ألا طَرَقتْ أسماءُ أم أنتَ حالِمُ

ألا طَرَقتْ أسماءُ أم أنتَ حالِمُ

فأهلاً بطيفٍ زارَ والليلُ عَاتمُ

فأهلاً بطيفٍ زارَ والليلُ عَاتمُ

Ah—did Asmāʾ visit you by night, or are you dreaming?

Ah, has Asma visited by night, or are you dreaming?

Then welcome the phantom that came while the night was black.

Then welcome to a phantom that visited while the night was dark.

إذا قيل أيُّ الناس أعظمُ جفوةً

إذا قيل أيُّ الناس أعظمُ جفوةً

وألامُ قيل الجرمقانيُّ عَاصِمُ

وألامُ قيل الجرمقانيُّ عَاصِمُ

If it were asked which man is harshest in his coldness,

When asked, 'Who among people is harshest

and vilest, the answer would be: ʿĀṣim al-Jarmaqānī.

And basest?' the answer is: 'Asim al-Jurmaqani.'

دَعِيُّ أجاءته إلى اللؤمِ دعوةٌ

دَعِيُّ أجاءته إلى اللؤمِ دعوةٌ

ومغرِس سوءٍ لُؤمُهُ مُتقادمُ

ومغرِس سوءٍ لُؤمُهُ مُتقادمُ

A false-born claimant, driven into baseness by his claimed descent,

A spurious son whom a claim of kinship drove to baseness,

a rootstock of evil, whose vileness is age-old.

And a vile rootstock whose baseness is age-old.

شهيدي على أن ليس حُرَّاً صليبةً

شهيدي على أن ليس حُرَّاً صليبةً

صحيفةُ وجهِ ابن أستِهَا واللهَازِمُ

صحيفةُ وجهِ ابن أستِهَا واللهَازِمُ

My proof that he is no freeborn man of pure stock:

My proof that he is not freeborn of pure descent

the page of that arse-born face, and those jawbones.

Is the surface of that son-of-her-arse's face, and his jaw muscles:

صحيفةُ دَقاق أبوه شبيهُه

صحيفةُ دَقاق أبوه شبيهُه

وجَّداه سمَّاك لَئيمٌ وحَاجمُ

وجَّداه سمَّاك لَئيمٌ وحَاجمُ

The countenance of Daqqāq; his father is his very likeness,

A grain-pounder's visage—his father is his likeness,

and his two grandfathers—a lowborn fishmonger and a cupper.

And his two grandfathers: a vile fishmonger and a cupper.

أعَاصمُ خلِّ المكرماتِ لأهِلها

أعَاصمُ خلِّ المكرماتِ لأهِلها

وأغضِ على لؤمٍ ووجهُكَ سَالمُ

وأغضِ على لؤمٍ ووجهُكَ سَالمُ

O ʿĀṣim, leave deeds of honor to those who merit them;

O Asim, leave noble deeds to those worthy of them,

swallow your baseness and keep your face unscathed.

And close your eyes to baseness while your face remains unscathed.

وكيف تَنالُ الدهَر مَجداً وسُؤدداً

وكيف تَنالُ الدهَر مَجداً وسُؤدداً

وفي كلِ يومِ كوكبٌ لكَ ناجَمُ

وفي كلِ يومِ كوكبٌ لكَ ناجَمُ

How could you ever attain glory and lordship

And how could you ever attain glory and eminence,

when every day another star of yours rises?

When every day a star rises for you?

وأصلُكَ مدخولٌ وفسقك ظاهرٌ

وأصلُكَ مدخولٌ وفسقك ظاهرٌ

وعَجبك مهموز وعَردك عَارمُ

وعَجبك مهموز وعَردك عَارمُ

Your lineage is tainted, and your depravity plain;

And your lineage is tainted, and your debauchery plain,

your rump is prodded, your member rampant.

And your tailbone is prodded, and your penis unruly.

تُصَانع غساناً لتُلحَق فيهم

تُصَانع غساناً لتُلحَق فيهم

وربَّ دَعيّ ألحقته الدراهِمُ

وربَّ دَعيّ ألحقته الدراهِمُ

You curry favor with Ghassān to be counted among them,

You flatter Ghassan to be counted among them,

and many a false claimant has been admitted by silver.

And many a spurious son has gained kinship through dirhams.

فإن رابَ رَيبُ أو أصابتك شدةٌ

فإن رابَ رَيبُ أو أصابتك شدةٌ

رجعتَ إلى شلثي وأنفُك راغِمُ

رجعتَ إلى شلثي وأنفُك راغِمُ

If some doubt alarms you, or hardship strikes,

Then if doubt troubles you, or hardship strikes you,

you fall back on Shalthā, your nose ground in dust.

You return to Shalthi, with your nose rubbed in dust.

إذا عَاصماً يوماً أتيت لحاجةٍ

إذا عَاصماً يوماً أتيت لحاجةٍ

فلا تلقه إلا وأ،،،،، قائمُ

فلا تلقه إلا وأ،،،،، قائمُ

If one day you come to ʿĀṣim with a request,

If one day you come to Asim for a favor,

you will find him only with his ... erect.

Then do not meet him unless [text incomplete] is standing.

وعرض له من قبل ذاك بأمردٍ

وعرض له من قبل ذاك بأمردٍ

وضيءٍ وسيم أثقلته المآكمُ

وضيءٍ وسيم أثقلته المآكمُ

Before that, offer him a beardless youth,

And before that, hint to him at a beardless youth,

bright and handsome, weighed down by fleshy buttocks.

Bright-faced and handsome, weighed down by his buttocks.

وإلاًَّ فلا تسأله ما عِشتَ حاجة

وإلاًَّ فلا تسأله ما عِشتَ حاجة

ولا تبكِهِ إنْ أعولَته المآتِمُ

ولا تبكِهِ إنْ أعولَته المآتِمُ

Otherwise, never ask him for anything as long as you live,

Otherwise, ask him for no favor as long as you live,

and do not make him weep—the bereaved mourner has made him wail.

Nor weep for him if mourning gatherings make him wail.