إذا عابك المرء بغيا عليك

إذا عابك المرء بغيا عليك

وأفحش في قوله واستمر

وأفحش في قوله واستمر

If a man finds fault with you unjustly,

If a man finds fault with you out of envy,

And speaks foully and persists,

And is immoderate in speech against you, continuing on,

فذاك عدوّك لكنّه

فذاك عدوّك لكنّه

طوى عنك مكنوهُ فالحذر

طوى عنك مكنوهُ فالحذر

Then he is your enemy, yet he

Then he is your enemy, but in truth

Has concealed from you what he harbors—so beware.

He has concealed his rancor, so beware.

له عنك متّجهٌ لو أراد

له عنك متّجهٌ لو أراد

فلو صدّه عنك عقل عذر

فلو صدّه عنك عقل عذر

He could turn away from you, if he wished;

For he has a grievance against you; if he wished

Had reason restrained him from you, he would have excused you.

And reason held him back from you, he would make excuses.

ولكن حداه على ما أتاه

ولكن حداه على ما أتاه

فساد الطباع ولؤم الظفر

فساد الطباع ولؤم الظفر

But what drove him to what he did

But what drove him to do what he did

Was corrupt character and the baseness of victory.

Was the corruption of his nature and the vileness of his soul.