تَلَبَّسَ لي يَومَ التَقَينا عوَيمِرٌ

تَلَبَّسَ لي يَومَ التَقَينا عوَيمِرٌ

بِجابَلَقٍ في جِلدِ أَخنَسَ باسِلِ

بِجابَلَقٍ في جِلدِ أَخنَسَ باسِلِ

ʿUwaymir arrayed himself against me the day we met

On the day we met, Uwaimir donned

at Jābalaq, in the hide of a fierce, snub-nosed lion.

A gabardine of smooth suede worn by a mute camel driver,

وَأَوعَدَني حَتّى ظَنَنتُ بِأَنَّهُ

وَأَوعَدَني حَتّى ظَنَنتُ بِأَنَّهُ

مُصيبي بِمِثلِ القَتلِ أَو هوَ قاتِلي

مُصيبي بِمِثلِ القَتلِ أَو هوَ قاتِلي

And he threatened me until I thought that he

And made promises that led me to think

would inflict something like death upon me—or kill me.

He would slay me or else become my slayer.

إِذا قُلتُ أَنصِفني وَلا تَظلِمَنَّني

إِذا قُلتُ أَنصِفني وَلا تَظلِمَنَّني

رَمى كُلَّ حَقٍّ مِن سواه بِباطِلِ

رَمى كُلَّ حَقٍّ مِن سواه بِباطِلِ

Whenever I said, 'Treat me fairly, and do not wrong me,'

When I said "Be just and oppress me not,"

he countered every rightful claim from others with falsehood.

He flung aside all truth but his own false notions.

فَباطَلتُهُ حَتّى ارعَوى وَهوَ كارِهٌ

فَباطَلتُهُ حَتّى ارعَوى وَهوَ كارِهٌ

وَقَد يَرعَوي ذو الشَغبِ بَعدَ التَجادُلِ

وَقَد يَرعَوي ذو الشَغبِ بَعدَ التَجادُلِ

So I matched him in falsehood until he relented, though unwilling;

I refuted him until he was confounded, though he remained averse,

and a quarrelsome man may relent after debate.

For the contentious are often abashed after arguing.

وَإِنَّكَ لَم تَعطِف عَلى الحَقِّ جاهِلاً

وَإِنَّكَ لَم تَعطِف عَلى الحَقِّ جاهِلاً

بِمِثلِ خَصيمٍ عالِمٍ مُتَجاهِلِ

بِمِثلِ خَصيمٍ عالِمٍ مُتَجاهِلِ

And you have never turned an ignorant man toward the truth

Never did you show mercy to an ignorant foe

so well as with a learned adversary who feigns ignorance.

Like a learned adversary feigning ignorance.