كَذبَت مُناكُم صَرّحوا أَو جَمجِموا

كَذبَت مُناكُم صَرّحوا أَو جَمجِموا

الدين أَمتَنُ وَالسَجيَّةُ أَكرَمُ

الدين أَمتَنُ وَالسَجيَّةُ أَكرَمُ

Your hopes have proved false—speak plainly or mutter.

Your promises have lied, state openly or keep silent

My faith is firmer, and my nature nobler.

Religion is more precious, and nobility is most honorable

خُنتُم وَرُمتُم أن أَخون وَرُبَّما

خُنتُم وَرُمتُم أن أَخون وَرُبَّما

حاوَلتُمُ أَن يُستَخَفَّ يَلَملَمُ

حاوَلتُمُ أَن يُستَخَفَّ يَلَملَمُ

You betrayed and wanted me to betray; and perhaps

You have betrayed and thrown that I would betray, and perhaps

you tried to make light of Mount Yalamlam.

You have attempted to take lightly one who brings together

وَأرَدتُمُ تَضييقَ صَدرٍ لَم يَضِق

وَأرَدتُمُ تَضييقَ صَدرٍ لَم يَضِق

وَالسُمرُ في ثُغَر النحورِ تُحَطَّمُ

وَالسُمرُ في ثُغَر النحورِ تُحَطَّمُ

And you sought to constrict a breast that never shrank,

And you wanted to tighten the chest that has not tightened

while brown spears were shattered in the hollows of throats.

And the throats in the mouths of the gullets are crushed

وَزَحَفتُمُ بِمَحالِكُم لِمُجَرّبٍ

وَزَحَفتُمُ بِمَحالِكُم لِمُجَرّبٍ

ما زالَ يَثبُتُ لِلمَحال فَيَهزِمُ

ما زالَ يَثبُتُ لِلمَحال فَيَهزِمُ

And you advanced with your stratagems against a seasoned man

And you crawled with your impossibilities to one experienced

who has always stood firm against stratagems and prevailed.

Who remains steadfast to the impossible then defeats it

أَنّى رَجَوتم غَدرَ من جَرَّبتمُ

أَنّى رَجَوتم غَدرَ من جَرَّبتمُ

مِنهُ الوَفاءَ وَظُلمَ مَن لا يَظلِمُ

مِنهُ الوَفاءَ وَظُلمَ مَن لا يَظلِمُ

How could you hope for treachery from one whose

Whence did you hope for treason from one you have experienced

loyalty you have known, or injustice from one who does no wrong?

Loyalty from, and injustice from one who does not oppress

أَنا ذَلِكُم لا البَغيُ يُثمِرُ غَرسُهُ

أَنا ذَلِكُم لا البَغيُ يُثمِرُ غَرسُهُ

عِندي وَلا مَبنى الصَنيعَة يُهدَمُ

عِندي وَلا مَبنى الصَنيعَة يُهدَمُ

I am that man: oppression's planting bears no fruit

I am that one, not the hateful whose planting bears fruit

with me, nor is the edifice of kindness demolished.

In my eyes, nor the building of favors that crumbles

كُفّو وَإِلّا فاِرقُبوا ليَ بَطشَةً

كُفّو وَإِلّا فاِرقُبوا ليَ بَطشَةً

يُلقى السَفيهُ بِمِثلِها فَيُحلَّمُ

يُلقى السَفيهُ بِمِثلِها فَيُحلَّمُ

Desist, or else await a blow from me,

Refrain, or else expect from me a blow

the like of which befalls a fool and teaches him restraint.

That the foolish are met with the like and melt