فإن قُلتمْ أبونا عبدُ شمسٍ

فإن قُلتمْ أبونا عبدُ شمسٍ

فإنّ الزَنجَ من أولادِ نوحِ

فإنّ الزَنجَ من أولادِ نوحِ

So if you say, “Our father is ʿAbd Shams,”

If you say our father is Abd al-Shams

then indeed the Zanj are among Noah’s descendants.

Then the Zanj are among the sons of Noah

هما غُصنانِ من أصلٍ جميعاً

هما غُصنانِ من أصلٍ جميعاً

ولكنْ ليس نَبعٌ مثلَ شِيحِ

ولكنْ ليس نَبعٌ مثلَ شِيحِ

They are two branches from a single root,

They are both branches of one root

but a bow-wood tree is not like wormwood.

But no spring is like Shi'b