لَحى اللَهُ شَيبانَ إِن صَحَّ أَنَّ

لَحى اللَهُ شَيبانَ إِن صَحَّ أَنَّ

أَبا خالِدٍ بَعضُ ذُرِّيَّتِه

أَبا خالِدٍ بَعضُ ذُرِّيَّتِه

May God curse Shayban, if it is true that

May God grace Sheyban's white hair, if true be

Abu Khalid is one of his descendants.

That Abu Khalid's offspring in part descends from him!

فَبُعداً لِمَن هُوَ سِرٌّ لَهُ

فَبُعداً لِمَن هُوَ سِرٌّ لَهُ

وَسُحقاً لِمَن هُوَ مِن أُسرَتِه

وَسُحقاً لِمَن هُوَ مِن أُسرَتِه

So away with whoever is his noble stock,

So, far from me whoever is his secret ally,

and perdition to whoever belongs to his family.

And shattered be whoever of his house pretends!

فَما الكَلبُ عِندي أَخَسُّ أَباً

فَما الكَلبُ عِندي أَخَسُّ أَباً

مِنَ اِبنِ الخَطيبِ عَلى خِسَّتِه

مِنَ اِبنِ الخَطيبِ عَلى خِسَّتِه

For a dog, to my mind, is no baser in parentage

For no dog is more despicable in my eyes

than Ibn al-Khatib, for all its baseness.

Than Ibn al-Khatib, for all his baseness.

لَقَد رُمِيَ الناسُ مِن خُلقِهِ ال

لَقَد رُمِيَ الناسُ مِن خُلقِهِ ال

ذَميمِ بِأَقبَحَ مِن صورَتِه

ذَميمِ بِأَقبَحَ مِن صورَتِه

Indeed, people have been assailed by his character,

People are made by his malignant nature to suffer

vile and uglier than his appearance.

Evils fouler than his ugliness.

وَقَد سَرَّني اليَومَ أَنّي رَأيتُ

وَقَد سَرَّني اليَومَ أَنّي رَأيتُ

نُهوضَ النَعامَةِ في نُصرَتِه

نُهوضَ النَعامَةِ في نُصرَتِه

And today I was delighted to see

Joyous am I today for having seen

al-Naʿāma (the Ostrich) rise to his defense.

The ostrich rise up in his defence,

فَأَيقَنتُ أَنَّ رِداءَ النُحوسِ

فَأَيقَنتُ أَنَّ رِداءَ النُحوسِ

سَيَشمَلُهُ وَهوَ في كُفَّتِه

سَيَشمَلُهُ وَهوَ في كُفَّتِه

So I knew for certain that the cloak of ill omens

For I knew his mantle of misfortune

would enfold him, with him in its hem.

Would enclose him while he held it in his grasp.

وَأُقسِمُ لَو أَنَّ كِسرى قُبا

وَأُقسِمُ لَو أَنَّ كِسرى قُبا

دَ أَمسى النَعامَةُ مِن شيعَتِه

دَ أَمسى النَعامَةُ مِن شيعَتِه

And I swear, if Kisra Qubad

And I swear, had the ostrich Qubaad

had al-Naʿāma among his followers,

By evening joined his followers,

لَأَرداهُ مِن شُؤمِ خِذلانِهِ ال

لَأَرداهُ مِن شُؤمِ خِذلانِهِ ال

مُبيرِ وَأَعداهُ مِن حُرفَتِه

مُبيرِ وَأَعداهُ مِن حُرفَتِه

he would doom him through the ill luck of his

I would have cleansed him of his infamous disgrace

deadly desertion, and infect him with his ill fortune.

And returned him to his proper craft.

فَما الصِلُّ أَخبَثُ مِن طَبعِهِ

فَما الصِلُّ أَخبَثُ مِن طَبعِهِ

وَلا البومُ أَشأَمُ مِن طَلعَتِه

وَلا البومُ أَشأَمُ مِن طَلعَتِه

For no asp is more malignant than his nature,

For no fox is more wicked than his nature

nor are owls more ill-omened than his face.

Nor any owl more baleful than his outsprung twig.

