أَتُخْفِرُ ذِمَّتِي وَتَرُومُ عَطْفِي

أَتُخْفِرُ ذِمَّتِي وَتَرُومُ عَطْفِي

لَقَدْ مَنَّتْكَ نَفْسُكَ بِالْكِذابِ

لَقَدْ مَنَّتْكَ نَفْسُكَ بِالْكِذابِ

Do you break faith with me and seek my kindness?

Do you violate my covenant and seek my affection?

Your own soul has surely beguiled you with lies.

Indeed, your soul has benefited from lies

فَمَا بَعْدَ الْقَطِيعَةِ مِنْ تَلاقٍ

فَمَا بَعْدَ الْقَطِيعَةِ مِنْ تَلاقٍ

وَلا بَعْدَ الْخَديعَةِ مِنْ عِتَابِ

وَلا بَعْدَ الْخَديعَةِ مِنْ عِتَابِ

For after estrangement there is no reunion,

So after the breakup, there is no more meeting

Nor, after deceit, any reproach.

Nor after deceit, is there any reproach

وَكَيْفَ يَصِحُّ بَعْدَ الْغَدْرِ وُدٌّ

وَكَيْفَ يَصِحُّ بَعْدَ الْغَدْرِ وُدٌّ

وَتَسْلَمُ نِيَّةٌ بَعْدَ ارْتِيَابِ

وَتَسْلَمُ نِيَّةٌ بَعْدَ ارْتِيَابِ

And how can affection remain true after treachery,

And how can affection be sound after betrayal?

And intent remain untainted after suspicion?

And how can an intention be safe after suspicion?

رُوَيْدَكَ إِنَّنِي صَعْبٌ أَبِيٌّ

رُوَيْدَكَ إِنَّنِي صَعْبٌ أَبِيٌّ

عَلَى الأَقْرَانِ مَرْهُوبُ الْجَنَابِ

عَلَى الأَقْرَانِ مَرْهُوبُ الْجَنَابِ

Hold back: I am hard to subdue and unyielding,

Calm yourself, indeed I am stubborn and unwilling

My very presence dreaded by my peers.

To the peers, alarmed and vigilant

أُجَاهِرُ بِالْعِدَاءِ وَلا أُبَالِي

أُجَاهِرُ بِالْعِدَاءِ وَلا أُبَالِي

وأَنْطِقُ بِالصَّوَابِ ولا أُحَابِي

وأَنْطِقُ بِالصَّوَابِ ولا أُحَابِي

I declare my enmity openly and do not care,

I profess enmity openly and do not care

And speak what is right, showing no favoritism.

And I speak the truth and do not flatter

فَمَا زَنْدِي لَدَى الْعَوْصَاءِ كَابٍ

فَمَا زَنْدِي لَدَى الْعَوْصَاءِ كَابٍ

وَلا سَيْفِي غَدَاةَ الْحَرْبِ نابِي

وَلا سَيْفِي غَدَاةَ الْحَرْبِ نابِي

For my fire-stick never fails to spark in hardship,

So my spear is not blunt before the unruly

Nor does my sword fail to cut on battle's morning.

And my sword is not dull the morning of battle

يَهَابُ الْقِرْنُ بَادِرَتِي فَيَمْضِي

يَهَابُ الْقِرْنُ بَادِرَتِي فَيَمْضِي

ومَا جَرَّدْتُ سَيْفِي مِنْ قِرابِ

ومَا جَرَّدْتُ سَيْفِي مِنْ قِرابِ

My opponent dreads my sudden onslaught and withdraws,

The battalion fears my attack so it proceeds

Though I have not drawn my sword from its sheath.

And I have not sheathed my sword from its scabbard

فَإِنْ رُمْتَ السَّلامَةَ فَاجْتَنِبْنِي

فَإِنْ رُمْتَ السَّلامَةَ فَاجْتَنِبْنِي

عَدُوَّاً فَالسَّلامَةُ فِي اجْتِنابِي

عَدُوَّاً فَالسَّلامَةُ فِي اجْتِنابِي

So if you seek safety, avoid me

So if you seek safety, then avoid me

As an enemy, for safety lies in avoiding me.

As an enemy, for safety is in avoiding me

فَقَدْ عَادَيْتُ أَعْظَمَ مِنْكَ قَدْراً

فَقَدْ عَادَيْتُ أَعْظَمَ مِنْكَ قَدْراً

ومَا ضَاقَتْ عَلَى بَدَنِي ثِيَابِي

ومَا ضَاقَتْ عَلَى بَدَنِي ثِيَابِي

For I have opposed one greater in stature than you,

For I have opposed those greater in worth than you

Yet my clothes did not tighten around my body.

And my clothes have not been too tight for my body

فإِنْ تَنْزَعْ فَأَنْتَ طَلِيقُ عَفْوِي

فإِنْ تَنْزَعْ فَأَنْتَ طَلِيقُ عَفْوِي

وإِنْ تَطْمَعْ فَسَوْفَ تَرَى عِقَابِي

وإِنْ تَطْمَعْ فَسَوْفَ تَرَى عِقَابِي

So if you desist, you are freed by my pardon;

If you desist, you have my pardon

And if you grow greedy, you shall see my punishment.

And if you are greedy, you will see my punishment