أخالدُ لو ألِمْتَ مَضيضَ شيءٍ

أخالدُ لو ألِمْتَ مَضيضَ شيءٍ

مُمضٍّ مُرْمِضٍ لألِمْتَ جَهْلَكْ

مُمضٍّ مُرْمِضٍ لألِمْتَ جَهْلَكْ

O Khalid, if you felt the sting of something

If you were pained by something hurtful,

painful and searing, you would feel the pain of your ignorance.

Something painful and distressing, you would feel your own ignorance.

أشيخٌ من ذوي يمَنٍ صميم

أشيخٌ من ذوي يمَنٍ صميم

وتشتم فارساً ناقضتَ أصلك

وتشتم فارساً ناقضتَ أصلك

Are you an elder of pure Yemeni stock,

You are an old man from the tribe of Yemen,

yet you revile Persia? You have contradicted your ancestry.

Yet you insult a noble Persian, denying your own origin.

بهذا الفعلِ سرَّك أن تُسمَّى

بهذا الفعلِ سرَّك أن تُسمَّى

جواداً مُفْضِلاً فأبَحْتَ أهلك

جواداً مُفْضِلاً فأبَحْتَ أهلك

With this deed, you were pleased to be called

By this action you hoped to be called

generous and bountiful, so you made your family fair game.

Noble and virtuous, but instead exposed your shame.

لقد أخزيْتَ منْ تُنْمى إليه

لقد أخزيْتَ منْ تُنْمى إليه

ثكْلتُك عاجلاً وثكِلْتُ عقْلَكْ

ثكْلتُك عاجلاً وثكِلْتُ عقْلَكْ

You have indeed disgraced the one to whom your lineage is traced.

You have disgraced those you belong to,

May I soon be bereaved of you—and of your wits!

May you be bereft of sons, and bereft of reason!