وَمُغَرِّدَينِ تَجاوَبا في مَجلِسٍ

وَمُغَرِّدَينِ تَجاوَبا في مَجلِسٍ

مَنَعوهُما لِأَذاهُما الأَقوامُ

مَنَعوهُما لِأَذاهُما الأَقوامُ

And two singers answered each other in a gathering;

Two songbirds chirped back and forth at a gathering

The people stopped them both because of the annoyance they caused.

But people forbid it, finding their sounds offensive

هَذا يَجودُ بِعَكسٍ ما يَأتي بِهِ

هَذا يَجودُ بِعَكسٍ ما يَأتي بِهِ

هَذا فَيُحمَدُ ذا وَذاكَ يُلامُ

هَذا فَيُحمَدُ ذا وَذاكَ يُلامُ

This one gives forth the opposite of what

One gives freely the opposite of what he receives

The other produces; so this one is praised, and that one is blamed.

He is praised while the other is blamed