أَعَصَيتَ أَمرَ ذَوي النُهى

أَعَصَيتَ أَمرَ ذَوي النُهى

وَأَطَعتَ أَمرَ ذَوي الجَهالَه

وَأَطَعتَ أَمرَ ذَوي الجَهالَه

You disobeyed the counsel of the wise,

Have you disobeyed the command of the wise

and obeyed the counsel of the ignorant.

and obeyed the command of the ignorant?

فاحتَلتَ حينَ صَرَمتَني

فاحتَلتَ حينَ صَرَمتَني

وَالمَرءُ يَعجِزُ لا المَحالَه

وَالمَرءُ يَعجِزُ لا المَحالَه

So, when you broke with me, you shouldered the blame;

So you resorted to guile when you broke with me;

and everyone falls short—inevitably.

and it is man who fails, not ingenuity.

وَالعَبدُ يُضرَبُ بِالعَصا

وَالعَبدُ يُضرَبُ بِالعَصا

وَالحُرُّ تَكفيهِ المَقالَه

وَالحُرُّ تَكفيهِ المَقالَه

A slave is beaten with a staff,

And the slave is beaten with a stick,

but for a free man, a word suffices.

while a word suffices for the free man.