لَعَلَّ الدَهرَ أَمضى مِنكَ غَربا

لَعَلَّ الدَهرَ أَمضى مِنكَ غَربا

وَأَقوى في الأُمورِ يَداً وَقَلبا

وَأَقوى في الأُمورِ يَداً وَقَلبا

Perhaps Time is keener-edged than you,

Perhaps time has worn you out,

And stronger in affairs, in hand and heart.

And made you firmer in resolve and heart.

وَمُقلَتُهُ إِذا لَحَظَت حُسامي

وَمُقلَتُهُ إِذا لَحَظَت حُسامي

تَغُضُّ مَهابَةً وَتَفيضُ رُعبا

تَغُضُّ مَهابَةً وَتَفيضُ رُعبا

And its eye, when it glimpses my sword,

And when your glances fall on swords,

Lowers in awe and brims with terror.

You quiver in awe and overflow with fear.

فَكَيفَ وَأَنتَ أَعمى عَن مَقالي

فَكَيفَ وَأَنتَ أَعمى عَن مَقالي

وَلَو عايَنتَهُ لَرَأَيتَ شُهبا

وَلَو عايَنتَهُ لَرَأَيتَ شُهبا

What, then, of you, blind to my words?

How could that be when you are blind to my words?

And had you beheld them, you would have seen shooting stars.

Had you seen him, you would have seen flames.

عَذَرتُكَ أَنتَ أَردى الناسِ أَصلاً

عَذَرتُكَ أَنتَ أَردى الناسِ أَصلاً

وَأَخبَثُ مَنصِباً وَأَذَلُّ جَنبا

وَأَخبَثُ مَنصِباً وَأَذَلُّ جَنبا

I excuse you: you are the basest of men in ancestry,

I excuse you, for you are the basest of men in origin,

And the foulest in lineage and the most abject in standing.

And the most despicable in rank, the weakest in side.

وَأَنتَ أَقَلُّ في عَينَيَّ مِن أَن

وَأَنتَ أَقَلُّ في عَينَيَّ مِن أَن

أَروعَكَ أَو أَشُنُّ عَليكَ حَربا

أَروعَكَ أَو أَشُنُّ عَليكَ حَربا

And in my eyes you are too insignificant

You are, in my eyes, too petty for me to frighten you,

For me to terrify you or wage war against you.

Or to wage war on you.

أَأَعجَبُ مِن خِصامِكَ لي وَجَدّي

أَأَعجَبُ مِن خِصامِكَ لي وَجَدّي

رَسولُ اللَهِ يوسَعُ مِنكَ سَبّا

رَسولُ اللَهِ يوسَعُ مِنكَ سَبّا

Should I marvel at your quarrel with me, when my grandfather,

Does it astonish me that you assail me and my dedication to God's Messenger?

The Messenger of God, is showered with abuse by you?

He who pelted the heavens, no wonder

وَمَن رَجَمَ السَماءَ فَلا عَجيبٌ

وَمَن رَجَمَ السَماءَ فَلا عَجيبٌ

يُقالُ حَثا بِوَجهِ البَدرِ تُربا

يُقالُ حَثا بِوَجهِ البَدرِ تُربا

And for one who has hurled stones at the sky, it is no wonder

That it is said, he spat in the full moon's face.

To be said to have flung dust in the full moon's face.

For if you lampooned, you lampooned a lion,

فَإِنَّكَ إِن هَجَوتَ هَجَوتَ لَيثاً

فَإِنَّكَ إِن هَجَوتَ هَجَوتَ لَيثاً

وَإِنّي إِن هَجَوتُ هَجَوتُ كَلبا

وَإِنّي إِن هَجَوتُ هَجَوتُ كَلبا

For if you revile me, you revile a lion;

While if I lampoon you, I lampoon a dog.

And if I revile you, I revile a dog.