كَم خِفتَ في اللَهِ مَضعوفاً دَعاكَ بِهِ

كَم خِفتَ في اللَهِ مَضعوفاً دَعاكَ بِهِ

وَكَم أَخَفتَ قَوِيّاً يَنثَني تيها

وَكَم أَخَفتَ قَوِيّاً يَنثَني تيها

How often, for God's sake, you feared a powerless man who appealed to you in His name,

How often have you feared for the weak, whom He called upon,

and how often you frightened a strong man strutting in pride!

And how often have you made the strong bow down wandering lost!

وَفي حَديثِ فَتى غَسّانَ مَوعِظَةٌ

وَفي حَديثِ فَتى غَسّانَ مَوعِظَةٌ

لِكُلِّ ذي نَغرَةٍ يَأبى تَناسيها

لِكُلِّ ذي نَغرَةٍ يَأبى تَناسيها

And in the tale of the young man of Ghassan lies a lesson

In the words of the Ghassanid youth there is an admonition

for anyone harboring resentment who refuses to put it out of mind.

For everyone with a purpose who refuses to forget it.

فَما القَوِيُّ قَوِيّاً رَغمَ عِزَّتِهِ

فَما القَوِيُّ قَوِيّاً رَغمَ عِزَّتِهِ

عِندَ الخُصومَةِ وَالفاروقُ قاضيها

عِندَ الخُصومَةِ وَالفاروقُ قاضيها

For the strong man is not strong, despite his might,

The strong is not strong against opposition, however mighty,

in a dispute when al-Faruq is its judge;

When the judge is the Discerner of Truth.

وَما الضَعيفُ ضَعيفاً بَعدَ حُجَّتِهِ

وَما الضَعيفُ ضَعيفاً بَعدَ حُجَّتِهِ

وَإِن تَخاصَمَ واليها وَراعيها

وَإِن تَخاصَمَ واليها وَراعيها

and the weak man is not weak after presenting his argument,

Nor is the weak now weak after his argument,

even if its governor and its shepherd contend.

If he disputes with the governor and the shepherd of the land.