ياO أيهاyou (vocative) الشرّفُSharaf (honor) الذيof whom قدindeed قُلتُI said إذwhen
يا أيها الشرّفُ الذي قد قُلتُ إذ
ضَربوهُthey beat him ظُلماًunjustly والورىand humankind تَتَظلّمُcomplains of injustice
ضَربوهُ ظُلماً والورى تَتَظلّمُ
O Sharaf, of whom I said when
O noble one, whom I have said, when
they beat him unjustly, while humankind cried out against injustice,
They unjustly struck him, and the world complains
بمقارعٍwith whips فيin شَيْبهاtheir gray hair هَرمُdecrepitude الفتىthe young man
بمقارعٍ في شَيْبها هَرمُ الفتى
مَبْرومةٍtightly twisted فَهْيَso they are البلاءُthe affliction المبَرمُinexorable
مَبْرومةٍ فَهْيَ البلاءُ المبَرمُ
with whips, in whose gray hair lies a young man's decrepitude,
With the blows, in its old age the youth grows decrepit
tightly twisted—so they are an inexorable affliction:
Afflicted, so it is the absolute affliction
لاnot يسلَمُis safe الشّرفُhonor الرفيعlofty منfrom الأذىharm
لا يسلَمُ الشّرفُ الرفيع من الأذى
حتىuntil يراقَis shed علىupon جوانبهits sides الدّمُthe blood
حتى يراقَ على جوانبه الدّمُ
Lofty honor is not safe from harm
Honor does not remain unharmed from harm
until blood is shed upon its sides.
Until blood flows down its sides