أَدَمتَ لِعَمري شَريَكَ المَحضَ صابِحاً

أَدَمتَ لِعَمري شَريَكَ المَحضَ صابِحاً

وَأَكَلَكَ بَالزُبدِ المُقَشَرَةِ البُحرا

وَأَكَلَكَ بَالزُبدِ المُقَشَرَةِ البُحرا

By my life, Sharik, you had pure milk as your morning relish,

You have saddled my whole life with an utter fool,

By my life, you have seasoned your pure morning milk with bitter colocynth,

and your fare was peeled Buhr dates with butter.

Who eats you up as the peeled scum of the sea,

And your feasting upon peeled dates with fresh butter;

وَنَحنُ وَهَبناكَ العَلاءَ وَلَم تَكُن

وَنَحنُ وَهَبناكَ العَلاءَ وَلَم تَكُن

عَلِيّاً وَحَطَنا حَولَكَ الجُردَ وَالسُمرا

عَلِيّاً وَحَطَنا حَولَكَ الجُردَ وَالسُمرا

We bestowed eminence upon you, though you had not been

While we have given you sublime heights, though you were not

For we granted you eminence when you were not

exalted, and stationed sleek horses and brown spears around you.

Exalted, and have placed about you bay and sumac.

Eminent, and we surrounded you with thoroughbreds and tawny spears.