فَقُل لِلنَعامَةِ فَرخِ اللِئامِ

فَقُل لِلنَعامَةِ فَرخِ اللِئامِ

وَمَن عُجِنَ اللُؤمُ في طينَتِه

وَمَن عُجِنَ اللُؤمُ في طينَتِه

So tell al-Naʿāma, spawn of the base,

Say to the ostrich, to that coward's chick,

and one into whose clay baseness was kneaded,

Kneaded of baseness in his clay,

وَمَن تَنفُرُ الجِنُّ مِن وَجهِهِ

وَمَن تَنفُرُ الجِنُّ مِن وَجهِهِ

وَتَخشى المَكارِهِ مِن وَجنَتَه

وَتَخشى المَكارِهِ مِن وَجنَتَه

and one from whose face the jinn recoil

From whose face the demons flee in horror

and dread calamities from his cheek;

And dread the evil of his glance,

وَمَن قيمَةُ الكَلبِ أَغلى وَقَد

وَمَن قيمَةُ الكَلبِ أَغلى وَقَد

أَثِمتُ مَعَ الكَلبِ مِن قيمَتِه

أَثِمتُ مَعَ الكَلبِ مِن قيمَتِه

and one worth less than a dog—and I have

Whose worth the hound outweighs—and I have sinned

wronged the dog in comparing its worth with his;

By equating him in worth with hounds—

وَمَن يَستَعيذُ نَكيرٌ غَداً

وَمَن يَستَعيذُ نَكيرٌ غَداً

إِذا ضَمَّهُ القَبرُ مِن نَكهَتِه

إِذا ضَمَّهُ القَبرُ مِن نَكهَتِه

and one from whom Nakir will seek refuge tomorrow,

Whom the tomb will enclose tomorrow and its stench

when the grave enfolds him, because of his breath;

Appall Nakir when it wraps him in its folds,

وَمَن يَسخَرُ الناسُ مِن رَأيِهِ

وَمَن يَسخَرُ الناسُ مِن رَأيِهِ

وَتَنبو النَواظِرُ عَن رُؤيَتِه

وَتَنبو النَواظِرُ عَن رُؤيَتِه

and one whose opinions people mock,

Whom people deride for his foolish views

and from whose sight eyes turn away:

And sight avoids beholding his visage,

ثَكِلتُكَ أَيَّ جَميلٍ رَأَي

ثَكِلتُكَ أَيَّ جَميلٍ رَأَي

تَ مِن ذَلِكَ النَذلَ في صُحبَتِه

تَ مِن ذَلِكَ النَذلَ في صُحبَتِه

May I be bereaved of you! What kindness have you seen

Accursed creature! What fair sight remains

from that scoundrel in his company?

For one who keeps such vile company?

وَهَل مَن يُعاشِرُ ذاكَ المَهي

وَهَل مَن يُعاشِرُ ذاكَ المَهي

نَ في الأَرضِ أَخسَرُ مِن صَفقَتِه

نَ في الأَرضِ أَخسَرُ مِن صَفقَتِه

And for one who consorts with that contemptible man,

Does one who shares the life of that poltroon

is there a more losing bargain on earth than his?

Lose more upon this earth or profit?

مَتى صِرتَ تَعرِفُ حَقَّ الصَديقِ

مَتى صِرتَ تَعرِفُ حَقَّ الصَديقِ

عَليكَ وَتُجمِلُ في عِشرَتِه

عَليكَ وَتُجمِلُ في عِشرَتِه

Since when have you recognized a friend's rights

Since when have you known the rights of a true friend

over you, and treated him well in companionship?

And graced the circle of his company,

وَما زِلتَ تَبحَثُ عَن عَيبِهِ

وَما زِلتَ تَبحَثُ عَن عَيبِهِ

وَتَنحِتُ في الغَيبِ عَن أَثلَتِه

وَتَنحِتُ في الغَيبِ عَن أَثلَتِه

You have never ceased searching for his faults

Yet cease not seeking out his faults

and hacking at his tree of honor behind his back.

And prying after his defects, unseen?

