سَأَلتُ رَبيعَةَ مَن شَرُّها

سَأَلتُ رَبيعَةَ مَن شَرُّها

أَباً ثُمَّ أُمّاً فَقالوا لِمَه

أَباً ثُمَّ أُمّاً فَقالوا لِمَه

I asked Rabīʿah who among them was worst

I asked the tribe of Rabee'ah, who among them was the worst,

by paternal, then maternal descent; they said, 'Why?'

A father or a mother, and they said "What business is that of yours?"

فَقُلتُ لِأَعلَمَ مَن شَرُّكُم

فَقُلتُ لِأَعلَمَ مَن شَرُّكُم

وَأَجعَلَ بِالسَبِّ فيهِ السِمَه

وَأَجعَلَ بِالسَبِّ فيهِ السِمَه

So I said, 'To learn who is worst among you

So I said "I ask in order to know who is the worst among you,

and brand him with abuse.'

And direct my curses toward them specifically."

فَقالوا لِعِكرِمَةَ المُخزِيات

فَقالوا لِعِكرِمَةَ المُخزِيات

وَماذا يَرى الناسُ في عِكرِمَه

وَماذا يَرى الناسُ في عِكرِمَه

They said, 'The shameful deeds belong to ʿIkrimah.'

They said "Ikrimah the Disgraced and the shameful things he has done,

And what do people see in ʿIkrimah?

And what do people see in Ikrimah anyway?"

فَإِن يَكُ عَبداً زَكا مَالُهُ

فَإِن يَكُ عَبداً زَكا مَالُهُ

فَما غَيرُ ذا فيهِ مِن مَكرُمَه

فَما غَيرُ ذا فيهِ مِن مَكرُمَه

For if he is a slave whose wealth has grown,

For if a man be a pious slave, his wealth is pure,

then he has no noble quality besides that.

Unlike this one, who has no honor within him.