ما تَنظُرونَ بِحَقِّ وَردَةَ فيكُمُ

ما تَنظُرونَ بِحَقِّ وَردَةَ فيكُمُ

صَغُرَ البَنونَ وَرَهطُ وَردَةَ غُيَّبُ

صَغُرَ البَنونَ وَرَهطُ وَردَةَ غُيَّبُ

What are you waiting for concerning Warda's due among you?

You do not see, by the right of Wardeh among you,

The sons are young, and Warda's kinsmen are absent.

The little ones and Wardeh's kinsmen are absent,

قَد يَبعَثُ الأَمرَ العَظيمَ صَغيرُهُ

قَد يَبعَثُ الأَمرَ العَظيمَ صَغيرُهُ

حَتّى تَظَلَّ لَهُ الدِماءُ تَصَبَّبُ

حَتّى تَظَلَّ لَهُ الدِماءُ تَصَبَّبُ

A small matter may stir up a great one,

The great matter may be started by the little one,

Until blood keeps pouring because of it.

Until blood continues to flow for him,

وَالظُلمُ فَرَّقَ بَينَ حَيَّي وائِلٍ

وَالظُلمُ فَرَّقَ بَينَ حَيَّي وائِلٍ

بَكرٌ تُساقيها المَنايا تَغلِبُ

بَكرٌ تُساقيها المَنايا تَغلِبُ

And injustice divided the two tribes of Wa'il:

And injustice separated between Hayy and Wail,

Bakr and Taghlib trade draughts of death.

The young camels are made to drink death and overwhelmed,

قَد يورِدُ الظُلمُ المُبَيَّنُ آجِناً

قَد يورِدُ الظُلمُ المُبَيَّنُ آجِناً

مِلحاً يُخالَطُ بِالذُعافِ وَيُقشَبُ

مِلحاً يُخالَطُ بِالذُعافِ وَيُقشَبُ

Manifest injustice may lead one to stagnant water,

Injustice may bring ripe fruits that

Salty, mixed with deadly poison and tainted.

Mix with chaff and are picked unripe,

وَقِرافُ مَن لا يَستَفيقُ دَعارَةً

وَقِرافُ مَن لا يَستَفيقُ دَعارَةً

يُعدي كَما يُعدي الصَحيحَ الأَجرَبُ

يُعدي كَما يُعدي الصَحيحَ الأَجرَبُ

And consorting with one who never recovers from wickedness

And the shame of one who does not awaken is infectious,

Is contagious, as the mangy infects the healthy.

Like the healthy infects the one-eyed,

وَالإِثمُ داءٌ لَيسَ يُرجى بُرؤُهُ

وَالإِثمُ داءٌ لَيسَ يُرجى بُرؤُهُ

وَالبِرُّ بُرءٌ لَيسَ فيهِ مَعطَبُ

وَالبِرُّ بُرءٌ لَيسَ فيهِ مَعطَبُ

And sin is a disease whose cure is not hoped for,

Sin is an ailment whose cure cannot be hoped for,

And righteousness is a cure that holds no peril.

While righteousness is a cure in which there is no defect,

وَالصِدقُ يَألَفُهُ الكَريمُ المُرتَجى

وَالصِدقُ يَألَفُهُ الكَريمُ المُرتَجى

وَالكِذبُ يَألَفَهُ الدَنيءُ الأَخيَبُ

وَالكِذبُ يَألَفَهُ الدَنيءُ الأَخيَبُ

And truthfulness is cherished by the noble man in whom hopes are placed,

Truth is befriended by the honorable hoped-for one,

And falsehood is cherished by the base man who most disappoints.

While falsehood is befriended by the despised failure,

وَلَقَد بَدا لِيَ أَنَّهُ سَيَغولُني

وَلَقَد بَدا لِيَ أَنَّهُ سَيَغولُني

ما غالَ عاداً وَالقُرونَ فَأَشعَبوا

ما غالَ عاداً وَالقُرونَ فَأَشعَبوا

And indeed it has become clear to me that I shall be destroyed

And it has become clear to me that he will overcome me,

By what destroyed ʿAd and the generations, who then departed.

What overcame Aad and the generations, so they branched out,

أَدّوا الحُقوقَ تَفِر لَكُم أَعراضُكُم

أَدّوا الحُقوقَ تَفِر لَكُم أَعراضُكُم

إِنَّ الكَريمَ إِذا يُحَرَّبُ يَغضَبُ

إِنَّ الكَريمَ إِذا يُحَرَّبُ يَغضَبُ

Render what is due, and your honor will remain intact;

Fulfill the rights and your honor will be spared for you,

Indeed, the noble man grows angry when he is despoiled.

For the honorable, when warred upon, gets angry.