وَهَل أَنتَ إِلّا صَديقُ الرَخاءِ

وَهَل أَنتَ إِلّا صَديقُ الرَخاءِ

وَعونٌ عَلى المَرءِ في شِدَّتِه

وَعونٌ عَلى المَرءِ في شِدَّتِه

Are you anything but a friend in prosperity,

Are you not the friend only of fair weather,

and a helper against a man in his hardship?

Aiding a man in his adversity?

وَقَد كُنتَ تَغشاه في دارِهِ

وَقَد كُنتَ تَغشاه في دارِهِ

كَثيراً وَتَأكُكُ مِن سُفرَتِه

كَثيراً وَتَأكُكُ مِن سُفرَتِه

And you used to visit him in his house

Full oft you visited his house

often, and eat from his table.

And fed upon his fare.

فَقُل لي بِمَن يَدفَعُ الصالِحا

فَقُل لي بِمَن يَدفَعُ الصالِحا

تِ عَنكَ وَيُقصيكَ مِن رَحمَتِه

تِ عَنكَ وَيُقصيكَ مِن رَحمَتِه

So tell me, by Him who keeps good things

So tell me, who repels the good deeds

from you and casts you far from His mercy:

And cuts you off from His mercy?

رَأَيتَ عَلى أَحَدٍ نِعمَةً

رَأَيتَ عَلى أَحَدٍ نِعمَةً

أَخَسَّ وَأَقذَرَ مِن نِعمَتِه

أَخَسَّ وَأَقذَرَ مِن نِعمَتِه

Have you seen anyone with a blessing

Have you ever seen a favour

baser and filthier than his?

More despicable and sordid than his boon?

وَهَل مَقَلَت قَبلَهُ مُقلَتا

وَهَل مَقَلَت قَبلَهُ مُقلَتا

كَ أَدنى وَأَسقَطَ مِن هِمَّتِه

كَ أَدنى وَأَسقَطَ مِن هِمَّتِه

And have your two eyes, before him, beheld

Has any blinkard before him blinked dimmer,

anything lower and baser than his ambition,

Or fallen lower from ambition?

وَأَنزَرَ في الفَضلِ مِن حَظِّهِ

وَأَنزَرَ في الفَضلِ مِن حَظِّهِ

وَأَغزَرَ في الجَهلِ مِن ديمَتِه

وَأَغزَرَ في الجَهلِ مِن ديمَتِه

and scantier in merit than his share,

Gotten less of virtue or more of ignorance

and more copious in ignorance than his steady rain,

Poured forth from his tap?

وَأَطوَعَ مِنهُ لِغِلمانِهِ اِن

وَأَطوَعَ مِنهُ لِغِلمانِهِ اِن

قِياداً وَأَليَنَ مِن حُرمَتِه

قِياداً وَأَليَنَ مِن حُرمَتِه

and more obedient than he to his boys in

Or been more pliant to his serving boys—

submission, and more yielding than his honor?

More spineless 'neath their leading-string?

فَيا رَبِّ جازِ أَبا خالِدٍ

فَيا رَبِّ جازِ أَبا خالِدٍ

بِما باتَ يُضمِرُ في نِيَّتِه

بِما باتَ يُضمِرُ في نِيَّتِه

So, O Lord, requite Abu Khalid

Then, O Lord, reward Abu Khalid

for what he harbors in his intentions through the night.

For the thoughts he harbours in his breast,

وَحَقِق دَعاويهِ في نَفسِهِ

وَحَقِق دَعاويهِ في نَفسِهِ

وَمَكِّن يَدَ الفَقرِ مِن ثَروَتِه

وَمَكِّن يَدَ الفَقرِ مِن ثَروَتِه

And make his claims come true in his own person,

And fulfill against himself the imprecations

and give poverty's hand power over his wealth.

He invokes, and strip his wealth entire,

فَما الحَليُ يَلبَسُهُ الغانِياتُ

فَما الحَليُ يَلبَسُهُ الغانِياتُ

بِأَبهى وَأَحسَنَ مِن عُتلَتِه

بِأَبهى وَأَحسَنَ مِن عُتلَتِه

For the jewelry that lovely women wear

For the jewels he wears are not so fair

is no more splendid or beautiful than his crowbar.

As the perdition of his wretchedness!