يا عمرو إِنّكَ قد قَشَرْتَ لي العَصَا

يا عمرو إِنّكَ قد قَشَرْتَ لي العَصَا

برضاكَ في وسط العجاجِ بِرازِي

برضاكَ في وسط العجاجِ بِرازِي

O ʿAmr, you have indeed stripped the staff bare for me,

O Amro, you have indeed stripped my stick

by approving my single combat amid the battle-dust.

With your consent amid the turbulent throng

يا عمرو إنّكَ قد أشَرْتَ بِظِنّةٍ

يا عمرو إنّكَ قد أشَرْتَ بِظِنّةٍ

إِنّ المبارِزَ كالجُدَيّ النّازِي

إِنّ المبارِزَ كالجُدَيّ النّازِي

O ʿAmr, you have indeed offered counsel with suspect intent:

O Amro, you have indeed hinted with suspicion

truly, the duelist is like a leaping little goat.

That the jouster is like the prowling hyena

ما للملوكِ وللبِرَازِ وإنّما

ما للملوكِ وللبِرَازِ وإنّما

حَتْفُ المبارز خَطْفةٌ لبازي

حَتْفُ المبارز خَطْفةٌ لبازي

What have kings to do with single combat? Indeed,

Kings and jousting do not go together

the duelist's death is but a hawk's snatch.

The jouster's fate is to be prey for the lurker

ولقد أعدتَ فقلتُ مَزْحَةُ مَازِحٍ

ولقد أعدتَ فقلتُ مَزْحَةُ مَازِحٍ

والمزح يَحْمِلُهُ مَقَالُ الهازي

والمزح يَحْمِلُهُ مَقَالُ الهازي

And indeed you repeated it, so I said: a joker's jest;

And you have resolved and said a jester's joke

and jesting is conveyed by the mocker's words.

Yet joking words come from the wily deceiver

فإذا الذي مَنّتْكَ نَفْسُك خالياً

فإذا الذي مَنّتْكَ نَفْسُك خالياً

قتلِي جَزَاكَ بِمَا نَويْتَ الجازي

قتلِي جَزَاكَ بِمَا نَويْتَ الجازي

But lo, what your soul promised you when you were alone

So when your self, which you favored, leaves you bare

was my death. May the Requiter repay you for what you intended.

May your reward for your intent be death, O treacherous one

فلقد كَشَفْتَ قِنَاعها مَذْمُومَةً

فلقد كَشَفْتَ قِنَاعها مَذْمُومَةً

ولقد لبستَ بها ثيابَ الخَازِي

ولقد لبستَ بها ثيابَ الخَازِي

So you have indeed lifted its veil, exposing it to censure,

You have indeed uncovered its blemished face

and indeed, through it you have donned the garments of the disgraced.

And with it you have worn the garb of the cunning imposter