كُنّا لَكُم يا مُرَّ أَمّاً حَفِيَّةً

كُنّا لَكُم يا مُرَّ أَمّاً حَفِيَّةً

وَكُنتُم لَنا يا مُرَّ بَوّاً مُجَلَّدا

وَكُنتُم لَنا يا مُرَّ بَوّاً مُجَلَّدا

We were a devoted mother to you, O Murr;

and you were a hide-clad dummy calf to us, O Murr.

وَكُنتُم لَنا سَيفاً وَكُنّا وِعاءَهُ

وَكُنتُم لَنا سَيفاً وَكُنّا وِعاءَهُ

إِذا نَحنُ خِفنا أَن يَكِلَّ فَيُغمَدا

إِذا نَحنُ خِفنا أَن يَكِلَّ فَيُغمَدا

And you were a sword to us, and we were its sheath,

whenever we feared it might grow dull and so be sheathed.