يَأَيُّهَذا الكاتِبُ المُستَثقَلُ

يَأَيُّهَذا الكاتِبُ المُستَثقَلُ

مِن حَقِّ مِثلِكَ أَن يَكونَ يُمَثَّلُ

مِن حَقِّ مِثلِكَ أَن يَكونَ يُمَثَّلُ

O you burdensome scribe,

O writer weighed down with rights

one like you deserves to be made an example of.

It is fitting for the likes of you to be represented

لا حَظَّ تُحسِنُ تُصَحِّحَهُ وَلا

لا حَظَّ تُحسِنُ تُصَحِّحَهُ وَلا

عَقدُ الحِسابِ عَلى بَنانِكَ يَسهُلُ

عَقدُ الحِسابِ عَلى بَنانِكَ يَسهُلُ

You cannot set an allotment right, nor

You have no luck in correcting well

does reckoning on your fingertips come easily.

Nor is accounting against you easy

فَبِاَيِّما شَيءٍ تَتيهُ أَبِن لَنا

فَبِاَيِّما شَيءٍ تَتيهُ أَبِن لَنا

حَتّى يَكونَ العُذرُ فيهِ يُقبَلُ

حَتّى يَكونَ العُذرُ فيهِ يُقبَلُ

So what do you pride yourself on? Make it clear to us,

With what are you confused, my son, tell us

so that an excuse for it might be accepted.

So the excuse therein may be accepted

أَقسَمتُ لَولا أَنَّ صَفعَكَ ذِلَّةٌ

أَقسَمتُ لَولا أَنَّ صَفعَكَ ذِلَّةٌ

لِلفاعِلينَ وَعِزَّةٌ لَكَ تَحصُلُ

لِلفاعِلينَ وَعِزَّةٌ لَكَ تَحصُلُ

I swear, were it not that slapping you is a humiliation

I swear, if not for the fact that slapping you is

for those who do it, and an honor accruing to you,

Humiliating for the doers and honor for you results

لَتَرَكتَ رَأسَكَ بِالغَواشي عِبرَةً

لَتَرَكتَ رَأسَكَ بِالغَواشي عِبرَةً

لَكِنَّني مِن ذا أَجَلُّ وَأَفضَلُ

لَكِنَّني مِن ذا أَجَلُّ وَأَفضَلُ

your head would have been left a warning beneath overwhelming blows;

You would have left your head to the hyenas a lesson

but I am nobler and better than that.

But I am more noble and superior than that