لعمرو أبيك ما نُسب المعلّى

لعمرو أبيك ما نُسب المعلّى

إلى كرمٍ وفي الدنيا كريمُ

إلى كرمٍ وفي الدنيا كريمُ

By your father’s life, al-Muʿallā was not credited

By your father's life, al-Muʿallā was not credited

By your father's life, glory is not attributed

with generosity while a generous man remained in the world.

with generosity while any generous man was in the world.

To generosity, for the world has none generous

ولكن البلاد إذا اقشعرتْ

ولكن البلاد إذا اقشعرتْ

وصوَّحَ نبتُها رُعيَ الهشيمُ

وصوَّحَ نبتُها رُعيَ الهشيمُ

But when the land grows parched

But when the land grows barren

Rather, when the lands become barren

and its vegetation withers, dry stubble is grazed.

and its vegetation withers, dry stubble is grazed.

And its vegetation withers, even dry plants are grazed