إِكسَعِ البِصرِيَّ إِن لا قَيتَهُ

إِكسَعِ البِصرِيَّ إِن لا قَيتَهُ

إِنَّما يُكسَعُ مَن قَلَّ وَذَل

إِنَّما يُكسَعُ مَن قَلَّ وَذَل

Strike the Basran on the backside if you meet him.

Rebuke Iksah the Basran, if you do not fear him,

Only the lowly and abased are struck that way.

Only he who is lowly and abject will show tolerance.

وَاِجعَلِ الكوفِيَّ في الخَيلِ وَلا

وَاِجعَلِ الكوفِيَّ في الخَيلِ وَلا

تَجعَلِ البَصرِيَّ إِلّا في النَفَل

تَجعَلِ البَصرِيَّ إِلّا في النَفَل

And place the Kufan among the cavalry, and do not

Assign the Kufan to (the care of) horses, and do not

place the Basran anywhere but among the spoils.

Appoint the Basran except to spinning.

أَفَخَرتُم أَن قَتَلتُم أَعبُداً

أَفَخَرتُم أَن قَتَلتُم أَعبُداً

وَهَزَمتُم مَرَّةً آلَ عَزَل

وَهَزَمتُم مَرَّةً آلَ عَزَل

Do you boast that you killed slaves

Are you boasting that you killed 'Abd

and once defeated the clan of ʿAzal?

And once defeated the family of 'Azal?

نَحنُ سُقناهُم إِلَيكُم عُنوَةً

نَحنُ سُقناهُم إِلَيكُم عُنوَةً

وَجَمَعنا أَمرَكُم بَعدَ فَشَل

وَجَمَعنا أَمرَكُم بَعدَ فَشَل

We drove them to you by force,

We drove them forcibly to you,

and united your ranks after failure.

And united your affairs after failure.

فَإِذا فاخَرتُمونا فَاِذكُروا

فَإِذا فاخَرتُمونا فَاِذكُروا

ما فَعلَنا بِكُمُ يَومَ الجَمَل

ما فَعلَنا بِكُمُ يَومَ الجَمَل

So when you vie with us in boasting, remember

So if you boast against us, recall

what we did to you on the Day of the Camel—

What we did to you on the day of the Camel,

بَينَ شَيخٍ خاضِبٍ عُثنونَهُ

بَينَ شَيخٍ خاضِبٍ عُثنونَهُ

وَفَتىً أَبيَضَ وَضّاحٍ رِفَل

وَفَتىً أَبيَضَ وَضّاحٍ رِفَل

to both an old man who dyed his beard

Between an elderly man with dyed hair, 'Uthman,

and a fair, radiant, swaggering youth.

And a fair youth, radiant and delicate, Rifa'l.

جاءَنا يَرفُلُ في سابِغَةٍ

جاءَنا يَرفُلُ في سابِغَةٍ

فَذَبَحناهُ ضُحىً ذَبحَ الحَمَل

فَذَبَحناهُ ضُحىً ذَبحَ الحَمَل

He came to us strutting in a full coat of mail,

He came prancing about in a dyed garment,

so we slaughtered him at midmorning like a lamb.

So we slaughtered him at morning like a fattened lamb.

وَعَفَونا فَنَسيتُم عَفوَنا

وَعَفَونا فَنَسيتُم عَفوَنا

وَكَفَرتُم نِعمَةَ اللَهِ الأَجَل

وَكَفَرتُم نِعمَةَ اللَهِ الأَجَل

And we pardoned you, yet you forgot our pardon,

We pardoned you, but you forgot our pardoning

and were ungrateful for the blessing of God, the Most Exalted.

And showed ingratitude for Allah's sublime favor.

وَقَتَلتُم خَشَبِيّينَ بِهِم

وَقَتَلتُم خَشَبِيّينَ بِهِم

بَدَلاً مِن قَومِكُم شَرَّ بَدَل

بَدَلاً مِن قَومِكُم شَرَّ بَدَل

And you killed Khashabīs in requital for them,

And you killed two Khushabiites wrongfully instead

in exchange for your people—the worst of exchanges.

Of your own people - the worst exchange!