وَمُشاحِنٍ ذي بِغضَةٍ وَقَرابَةٍ

وَمُشاحِنٍ ذي بِغضَةٍ وَقَرابَةٍ

يُزجي لِأَقرَبِهِ عَقارِبَ لُسَّعا

يُزجي لِأَقرَبِهِ عَقارِبَ لُسَّعا

And many a hostile man, full of hatred yet a kinsman,

With an enemy of hatred and kinship

Sends stinging scorpions to his nearest kin.

Who unleashes scorpion stings upon his own

يَسعى لِيَهدِمَ ما بَنَيتُ وَإِنَّني

يَسعى لِيَهدِمَ ما بَنَيتُ وَإِنَّني

لَمُشَيِّدٌ بُنيانَهُ المُتَضَعضِعا

لَمُشَيِّدٌ بُنيانَهُ المُتَضَعضِعا

He strives to tear down what I have built, while I

He strives to demolish what I have built

Am surely building up his tottering edifice.

While I construct what he has ruined

وَإِذا سُرِرتُ يَسوءُهُ ما سَرَّني

وَإِذا سُرِرتُ يَسوءُهُ ما سَرَّني

وَيَرى المَسَرَّةَ مَروَتي أَن تُقرَعا

وَيَرى المَسَرَّةَ مَروَتي أَن تُقرَعا

And when I rejoice, what gladdens me grieves him,

When I rejoice, my joy irks him

And he finds delight in my flintstone being struck.

He sees my delight as needing a beating

وَإِذا عَثَرتُ يَقولُ إِنّي شامِتٌ

وَإِذا عَثَرتُ يَقولُ إِنّي شامِتٌ

وَأَقولُ حينَ أَراهُ يَعثُرَ دَعدَعا

وَأَقولُ حينَ أَراهُ يَعثُرَ دَعدَعا

And when I stumble, he says, 'Indeed, I gloat!'

If I stumble, he says I am gloating

And I say, when I see him stumble, 'Rise again!'

I say, seeing him stumble, let him flounder