اللَهُGod مِنas a ساقِطٍwretch
فَلا رَعاهُ اللَهُ مِن ساقِطٍ
لاnot يَعرِفُdistinguishes الهَجوَsatire مِنَfrom المَدحِpraise
لا يَعرِفُ الهَجوَ مِنَ المَدحِ
So may God not protect him, the wretch
who cannot tell satire from praise.