وَتَرى الفَتى يَلقى أَخاهُ وَخِدنَهُ

وَتَرى الفَتى يَلقى أَخاهُ وَخِدنَهُ

في بَعضِ مَنطِقِهِ بِما لا يُغفَرُ

في بَعضِ مَنطِقِهِ بِما لا يُغفَرُ

And you see a young man meet his brother and his close friend

You see a young man joking with his brother and friend

with something unforgivable in what he says.

In part of his talk with what cannot be forgiven

وَيَقولُ كُنتُ مُلاعِباً وَمُمازِحاً

وَيَقولُ كُنتُ مُلاعِباً وَمُمازِحاً

هَيهاتَ نارُكَ في الحَشا تَتَسَعَّرُ

هَيهاتَ نارُكَ في الحَشا تَتَسَعَّرُ

And he says, “I was playing and joking.”

And he says I was just playing and teasing

Far from it! Your fire blazes in his breast.

Alas, your fire spreads in the thicket

أَلقَيتَها وَطَفِقتَ تَضحَكُ لاهِياً

أَلقَيتَها وَطَفِقتَ تَضحَكُ لاهِياً

وَفُؤادُهُ مِمّا بِهِ يَتَفَطَّرُ

وَفُؤادُهُ مِمّا بِهِ يَتَفَطَّرُ

You cast it there and began to laugh heedlessly,

You started it and went on laughing heedlessly

while his heart splits apart from what afflicts him.

While his heart breaks from what you said

أَوما عَلِمتَ وَمِثلُ جَهلِكَ غالِبٌ

أَوما عَلِمتَ وَمِثلُ جَهلِكَ غالِبٌ

أَنَّ المِزاحَ هُوَ السِبابُ الأَكبَرُ

أَنَّ المِزاحَ هُوَ السِبابُ الأَكبَرُ

Did you not know—and ignorance like yours is widespread—

Don't you know, and ignorance like yours often

that joking is the gravest form of verbal abuse?

That joking is the greatest insult