أَلا أَبلِغا عَنّي سُلَيماً وَرَبَّهُ

أَلا أَبلِغا عَنّي سُلَيماً وَرَبَّهُ

فَزيدا عَلَيَّ مِئرَةً وَتَغَضُّبا

فَزيدا عَلَيَّ مِئرَةً وَتَغَضُّبا

Hear now! You two, tell Sulaym and his master on my behalf:

O convey from me to Sulaim my greetings, and his Lord's,

So increase your rancor and anger against me.

Then heap reproaches on me and pretend to be angry,

فَإِن كانَ جِدٌّ فَاِسعَيا ما وَسِعتُما

فَإِن كانَ جِدٌّ فَاِسعَيا ما وَسِعتُما

وَإِن كانَ لِعبٌ آخِرَ الدَهرِ فَاِلعَبا

وَإِن كانَ لِعبٌ آخِرَ الدَهرِ فَاِلعَبا

For if this is earnest, strive as hard as you two can;

If it is serious then strive as far as you both are able,

And if it is play, then play until the end of time.

And if it is playful then sport to the end of time,

وَمِن يَعدِلُ اللَيثُ المُجَرَّبُ وَقعُهُ

وَمِن يَعدِلُ اللَيثُ المُجَرَّبُ وَقعُهُ

بِحِسلَينِ لَمّا يَعدُوا أَن تَضَبَّبا

بِحِسلَينِ لَمّا يَعدُوا أَن تَضَبَّبا

And who would equate the lion, whose onslaught is proven,

Who can compare the experienced lion's pounce

With two young lizards that have done no more than grow into adult lizards?

To two foxes when they resolve to slink away?

لَحا اللَهُ أَدنانا إِلى اللُؤمِ زُلفَةً

لَحا اللَهُ أَدنانا إِلى اللُؤمِ زُلفَةً

وَأَعجَزَنا خالاً وَأَلأَمَنا أَبا

وَأَعجَزَنا خالاً وَأَلأَمَنا أَبا

May God curse the one of us closest to baseness,

May God bring our chiefs closer to infamy,

And the one with the feeblest maternal uncle and the basest father,

Disable us of maternal uncles and afflict us with fathers,

وَأَجدَرَنا أَن يَنفُخَ الكيرَ خالُهُ

وَأَجدَرَنا أَن يَنفُخَ الكيرَ خالُهُ

يَصوغُ القُروطَ وَالشُنوفَ بِيَثرِبا

يَصوغُ القُروطَ وَالشُنوفَ بِيَثرِبا

And the one of us whose maternal uncle is likeliest to blow the bellows,

And make it more fitting for his uncle to blow the horn

Fashioning earrings and upper-ear ornaments in Yathrib.

And mint dirhams and ounces in Yathrib!