أَباهِلَ لَو أَنَّ الأَنامَ تَنافَروا

أَباهِلَ لَو أَنَّ الأَنامَ تَنافَروا

عَلى أَيِّهِم شَرٌّ قَديماً وَأَلأَمُ

عَلى أَيِّهِم شَرٌّ قَديماً وَأَلأَمُ

O Bahila, if humankind competed

How dreadful, if people in hostility strove,

over which of them was worst of old and basest,

Debating which of them were eviler long ago,

لَفازَ لَكُم سَهماً لَئيمٍ عَلَيهِمُ

لَفازَ لَكُم سَهماً لَئيمٍ عَلَيهِمُ

وَلَو كانَتِ العَجلانُ فيهِم وَجُرهُمُ

وَلَو كانَتِ العَجلانُ فيهِم وَجُرهُمُ

a base man's two arrows would surely win for you against them,

You two would win them a vile arrow

even if al-Ajlan and Jurhum were among them.

Even if folly and foolishness were in them.

فَأَيُّكُما يا اِبنَي دُخانٍ إِذا دَعا

فَأَيُّكُما يا اِبنَي دُخانٍ إِذا دَعا

إِلى اللُؤمِ داعٍ عَنكُما يَتَقَدَّمُ

إِلى اللُؤمِ داعٍ عَنكُما يَتَقَدَّمُ

Then which of you two, O sons of Dukhan, when a summons comes

So which of you, O sons of smoke, when called

to baseness from a caller, steps forward for you both?

To vileness by a summoner preceding you,

فَما مِنكُمُ إِلّا وَفِيٌّ رِهانَهُ

فَما مِنكُمُ إِلّا وَفِيٌّ رِهانَهُ

بِأَلأَمِ مِن يَمشي وَمَن يَتَكَلَّمُ

بِأَلأَمِ مِن يَمشي وَمَن يَتَكَلَّمُ

For every one of you makes good his wager

Would not proceed, with his pledge already lost

as the basest of all who walk and all who speak.

Through the pain of any who walks or speaks?