قُل لِبَني الأَشعَثِ لَن تُصلِحوا

قُل لِبَني الأَشعَثِ لَن تُصلِحوا

بِاللَومِ عِندي أَمرَ عَبّاسِ

بِاللَومِ عِندي أَمرَ عَبّاسِ

Tell the sons of al-Ashʿath: you will not mend

Tell the sons of Al-Ash'ath, your blaming

Say to the sons of Ash'ath: you will never set right,

ʿAbbas's ways, in my view, through reproach,

Will not improve Abbas's affair with me,

By chiding me, the wretched matter of Abbas,

حَتّى تَرُدُّهُ إِلى رَبِّهِ

حَتّى تَرُدُّهُ إِلى رَبِّهِ

يَطبَعُهُ خَلقاً مِنَ الراسِ

يَطبَعُهُ خَلقاً مِنَ الراسِ

Until you return him to his Lord

Until you return him to his Lord

Not until you return him to his Lord,

To mold him anew from the beginning.

To shape him a nature of benevolence.

To mold his nature anew from the very start.

أَلومُ عَبّاساً عَلى بُخلِهِ

أَلومُ عَبّاساً عَلى بُخلِهِ

كَأَنَّ عَبّاساً مِنَ الناسِ

كَأَنَّ عَبّاساً مِنَ الناسِ

I reproach ʿAbbas for his stinginess,

Blaming Abbas for his stinginess

I cast blame on Abbas for his stinginess,

As though ʿAbbas were one of humankind;

Is as though Abbas were of all people,

As though Abbas were truly of human kind;

وَإِنَّما العَبّاسُ في قَومِهِ

وَإِنَّما العَبّاسُ في قَومِهِ

كَالثومِ بَينَ الوَردِ وَالآسِ

كَالثومِ بَينَ الوَردِ وَالآسِ

Yet al-ʿAbbas among his people is merely

Yet Abbas among his people

But Abbas is, among his noble kin,

Like garlic among roses and myrtle.

Is but garlic amidst roses and myrtle.

Like garlic amidst the roses and the myrtle.