تَثَعلبتَ لَمّا أَن أَتَيتَ بِلادَهُم

تَثَعلبتَ لَمّا أَن أَتَيتَ بِلادَهُم

وَفي أَرضِنا أَنتَ الهُمامُ القَلَمَّسُ

وَفي أَرضِنا أَنتَ الهُمامُ القَلَمَّسُ

You became foxlike when you came to their lands;

When you came to their country, O fox,

Yet in our land you are the valiant, mighty chief.

And in our land you are the cunning scoundrel,

أَلَستَ بِبَغلٍ أُمُّهُ عَرَبيَّةٌ

أَلَستَ بِبَغلٍ أُمُّهُ عَرَبيَّةٌ

أَبوهُ حِمارٌ أَدبَرُ الظهرِ يُنخَسُ

أَبوهُ حِمارٌ أَدبَرُ الظهرِ يُنخَسُ

Are you not a mule whose mother is an Arabian mare,

Are you not a mule whose dam is an Arab mare

Whose father is a donkey with a sore-ridden back, prodded on?

And whose sire a donkey with a branded back?