وَيَغتابُني مَن لَو كَفانِيَ غَيبَهُ

وَيَغتابُني مَن لَو كَفانِيَ غَيبَهُ

لَكُنتُ لَهُ العَينَ البَصيرَةَ وَالأُذنا

لَكُنتُ لَهُ العَينَ البَصيرَةَ وَالأُذنا

And had the one who backbites me spared me his slander,

He blames me, he whose absence would suffice me

I would have been his keen-sighted eye and ear.

Had I been for him the seeing eye and ear

وَعِندي مِنَ الأَخبارِ مالَو ذَكَرتُهُ

وَعِندي مِنَ الأَخبارِ مالَو ذَكَرتُهُ

إِذاً قَرَعَ المُغتابُ مِن نَدَمٍ سِنّا

إِذاً قَرَعَ المُغتابُ مِن نَدَمٍ سِنّا

And I have news—were I to mention it,

And I have news which, were I to reveal it

then the backbiter would gnash his teeth in regret.

Then the blamer would strike his teeth in regret