لَمّا دَعاني عامِرٌ لِأَسُبَّهُم

لَمّا دَعاني عامِرٌ لِأَسُبَّهُم

أَبَيتُ وَإِن كانَ اِبنُ عَيساءَ ظالِما

أَبَيتُ وَإِن كانَ اِبنُ عَيساءَ ظالِما

When Amir called on me to revile them,

When Aamir called me to revile them

I refused, even though Ibn Aysa was unjust,

I refused, though the son of Issa was unjust

لِكَي ما يَكونَ السَندَرِيُّ نَديدَتي

لِكَي ما يَكونَ السَندَرِيُّ نَديدَتي

وَأَجعَلَ أَقواماً عُموماً عَماعِما

وَأَجعَلَ أَقواماً عُموماً عَماعِما

lest al-Sandari become my rival,

So that Sandari would not be my rival

and I turn peoples into vast, gathered throngs,

And I make tribes, in general, worthless

وَأَنبُشَ مِن تَحتِ القُبورِ أُبُوَّةً

وَأَنبُشَ مِن تَحتِ القُبورِ أُبُوَّةً

كِراماً هُمُ شَدّوا عَلَيَّ التَمائِما

كِراماً هُمُ شَدّوا عَلَيَّ التَمائِما

and unearth from beneath the graves forefathers—

And I disturb from under graves nobility

noble men who tied amulets upon me.

Noblemen, they who tightened the amulets on me

لَعِبتُ عَلى أَكتافِهِم وَحُجورِهِم

لَعِبتُ عَلى أَكتافِهِم وَحُجورِهِم

وَليداً وَسَمَّوني مُفيداً وَعاصِما

وَليداً وَسَمَّوني مُفيداً وَعاصِما

I played on their shoulders and in their laps

I played on their shoulders and chests

as an infant, and they called me Benefactor and Protector.

As an infant, and they named me beneficial and protector

بَلى أَيُّنا ما كانَ شَرّاً لِمالِكٍ

بَلى أَيُّنا ما كانَ شَرّاً لِمالِكٍ

فَلا زالَ في الدُنيا مَلوماً وَلائِما

فَلا زالَ في الدُنيا مَلوماً وَلائِما

Indeed, whichever of us was worse to Malik,

Yes, which of us was more evil to Malik

may he forever be blamed and blaming in this world.

He still remains in the world blamed and culpable