في اليَأسِ لي عِزٌّ كَفاني ذُلّي

في اليَأسِ لي عِزٌّ كَفاني ذُلّي

يَشرِكُني في المَوتِ كُلُّ خِلِّ

يَشرِكُني في المَوتِ كُلُّ خِلِّ

In despair I have dignity that has spared me humiliation.

In despair my honor is enough for me, it is enough for my humiliation

Every close friend shares death with me.

Every friend shares with me in death

وَلَستُ مِمَّن فَضلُهُ مِن فَضلي

وَلَستُ مِمَّن فَضلُهُ مِن فَضلي

وَالسَيفُ راعٍ إِبِلي في المَحلِ

وَالسَيفُ راعٍ إِبِلي في المَحلِ

Nor am I one whose generosity comes from my surplus.

And I am not of those whom his excellence made better than mine

And the sword herds my camels in times of drought.

The sword pastures my camels in the resting place

يَسوقُها إِلى قُدورٍ تَغلي

يَسوقُها إِلى قُدورٍ تَغلي

تُرقِلُ فيها بِالقُدورِ الجُزلِ

تُرقِلُ فيها بِالقُدورِ الجُزلِ

It drives them toward boiling cauldrons.

It takes them to pots boiling

They trot within them, in the great cauldrons,

Where their thick meat boils in the large pots

إِرقالُها وَالسَيرُ تَحتَ الرَحلِ

إِرقالُها وَالسَيرُ تَحتَ الرَحلِ

رَأَيتُ بِالجودِ عُيوبَ البُخلِ

رَأَيتُ بِالجودِ عُيوبَ البُخلِ

As they trotted while traveling beneath the saddle.

Their boiling and traveling under the saddle

Through generosity I saw the faults of miserliness.

I saw through generosity the faults of stinginess