أشبَهتَ أُمَّكَ يا بِلالُ لأَنَّها

أشبَهتَ أُمَّكَ يا بِلالُ لأَنَّها

نَزَعَتكَ وَالأُمُّ اللَّئِيمَةُ تَنزَعُ

نَزَعَتكَ وَالأُمُّ اللَّئِيمَةُ تَنزَعُ

You resemble your mother, Bilal, because she

You resembled your mother, O Bilal, for she

made you take after her—and a baseborn mother passes on her likeness.

Took you away, and a despicable mother takes away.

أشبَهتَهَا شَبَهَ العُبَيِّد أُمَّهُ

أشبَهتَهَا شَبَهَ العُبَيِّد أُمَّهُ

أَفَمِثلُ ما صَنَعَ العُبَيِّدُ تَصنَعُ

أَفَمِثلُ ما صَنَعَ العُبَيِّدُ تَصنَعُ

You resemble her as al-ʿUbayyid resembled his mother;

You resembled her, resembling the mother of Al-'Ubayyid,

do you then do as al-ʿUbayyid did?

Are you doing what Al-'Ubayyid did?

وَلَدَتكَ إذ ولَدَتكَ لاَمَتكرِّماً

وَلَدَتكَ إذ ولَدَتكَ لاَمَتكرِّماً

عفّاً ولاَ بحلاَلِ رَبِّك تَقنَعُ

عفّاً ولاَ بحلاَلِ رَبِّك تَقنَعُ

She bore you, when she bore you, neither honorable

She gave birth to you when she gave birth, not honoring you,

nor chaste; nor are you content with what your Lord permits.

Chaste, nor content with the lawful things of your Lord.

وَوَلِيتَ مِصراً لَم تَكُن أهلاً لَهُ

وَوَلِيتَ مِصراً لَم تَكُن أهلاً لَهُ

وَمِنَ الوِلايَةِ مَا يَضُرُّ وينفعُ

وَمِنَ الوِلايَةِ مَا يَضُرُّ وينفعُ

And you governed a city for which you were unfit;

And you assumed leadership of Egypt though you were not worthy of it,

and some governorships bring harm and benefit.

And leadership has what harms and benefits.