وَعَوراءَ أَهداها امرُؤٌ مِن عَشيرَتي

وَعَوراءَ أَهداها امرُؤٌ مِن عَشيرَتي

إِلَيَّ وَما بي أَن أَكونَ لَها أَهلا

إِلَيَّ وَما بي أَن أَكونَ لَها أَهلا

And an ugly word a man of my clan sent as a gift

A man of my tribe gifted me a she-camel,

to me, though I am not one to deserve it.

Yet I was not inclined to accept her as mine.

فَأَعرَضتُ عَنهُ أَو جَعَلتُ جَوابَهُ

فَأَعرَضتُ عَنهُ أَو جَعَلتُ جَوابَهُ

إِذا ما التَقَينا أَن أَقولَ لَهُ مَهلا

إِذا ما التَقَينا أَن أَقولَ لَهُ مَهلا

So I turned away from him, or answered him,

So I ignored his gift or simply told him:

whenever we met, by saying, 'Easy now.'

"Wait!" whenever we met, asking him to slow down.

وَأَجزيهِ بِالحُسنى وَأَغفِرُ ذَنبَهُ

وَأَجزيهِ بِالحُسنى وَأَغفِرُ ذَنبَهُ

إِليَّ وَلا أَجزي بسَيِّئَةٍ مِثلا

إِليَّ وَلا أَجزي بسَيِّئَةٍ مِثلا

And I repay him with kindness and forgive his offense

But I will repay him with kindness and forgive his offence,

against me, and do not repay evil in kind.

For I do not repay evil with evil, never ever.