أَيَا شَيخَ الشُّيُوخِ بِلاَ خِلاَفِ

أَيَا شَيخَ الشُّيُوخِ بِلاَ خِلاَفِ

ويَا شَيخَ التَّدَارُكِ والتَّلافي

ويَا شَيخَ التَّدَارُكِ والتَّلافي

O sheikh of sheikhs, beyond dispute,

O sheikh of sheikhs, with no dissent,

And O sheikh of remedy and redress,

O sheikh of restoring and compensating,

أتَينَا زَائِرِينَ نُرِيدُ جَافاً

أتَينَا زَائِرِينَ نُرِيدُ جَافاً

ولَسنَا زَائِرِينَ لِغَيرِ جََافِ

ولَسنَا زَائِرِينَ لِغَيرِ جََافِ

We have come as visitors, seeking a jāf,

We came as visitors seeking refuge,

And we visit for nothing but a jāf.

And we didn’t come as visitors for other than refuge.

فَإن كَانَت لكم لِمَمٌ حِسَانٌ

فَإن كَانَت لكم لِمَمٌ حِسَانٌ

فَإنَّ لنا كَخَافِيَةِ الغُدَافِ

فَإنَّ لنا كَخَافِيَةِ الغُدَافِ

If you have beautiful locks of hair,

If you have beautiful voices,

Then ours are like a raven's covert feather.

Then we have voices sweeter than nectar.

وإن كُنتُم بِحُسنِ الصَّوتِ فُزتُم

وإن كُنتُم بِحُسنِ الصَّوتِ فُزتُم

فَإِنَّ لَنَا ألَذَّ مِنَ السُّلاَفِ

فَإِنَّ لَنَا ألَذَّ مِنَ السُّلاَفِ

And if you have excelled in beauty of voice,

And if your claws are sharp,

Then ours is more delightful than the finest wine.

Then ours are sharper than knives.

وَإن كَانَت نَوَاجِذكُم حِدَاداً

وَإن كَانَت نَوَاجِذكُم حِدَاداً

فَإِنَّ لنا أَحَدَّ مِنَ الإِشَافِ

فَإِنَّ لنا أَحَدَّ مِنَ الإِشَافِ

And if your molars are sharp,

And if circumstances allowed, you would have feasted,

Then ours are sharper than an awl.

Then we would have feasted on what frees from circumstances.

وإِن قَدرَ الأَثَافي إِذَن لقِمتُم

وإِن قَدرَ الأَثَافي إِذَن لقِمتُم

لَقِمنَا مَا يَحُلُّ عَنِ الأَثَافي

لَقِمنَا مَا يَحُلُّ عَنِ الأَثَافي

And if you then swallowed hearthstone-sized mouthfuls,

And if singing comes your way as a gift,

We would swallow what is lifted off the hearthstones.

I came with two rising stars, which are enough.

وإِن كَانَ الغِنَاءُ إِلَيكَ يُهدَى

وإِن كَانَ الغِنَاءُ إِلَيكَ يُهدَى

أتَيتُ بِطَلعَتَينِ وكَافِ

أتَيتُ بِطَلعَتَينِ وكَافِ

And if song is offered to you as a gift,

I have brought two ṭalʿa poems and a kāf stanza.