يُذَكِّرُني بِأَربَدَ كُلُّ خَصمٍ

يُذَكِّرُني بِأَربَدَ كُلُّ خَصمٍ

أَلَدَّ تَخالُ خُطَّتَهُ ضِرارا

أَلَدَّ تَخالُ خُطَّتَهُ ضِرارا

Every adversary reminds me of Arbad—

So unyielding that you think his course is meant to harm.

إِذا اِقتَصَدوا فَمُقتَصِدٌ أَريبٌ

إِذا اِقتَصَدوا فَمُقتَصِدٌ أَريبٌ

وَإِن جاروا سَواءَ الحَقِّ جارا

وَإِن جاروا سَواءَ الحَقِّ جارا

If they were moderate, he was moderate and shrewd;

And if they strayed from the path of right, he strayed too.

وَيَهدي القَومَ مُضطَلِعاً إِذا ما

وَيَهدي القَومَ مُضطَلِعاً إِذا ما

رَئيسُ القَومِ بِالمَوماةِ حارا

رَئيسُ القَومِ بِالمَوماةِ حارا

And he would ably guide the people whenever

The people's chief lost his bearings in the desert waste.