مِنّي إِلى المُتَكَبِّر

مِنّي إِلى المُتَكَبِّر

وَالشامِخِ المُتَجَبِّر

وَالشامِخِ المُتَجَبِّر

From me to the arrogant one,

From me to the arrogant

From me to the arrogant one,

and the haughty, domineering one,

And the tyrannical oppressor

To the lofty, haughty tyrant,

وَشاتِمي حينَ يَخلو

وَشاتِمي حينَ يَخلو

وَلاعِني حينَ يَعثُر

وَلاعِني حينَ يَعثُر

and who insults me when he is alone,

And those who insult me when alone

Who reviles me when he is alone,

and curses me when he stumbles;

And curse me when they stumble

And curses me whenever he stumbles,

رِلى المُعَرِّضِ بِالبُغ

رِلى المُعَرِّضِ بِالبُغ

ضِ لي وَإِن لَم يُفَسِّر

ضِ لي وَإِن لَم يُفَسِّر

[To] the one who hints at hatred

To those who turn away from me with hatred

To the one hinting at hatred toward me,

for me, though he does not spell it out.

Even if they do not explain

Even if he does not explain it clearly.

فَإِن شَكَوتُ إِلَيهِ

فَإِن شَكَوتُ إِلَيهِ

ما قَد جَرى مِنهُ أَنكَر

ما قَد جَرى مِنهُ أَنكَر

So if I complain to him

If I complain to them

For if I complain to him

of what he has done, he denies it.

About what happened from them they deny

About the harshness he has committed, he denies it.

أَصابَ وِدَّكَ عَينٌ

أَصابَ وِدَّكَ عَينٌ

يا سَيِّدي فَتَغَيَّر

يا سَيِّدي فَتَغَيَّر

An evil eye struck your affection,

Your love has changed, my lord

The Evil Eye has struck your affection,

O my master, and it changed.

So you have changed

O my master, and so it has changed.

فَصِرتَ قائِدَ خُلفٍ

فَصِرتَ قائِدَ خُلفٍ

تَسوقُ في الهَجرِ عَسكَر

تَسوقُ في الهَجرِ عَسكَر

So you became a commander of opposition;

You have become a leader of dissent

You have become a commander of discord,

you lead an army in estrangement.

Marching estrangement's army

Driving an army of abandonment.

فَإِن أَقُل قِف يَسِر أَو

فَإِن أَقُل قِف يَسِر أَو

أَقُل تَقَدَّم تَأَخَّر

أَقُل تَقَدَّم تَأَخَّر

So if I say, 'Stop,' he moves on; or

If I say stop or proceed

If I say "Halt," he marches on, or

I say, 'Advance,' and he retreats.

Or say go forward or go back

If I say "Advance," he falls back.

كَطالِبٍ مَثَلاً قي

كَطالِبٍ مَثَلاً قي

لَ خالِفِ القَومَ تُذكَر

لَ خالِفِ القَومَ تُذكَر

Like a seeker, for example, who was

Like a student who is told

Like one seeking the proverb that was told:

told, 'Oppose the people, and you will be remembered.'

Oppose the people and you will be mentioned

"Oppose the people, and you will be renowned."

إِن كَبَّرَ الناسُ غَنّى

إِن كَبَّرَ الناسُ غَنّى

وَإِن تَغَنَّوا يَكبَر

وَإِن تَغَنَّوا يَكبَر

If the people proclaim God's greatness, he sings,

If people boast of wealth

If people chant "God is Great," he sings,

and if they sing, he proclaims God's greatness.

And if they are wealthy they become arrogant

And if they sing, he chants "God is Great."

خِلافُ أَكشَفَ ذي دا

خِلافُ أَكشَفَ ذي دا

رَتَينِ في الناسِ أَعسَر

رَتَينِ في الناسِ أَعسَر

The contrariness of a cowlicked man with two

Difference has uncovered two

The contrariness of a balding man with two cowlicks

hair-whorls, left-handed among men.

Very difficult sides of people

Is, among people, the most difficult of all.

فَلَستُ أَنسى خِداعي

فَلَستُ أَنسى خِداعي

لَهُ وَإِن كانَ يُنكِر

لَهُ وَإِن كانَ يُنكِر

So I do not forget my trickery

I will not forget how he deceived me

I shall not forget my deception

on him, though he denies it:

Even if he denies it

Of him, even if he denies it,

إِذ قُلتُ مِن أَينَ لِلعَي

إِذ قُلتُ مِن أَينَ لِلعَي

نِ يا فَدَيتُكَ أَصغَر

نِ يا فَدَيتُكَ أَصغَر

when I said, 'How can the eye—

When I said where are these eyes from, my dear

When I asked, "How is it that the eye

O you whom I would ransom—be smaller?'

And I said no eyes doubt you my bigger

—May I be your ransom—is smaller?"

وَقُلتُ ما شَكَّ في ذا

وَقُلتُ ما شَكَّ في ذا

سِواكَ عَينِيَ أَكبَر

سِواكَ عَينِيَ أَكبَر

And I said, 'No one doubts this

And I said I have said nothing

And I said, "No one doubts this

but you: my eye is larger.'

Bring it here so we can judge

Except you; yet my eye is larger."

وَقُلتُ ما قُلتُ شَيئاً

وَقُلتُ ما قُلتُ شَيئاً

فَهاتِ حَتّى نُقَدِّر

فَهاتِ حَتّى نُقَدِّر

And I said, 'I have said nothing;

Until when the eyes shut above my cheek to look

And I said, "I have not spoken falsely,

so bring it here, that we may measure.'

I stole a kiss from a gazelle

So come, let us measure it."

حَتّى إِذا أَطبَقَ العَي

حَتّى إِذا أَطبَقَ العَي

نَ فَوقَ خَدّي لِيَنظُر

نَ فَوقَ خَدّي لِيَنظُر

Until, when he pressed his eye

Going along chewing sugar

Until, when he pressed his eye

upon my cheek to look,

From that he turned yellow and his face turned red

Against my cheek to look closely,

خَلَستُ قُبلَةَ ظَبيٍ

خَلَستُ قُبلَةَ ظَبيٍ

قَد راحَ ماضِغُ سُكَّر

قَد راحَ ماضِغُ سُكَّر

I stole a kiss from a gazelle

I stole the kiss of a gazelle

who had been chewing sugar.

Who had just been chewing sugar.

فَاِصفَرَّ مِن ذاكَ وَاِحمَر

فَاِصفَرَّ مِن ذاكَ وَاِحمَر

رَ لَونُهُ وَتَمَعَّر

رَ لَونُهُ وَتَمَعَّر

So he turned yellow at that, and his complexion

He turned pale from that, then red;

reddened, and he scowled.

His color flushed, and he fumed with rage.