قتلتَ يا مُقبلُ كلباً عوى

قتلتَ يا مُقبلُ كلباً عوى

لجهله ليتَك واريْتَهْ

لجهله ليتَك واريْتَهْ

You killed, O Muqbil, a dog that howled

You killed, O Mukbil, a howling dog,

out of ignorance; if only you had buried it.

You should have concealed him in ignorance.

فاحَ من النَّتنِ فأَعْمَيتنا

فاحَ من النَّتنِ فأَعْمَيتنا

منه كما بالصَّكِّ أَعْميتَه

منه كما بالصَّكِّ أَعْميتَه

It reeked with stench, and you blinded us

The stench of decay rose from him and blinded us,

with it, just as you blinded it with a blow.

As a document blinded him.

قتلته بالنعل ضَرْباً ولو

قتلته بالنعل ضَرْباً ولو

شِئْتَ بضربِ الأَير أَحْيَيْته

شِئْتَ بضربِ الأَير أَحْيَيْته

You killed it with blows of a sandal; and had

You struck him dead with a sandal, though if

you wished, you would have revived it with a stroke of the cock.

You wished, you could have revived him with a blow.