أَلا مُبلِغٌ عَنّي المَهينَ اِبنَ عُروَةٍ

أَلا مُبلِغٌ عَنّي المَهينَ اِبنَ عُروَةٍ

مَقالَةَ خِلٍّ ذي وِدادٍ وَذي إِنسِ

مَقالَةَ خِلٍّ ذي وِدادٍ وَذي إِنسِ

Will someone convey from me to the contemptible Ibn Urwah

Will not a messenger convey to the ignoble son of 'Urwa

the words of a friend full of affection and familiarity?

The speech of a sincere friend, full of love and intimacy:

أَنِفتَ وَقَد صارَت مَعِ اِبنِكِ إِبنَةٌ

أَنِفتَ وَقَد صارَت مَعِ اِبنِكِ إِبنَةٌ

فَمِلتَ عَليهِ بِالعُقوبَةِ وَالحَبسِ

فَمِلتَ عَليهِ بِالعُقوبَةِ وَالحَبسِ

You took offense when your son developed a taste for passive sodomy,

You were averse when your son begot a daughter with his,

so you turned on him with punishment and imprisonment.

So you punished and imprisoned him for it.

مَتى صِرتَ تَأبى لا أَباكَ دَنِيَّةً

مَتى صِرتَ تَأبى لا أَباكَ دَنِيَّةً

وَأَنتَ لَئيمُ الأَصلِ وَالفَرعِ وَالنَفسِ

وَأَنتَ لَئيمُ الأَصلِ وَالفَرعِ وَالنَفسِ

When did you begin to reject baseness—may you have no father—

Since when have you disdained what your own father deemed trivial,

while you are vile in root, branch, and soul?

While you are of despicable origin, lineage, and soul?

وَكَيفَ كَرِهتَ اليَومَ مِنهُ سَجِيَّةً

وَكَيفَ كَرِهتَ اليَومَ مِنهُ سَجِيَّةً

وَقَد كُنتَ تَرضاها لِنَفسِكَ بِالأَمسِ

وَقَد كُنتَ تَرضاها لِنَفسِكَ بِالأَمسِ

And how could you hate a trait in him today

How could you today abhor from him a trait

that you approved for yourself only yesterday?

That you accepted in yourself yesterday?