يَستَعظِمونَ أُبَيّاتاً نَأَمتُ بِها

يَستَعظِمونَ أُبَيّاتاً نَأَمتُ بِها

لا تَحسُدُنَّ عَلى أَن يَنأَمَ الأَسَدا

لا تَحسُدُنَّ عَلى أَن يَنأَمَ الأَسَدا

They deem a few little verses I roared out mighty.

They marvel at verses with which I consoled

They marvel at the little verses I have groaned,

Do not envy the lion for roaring.

Do not envy that the lion became tame

Yet envy not the lion for his roar;

لَو أَنَّ ثَمَّ قُلوباً يَعقِلونَ بِها

لَو أَنَّ ثَمَّ قُلوباً يَعقِلونَ بِها

أَنساهُمُ الذُعرُ مِمّا تَحتَها الحَسَدا

أَنساهُمُ الذُعرُ مِمّا تَحتَها الحَسَدا

If there were hearts with which they could reason,

If only there were hearts that could understand

For had they hearts with which to understand,

Terror of what lies beneath those verses would make them forget envy.

Terror made them forget what lay beneath envy

The terror hidden underneath would make them forget envy.