إِذا كُنتَ تُهدي لي وَأُجزيكَ مِثلَهُ

إِذا كُنتَ تُهدي لي وَأُجزيكَ مِثلَهُ

فَإِنَّ الهَدايا بَينَنا تَعَبُ الرُسلِ

فَإِنَّ الهَدايا بَينَنا تَعَبُ الرُسلِ

If you give me a gift and I repay you with its like,

If you present me with gifts and I reciprocate alike,

Then gifts between us are toil for the messengers.

Then gifts between us would weary the messengers.

فَلا أَنا مَغبونٌ وَلا أَنتَ في الَّذي

فَلا أَنا مَغبونٌ وَلا أَنتَ في الَّذي

بُعِثنا كِلانا غَيرُ مُلتَمِسِ الرِسلِ

بُعِثنا كِلانا غَيرُ مُلتَمِسِ الرِسلِ

Neither I nor you are cheated in what

So neither I am cheated, nor are you in what

We sent; neither of us seeks milk in return.

We were both sent for, seeking no messengers.

فَدونَكَ شُغلاً لَيسَ هَذا لَعَلَّهُ

فَدونَكَ شُغلاً لَيسَ هَذا لَعَلَّهُ

يَعودُ بِنَفعٍ لا كَشُغلِكَ بِالنَسلِ

يَعودُ بِنَفعٍ لا كَشُغلِكَ بِالنَسلِ

So take up an occupation other than this; perhaps it

You have work to do, this is not it, perhaps

Will bring benefit, unlike your occupation with procreation.

It yields benefit, not like your work for progeny.

أَبوكَ جَنى شَرّاً عَلَيكَ وَإِنَّما

أَبوكَ جَنى شَرّاً عَلَيكَ وَإِنَّما

هُوَ الضَبُّ إِذ يُسدي العُقوقَ إِلى الحِسلِ

هُوَ الضَبُّ إِذ يُسدي العُقوقَ إِلى الحِسلِ

Your father brought evil upon you, and he is nothing but

Your father brought you harm, but he is

The spiny-tailed lizard, bestowing cruelty upon its young.

The wolf, when disobedience leads to ablution.

يَقولُ كَلاماً فوكَ يوجَدُ بَعدَهُ

يَقولُ كَلاماً فوكَ يوجَدُ بَعدَهُ

كَذي نَجَسٍ يَحتاجُ مِنهُ إِلى الغَسلِ

كَذي نَجَسٍ يَحتاجُ مِنهُ إِلى الغَسلِ

Your mouth utters words, after which it is found

He speaks words, yet after him is found

Like one bearing filth who needs to wash it away.

Filth, needing from it ablution.