ألا أبلغ معاوية بن حرب

وكل الناس يعلم ما أقولُ

O Messenger, convey to Mu'awiya ibn Harb,

And all people know what I say,

لنا حقان حق الخمس جارٍ

وحق قد أنار به الرسول

We have two rights - the right of the Khums flowing,

And the right by which the Messenger shone.

فكل عطية وصلت إلينا

وإن سحبت بخدعتها الذيول

So every gift that reached us,

Even if he dragged it away deceitfully by its tails,

ففي حكم القرآن لنا مزيد

على ما كان لا قال وقيل

By the ruling of the Qur'an we have more

Than what was, neither said nor spoken.

أنؤخذ حقنا وتحوز حمدا

وهذا ليس تقبله العقول

Shall we take our right and you take praise?

This is not acceptable to reason.

أتيح لك ابن عباس مجيباً

كأن لسانه سيف صقيل

Ibn Abbas, the eloquent responder, was made available to you

As if his tongue were a polished sword,

سوى أن قال قولاً مستكيناً

كفاك كذلك المرء الذليل

Except he said a humble word,

That's enough, that's the lowly man.

فأدركه الحياء وكف عنه

وخطبُهما إذا ذُكرا جليل

So bashfulness overtook him and he refrained,

And their speeches, when mentioned, are glorious.

فلا تهج ابن عباس مجيباً

فإن لسانه سلس قؤول

So do not blame Ibn Abbas the eloquent responder,

For his tongue is eloquent and smooth.