يا عَوفُ وَيحَكَ هَلّا قُلتَ عارِفَةً

يا عَوفُ وَيحَكَ هَلّا قُلتَ عارِفَةً

مِنَ الكَلامِ وَلَم تَتبَع بِهِ طَبِعا

مِنَ الكَلامِ وَلَم تَتبَع بِهِ طَبِعا

O Awf, woe to you! Why did you not utter something kind

O Awf, woe to you! Why did you not speak with knowledge

In speech, instead of following a base man in it?

Of speech, and not follow your nature with it?

أَو أَدرَكَتكَ حُمَيّا مَعشَرٍ أُنُفٍ

أَو أَدرَكَتكَ حُمَيّا مَعشَرٍ أُنُفٍ

وَلَم تَكُن قاطِعاً يا عَوفُ مُنقَطِعا

وَلَم تَكُن قاطِعاً يا عَوفُ مُنقَطِعا

Or did the fierce zeal of a proud band overtake you,

Or did the zeal of a proud company seize you,

And you had not severed ties, O Awf, nor been cut off?

And you were not, O Awf, one who cuts off?

أَما حَزِنتَ مِنَ الأَقوامِ إِذ حَسَدوا

أَما حَزِنتَ مِنَ الأَقوامِ إِذ حَسَدوا

مِن أَن تَقولَ وَقَد عايَنتَهُ قَرَعا

مِن أَن تَقولَ وَقَد عايَنتَهُ قَرَعا

Were you not grieved by the people when they envied,

Are you not grieved by the people when they envied

At uttering reproach, though you had seen it yourself?

That you should speak, though you saw it clearly, a lie?

لَما رَمَيتَ حَصاناً غَيرَ مُقرِفَةٍ

لَما رَمَيتَ حَصاناً غَيرَ مُقرِفَةٍ

أَمينَةَ الجَيبِ لَم تَعلَم بِهِ خَضَعا

أَمينَةَ الجَيبِ لَم تَعلَم بِهِ خَضَعا

When you accused a chaste woman, untainted,

When you shot an unsaddled horse, not knowing it,

Her bosom inviolate—you knew no yielding there—

The keeper of the purse, you did not know submission.

فيمَن رَماها وَكُنتُم مَعشَراً أُفُكاً

فيمَن رَماها وَكُنتُم مَعشَراً أُفُكاً

مِن سَيِّىءِ القَولِ في اللَفظِ الخَنا سُرُعا

مِن سَيِّىءِ القَولِ في اللَفظِ الخَنا سُرُعا

Among those who accused her; you were a band of liars,

Among those who shot her while you were a company of liars

Foul of speech, swift to obscenity in your words.

Of evil speech in mocking vain words swift,

فَأَنزَلَ اللَهُ قُرآناً يُبَرِّئُها

فَأَنزَلَ اللَهُ قُرآناً يُبَرِّئُها

وَبَينَ عَوفٍ وَبَينَ اللَهِ ما صَنَعا

وَبَينَ عَوفٍ وَبَينَ اللَهِ ما صَنَعا

So God sent down Qur'anic revelation exonerating her,

So God sent down a Quran that clears her

And between Awf and God lies what he did.

And between Awf and God is what he did.

فَإِن أَعِش أَجزِ عَوفاً عَن مَقالَتِهِ

فَإِن أَعِش أَجزِ عَوفاً عَن مَقالَتِهِ

شَرَّ الجَزاءِ بِما أَلفَيتُهُ طَبَعا

شَرَّ الجَزاءِ بِما أَلفَيتُهُ طَبَعا

So if I live, I shall repay Awf for his words

If I live, I will reward Awf for his saying

With the worst requital, for I found him base.

The worst reward for what I knew of his nature.