يا اِبنَ الزُرَيشِيِّ ما زُرَيشِ

يا اِبنَ الزُرَيشِيِّ ما زُرَيشِ

قُل لي وَمَن جَدُّكَ الزُرَيشي

قُل لي وَمَن جَدُّكَ الزُرَيشي

O son of al-Zurayshi, what is Zuraysh?

O son of Zureishi, what is Zureish

Tell me—and who is your grandfather al-Zurayshi?

Tell me, who is your ancestor Zureishi

وَأَنتَ مِثلُ اليَهودِ خُبثاً

وَأَنتَ مِثلُ اليَهودِ خُبثاً

خُلِقتَ مِن ريبَةٍ وَفُحشِ

خُلِقتَ مِن ريبَةٍ وَفُحشِ

And you are like the Jews in wickedness,

And you are like the Jews in wickedness

created from suspicion and obscenity.

Created from suspicion and obscenity

أَحقَرُ مِن بَقَّةٍ وَأَجفى

أَحقَرُ مِن بَقَّةٍ وَأَجفى

خَلائِقاً مِن حِمارِ وَحشِ

خَلائِقاً مِن حِمارِ وَحشِ

More contemptible than a bedbug, and coarser

More despicable than a hyena and more spiteful

in temperament than a wild ass.

In nature than a wild donkey

مُجتَمِعٌ فيكَ كُلُّ شُؤمٍ

مُجتَمِعٌ فيكَ كُلُّ شُؤمٍ

وَكُلُّ لُؤمٍ وَكُلُّ غُشِّ

وَكُلُّ لُؤمٍ وَكُلُّ غُشِّ

All ill fortune is gathered in you,

Every misfortune is gathered in you

and all baseness and all deceit.

And every villainy and every deception

غَيرُ لَبيبٍ وَلا أَريبٍ

غَيرُ لَبيبٍ وَلا أَريبٍ

وَلا مَليحِ الكَلامِ هَشِّ

وَلا مَليحِ الكَلامِ هَشِّ

Neither intelligent nor discerning,

Neither intelligent, nor perceptive

nor pleasant in speech or affable.

Nor eloquent in speech, slack

فَمَخبَرٌ لِلقُلوبِ يُدوي

فَمَخبَرٌ لِلقُلوبِ يُدوي

وَمَنظَرٌ لِلعُيونِ يُعشي

وَمَنظَرٌ لِلعُيونِ يُعشي

So, an inner nature that sickens hearts,

A matter that grieves hearts and

and an appearance that dims the eyes.

A sight that blinds eyes

يُصبِحُ لِلناسِ مِنهُ وَجهٌ

يُصبِحُ لِلناسِ مِنهُ وَجهٌ

كَأَنَّهُ وَجهُ مُردَقِشِّ

كَأَنَّهُ وَجهُ مُردَقِشِّ

Each morning a face of his appears to people,

A face that people wake up to in the morning

as though it were the face of Murdaqish.

As if it were the face of Murdaqish

ما فيهِ خَيرٌ وَلا حَياءٌ

ما فيهِ خَيرٌ وَلا حَياءٌ

فَلا يُغَدّي وَلا يُعَشّي

فَلا يُغَدّي وَلا يُعَشّي

There is no goodness in him, nor any sense of shame,

No good or shame in it

so he provides neither lunch nor supper.

So it neither has breakfast nor dinner

وَجهٌ يَقولُ الَّذي يَراهُ

وَجهٌ يَقولُ الَّذي يَراهُ

ما أَحسَنَ الدودَ فيهِ يَمشي

ما أَحسَنَ الدودَ فيهِ يَمشي

A face whose beholder says:

A face that whoever sees it says

"How lovely the worms look, crawling in it!"

How nice is the worm walking on it

لَهُ قُرونٌ لَوِ اِستَقامَت

لَهُ قُرونٌ لَوِ اِستَقامَت

طولاً لَجازَت بَناتِ نَعشِ

طولاً لَجازَت بَناتِ نَعشِ

He has horns which, if they stood straight,

It has horns that if they were straight

would in length reach beyond the Daughters of the Bier.

In length, they would exceed the biers of Nash

مُشَوَّهٌ خِلقَةً وَخُلقاً

مُشَوَّهٌ خِلقَةً وَخُلقاً

ما فيهِ لِلخَيرِ مِن مِخَشِّ

ما فيهِ لِلخَيرِ مِن مِخَشِّ

Deformed in body and in character,

Distorted in physique and manners

goodness has no way into him.

No trace of goodness in it

لِحيَةُ تَيسٍ وَوَجهُ قِردٍ

لِحيَةُ تَيسٍ وَوَجهُ قِردٍ

وَعَينُ ثَورٍ وَرَأسُ كَبشِ

وَعَينُ ثَورٍ وَرَأسُ كَبشِ

A he-goat's beard and a monkey's face,

A goat's beard and a monkey's face

and a bull's eye and a ram's head.

And a bull's eye and a ram's head

يا لَيتَ شِعري بِأَيِّ عَقلٍ

يا لَيتَ شِعري بِأَيِّ عَقلٍ

وَأَيِّ ما قُوَّةٍ وَبَطشِ

وَأَيِّ ما قُوَّةٍ وَبَطشِ

Ah, would that I knew with what sense,

Oh, I wish I knew what mind

and with what strength and force,

And what power and might

هَيَّجتَ مِنّي عَليكَ رَقشاً

هَيَّجتَ مِنّي عَليكَ رَقشاً

مِنَ القَوافي وَأَيَّ رَقشِ

مِنَ القَوافي وَأَيَّ رَقشِ

you roused from me, against yourself, speckled serpents

Has provoked me against you pieces

of rhyme—and what speckled serpents!

Of poetry, and what pieces

فَاِذهَب بِعِرضٍ أَبقَت أَفاعي ال

فَاِذهَب بِعِرضٍ أَبقَت أَفاعي ال

هِجاءِ فيهِ نُدوبَ نَهشِ

هِجاءِ فيهِ نُدوبَ نَهشِ

So depart with a reputation on which the vipers of

So go away with a reputation that the snakes of

satire have left the scars of their bites,

Satire have left in it bite scars

مُمَزَّقٍ لَم تَدَع سِهامِيَ

مُمَزَّقٍ لَم تَدَع سِهامِيَ

لِلذَمِّ فيهِ مَكانَ خَدشٍ

لِلذَمِّ فيهِ مَكانَ خَدشٍ

torn to shreds—my arrows have not left

Tattered, my arrows of blame

a spot in it for censure to scratch.

Have not left in it a place for scratching