أَلا قُل لِابنِ مَعنٍ ذا ال

أَلا قُل لِابنِ مَعنٍ ذا ال

لَذي في الوُدِّ قَد حالا

لَذي في الوُدِّ قَد حالا

Listen, tell Ibn Maʿn, this man

Oh say to the son of Ma'n, he who

who has changed in his affection:

Has become accustomed to affection

لَقَد بُلِغتُ ما قالا

لَقَد بُلِغتُ ما قالا

فَما بالَيتُ ما قالا

فَما بالَيتُ ما قالا

Indeed, I have been told what he said,

I have been told what they said

so I cared nothing for what he said.

Yet I did not do what they said

وَلَو كانَ مِنَ الأُسدِ

وَلَو كانَ مِنَ الأُسدِ

لَما راعَ وَلا هالا

لَما راعَ وَلا هالا

And even if he were among the lions,

And if he were of the lions

he would neither frighten nor terrify me.

He would neither have feared nor recoiled

فَصُغ ما كُنتَ حَلَّيتَ

فَصُغ ما كُنتَ حَلَّيتَ

بِهِ سَيفَكَ خَلخالا

بِهِ سَيفَكَ خَلخالا

So fashion what you once adorned

So listen to what you had adorned

your sword with into an anklet.

Your sword's scabbard with

فَما تَصنَعُ بِالسَيفِ

فَما تَصنَعُ بِالسَيفِ

إِذا لَم تَكُ قَتّالا

إِذا لَم تَكُ قَتّالا

So what use have you for a sword,

What will you do with the sword

if you are no slayer?

If you are not a killer?

وَلَو مَدَّ إِلى أُذنَي

وَلَو مَدَّ إِلى أُذنَي

هِ كَفَّيهِ لَما نالا

هِ كَفَّيهِ لَما نالا

And if he stretched toward his ears

And if he stretched to his ears

both his hands, they would not reach them.

Both his palms, he would not attain it

قَصيرَ الطَولِ وَالطولِ

قَصيرَ الطَولِ وَالطولِ

فَلا شَبَّ وَلا طالا

فَلا شَبَّ وَلا طالا

Short in bounty and in stature—

Short of height and height

may he neither grow up nor grow tall!

So neither a youth nor fully-grown

أَرى قَومَكَ أَبطالا

أَرى قَومَكَ أَبطالا

وَقَد أَصبَحتَ بَطّالا

وَقَد أَصبَحتَ بَطّالا

I see your people as heroes,

I see your people as heroes

while you have become an idler.

While you have become idle