يا قَومُ إِنّي لَم أَكُن لِأَسُبَّكُم

يا قَومُ إِنّي لَم أَكُن لِأَسُبَّكُم

وَذو البُرءِ مَحقوقٌ بِأَن يَتَعَذَّرا

وَذو البُرءِ مَحقوقٌ بِأَن يَتَعَذَّرا

O people, I was not one to revile you.

O my people, I was not about to insult you

And the blameless man is entitled to explain himself.

And the innocent is wronged if he is accused

إِذا قالَ غاوٍ مِن مَعَدٍّ قَصيدَةً

إِذا قالَ غاوٍ مِن مَعَدٍّ قَصيدَةً

بِها جَرَبٌ كانَت عَلَيَّ بِزَوبَرا

بِها جَرَبٌ كانَت عَلَيَّ بِزَوبَرا

Whenever a wayward man of Maʿadd utters a poem,

If some misguided one from Ma'add recites a poem

With scabies in it, it is laid upon me in its entirety.

In which is shame, it would be a burden upon me

تَناهَوا فَإِنّي لَو أَرَدتُ هِجاءَكُم

تَناهَوا فَإِنّي لَو أَرَدتُ هِجاءَكُم

بَدا وَهوَ مَعروفٌ أَغَرَّ مُشَهَّرا

بَدا وَهوَ مَعروفٌ أَغَرَّ مُشَهَّرا

Desist, for if I wished to satirize you,

Refrain, for if I wanted to mock you

It would appear, well known, bright and openly proclaimed.

It would appear - and it is well known - most manifest

أَيَنطِقُها غَيري وَأُرمى بِدائِها

أَيَنطِقُها غَيري وَأُرمى بِدائِها

فَهَذا كِتابٌ حَقُّهُ أَن يُغَيَّرا

فَهَذا كِتابٌ حَقُّهُ أَن يُغَيَّرا

Does another utter it, while I am struck with its disease?

I would utter it, but another recites it

Then this is a record that ought, by rights, to be changed.

So this is a decree whose truth must be altered