عَطاؤكُمُ لِلضارِبينَ رِقابُكُم

عَطاؤكُمُ لِلضارِبينَ رِقابُكُم

وَنُدعى إِذا ما كانَ حَزُّ الكَراكِرِ

وَنُدعى إِذا ما كانَ حَزُّ الكَراكِرِ

Your bounty goes to those who strike your necks,

Your necks offered to the executioner’s blade

And we are summoned when camels’ chest-pads must be slit.

And we are called when the wine pitcher circulates

أَنَحنُ أَخوكم في المَضيقِ وَسَهمُنا

أَنَحنُ أَخوكم في المَضيقِ وَسَهمُنا

إِذا ما قَسَمتُم في الخِطاءِ الأَصاغِرِ

إِذا ما قَسَمتُم في الخِطاءِ الأَصاغِرِ

Are we your brothers in distress, while our share,

Are we not your brethren in times of distress? Our arrows

When you apportion, is among the smallest losing arrows?

Share your quiver when you divide the lesser sins

وَثَديكُمُ الأَدنى إِذا ما سَأَلتُمُ

وَثَديكُمُ الأَدنى إِذا ما سَأَلتُمُ

وَنُلقى بِثَدىٍ حينَ نَسألُ باسِرِ

وَنُلقى بِثَدىٍ حينَ نَسألُ باسِرِ

And are we your nearer breast when you ask,

Your left breast when asked is ours to suckle

Yet met with a scowling breast when we ask?

While our right breast is cast aside when we ask sustenance

وان كانَ فينا الذَنبُ في الناسِ مِثلُهُ

وان كانَ فينا الذَنبُ في الناسِ مِثلُهُ

أُخِذنا بِهِ مِن قَبلِ ناهٍ وَآمِرِ

أُخِذنا بِهِ مِن قَبلِ ناهٍ وَآمِرِ

And if we have a fault whose like is found among others,

If we are guilty of sins similar to all people

We are punished for it by those who forbid and command.

We would have been reproached by the blamer and the forbidder

وان جاءَكُم مِنّا غَريبٌ بأَرضِكُم

وان جاءَكُم مِنّا غَريبٌ بأَرضِكُم

لَويتم لَهُ يَوماً جُنوبَ المَناخِرِ

لَويتم لَهُ يَوماً جُنوبَ المَناخِرِ

And if a stranger from among us comes to you in your land,

And if a stranger from us comes to your lands

You turn the sides of your nostrils away from him one day.

You turn your backs the whole day to him

فَهَل يَفعَلُ الأَعداءُ إِلّا كَفِعلِكُم

فَهَل يَفعَلُ الأَعداءُ إِلّا كَفِعلِكُم

هَوانَ السَراةِ واِبتِغاءَ العَواثِرِ

هَوانَ السَراةِ واِبتِغاءَ العَواثِرِ

Do enemies do anything but what you do—

Do enemies act except as you have acted?

Dishonoring the nobles and seeking out their stumbles?

Demeaning the noble and seeking out their flaws

وَغَيَّرَ نَفسي عَنكُم ما فَعَلتُمُ

وَغَيَّرَ نَفسي عَنكُم ما فَعَلتُمُ

وَذِكرُ هَوانٍ مِنكمُ مُتَظاهِرِ

وَذِكرُ هَوانٍ مِنكمُ مُتَظاهِرِ

What you have done has turned my soul away from you,

And your actions have turned my soul away from you

And the memory of manifest humiliation from you:

The memory of your disgrace is overwhelming

جَفاؤكمُ مَن عالجَ الحَربَ عَنكمُ

جَفاؤكمُ مَن عالجَ الحَربَ عَنكمُ

وَاعداؤكم مِن بين جابٍ وَعاشِرِ

وَاعداؤكم مِن بين جابٍ وَعاشِرِ

Your harshness toward those who waged war on your behalf,

Your aloofness to one who protected your wars

And your backing of tax-gatherers and tithe-collectors.

And your enmity from both settler and nomad alike

فَلا تَسأَلوني عَن هَوايَ وَودِّكُم

فَلا تَسأَلوني عَن هَوايَ وَودِّكُم

وَقل في فُؤادٍ قَد تَوجَّهَ نافِرِ

وَقل في فُؤادٍ قَد تَوجَّهَ نافِرِ

So do not ask me about my love and affection for you;

So ask me no longer about your love and friendship

And say what you will of a heart that has turned away, recoiling.

Say this to a heart that has turned away in disdain