دَعا الأَخطَلُ المَلهوفَ بِالشَرِّ دَعوَةً

دَعا الأَخطَلُ المَلهوفَ بِالشَرِّ دَعوَةً

فَأَيُّ مُجيبٍ كُنتُ لَمّا دَعانِيا

فَأَيُّ مُجيبٍ كُنتُ لَمّا دَعانِيا

Al-Akhtal, stricken by misfortune, cried out;

The reckless reveler called to me urgently

and what a responder I was when he called me!

Yet whose call could I heed when summoned thus?

فَفَرَّجَ عَنهُ مَشهَدَ القَومِ مَشهَدي

فَفَرَّجَ عَنهُ مَشهَدَ القَومِ مَشهَدي

وَأَلسِنَةُ اللواشينَ عَنهُ لِسانِيا

وَأَلسِنَةُ اللواشينَ عَنهُ لِسانِيا

My presence delivered him from the people's assembly,

So with my presence I alleviated his plight

and my tongue delivered him from the slanderers' tongues.

And with my tongue I stilled the gossips’ fuss